Knowledge is...something

I should be studying for Boards instead of writing about studying for them. In case you were curious, next week, recent graduates of pediatric residency programs all across the country will sit for an eight-hour test that will determine whether they know enough (or are good enough guessers) to practice pediatric medicine in all its forms.

I mean, I'm glad that there's some sort of benchmark, because, after all, we wouldn't want just anyone taking care of your kids. But it's still daunting to try to know everything that the American Board of Pediatrics thinks I should know. Especially considering that the content specifications for the exam number 160 pages. That's not 160 pages of material. It's 160 pages of what the material covers. In the "tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, and then tell 'em what you told 'em," scenario, the 160 pages is just the first part. I have to know the middle part.

Some of them are fairly straight-forward: "Know that a headache can be caused by depression." Check.

Others take a little more know-how, like section XXX:4--Critical Care: Cardiac. Yup, that's the whole content spec in one line. Just all of cardiac critical care. You know, like the topic that requires an entire extra year of fellowship on top of critical care. Just know that. Next!

I've been working my way through the material on those 160 pages for the last 2 years in various forms, and my brain is just about full. I'm so ready to just be done. To be able to read about what I want to or what is interesting or what I see in practice, instead of which metabolic disorder smells like sweaty gym socks (hint: it's isovaleric acidemia).

Prayers for motivation to study these last few days--and for clarity on exam day--would be much appreciated. And then hopefully, according to some random group of doctors and a computer, I will be deemed smart enough to practice for the next 10 years.

And I'll be celebrating in sophisticated fashion--with Harry Potter and chocolate stout!