Essential Board Exam Study Resources for Global Health Residency Success

Why Board Exam Strategy Matters for Global Health–Focused Residents

Preparing for board exams while cultivating a career in international medicine and global health presents a dual challenge: you must achieve stellar exam performance while building the skills and knowledge needed for work in low‑resource and cross‑cultural settings. The good news is that the core board exam resources used by most residents are highly compatible with—if not essential to—a strong global health residency track.

This guide will walk you through:

• The must‑use core board exam resources
• How to adapt them to global health and international medicine interests
• A stepwise study plan that integrates clinical work, research, and global rotations
• Practical UWorld tips and Anki USMLE–style strategies for maximum recall
• Supplemental global health–specific resources that reinforce board content

Whether you are in internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, or another primary care–oriented specialty, the same principles apply: master the testable core, then extend it to the global health context.

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Core Question Banks: Building Your Board Exam Foundation

Question banks (Qbanks) are the backbone of nearly every successful board prep strategy. For residents with global health interests, they serve two purposes:

1. Prepare you for high‑stakes exams (USMLE Steps, in‑training exams, ABIM/ABFM/ABP, etc.)
2. Solidify the clinical reasoning needed across diverse, resource‑constrained settings

UWorld: The Gold Standard

For USMLE and primary board exams, UWorld remains the single most important question bank. Its explanations, images, and interface are closest to real exam conditions.

Key features relevant to global health:

• Robust infectious disease content (malaria, TB, HIV, helminths, tropical diseases)
• Numerous questions on public health, epidemiology, and biostatistics
• Strong focus on diagnostic reasoning with limited data and high‑value testing—parallel to real‑world global health practice

UWorld tips for global health–oriented learners:

1. Treat ID and public health questions as core, not “extras.”
   Build a custom UWorld block every 1–2 weeks that emphasizes:

   • Infectious diseases
   • Pulmonology (TB, pneumonia)
   • Gastroenterology (diarrheal illness, hepatitis)
   • OB/Gyn and pediatrics (maternal–child health, peripartum infections)

2. Use UWorld to practice “resource triage.”
   When faced with multiple imaging or lab options, always ask:

   • What is the minimum test I truly need?
   • Would this be feasible in a low‑resource environment? Use UWorld questions as “thought experiments” in resource‑limited scenarios, even if the exam environment assumes all tests are available.

3. Build an error log with global health tags.
   In a spreadsheet or note app, log:

   • Question ID
   • Topic (e.g., “malaria,” “tuberculosis,” “HIV prophylaxis,” “vaccines,” “water‑borne disease”)
   • Why you missed it (knowledge gap vs. misreading vs. reasoning) Over time, this creates your personalized “global ID/epidemiology board review.”

4. Active learning with explanations.
   After each block:

   • Summarize key teaching points in your own words.
   • Convert high‑yield facts to flashcards (see Anki USMLE strategies below).
   • Link concepts to global health cases from your experience or reading.

Additional Qbanks: Complement, Don’t Compete

Depending on exam type and specialty, consider:

• Amboss: Excellent for internal medicine, pediatrics, and surgery; rich in clinical context and visual explanations. Good for reinforcing weaker systems after your first UWorld pass.
• MedStudy / MKSAP (for IM), AAP PREP (for Peds), AAFP Board Review Qbank (for FM):
  These align closely with the ABIM/ABP/ABFM blueprints and frequently cover common problems seen in global settings (COPD, heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, childhood infections).

How to integrate multiple Qbanks without burnout:

• Use UWorld as your primary bank (full pass, often 1.0–1.5x).
• Use one secondary bank to target weaknesses and reinforce:
  • Post‑rotation: after a global health elective, do 10–20 questions/day on related systems.
  • Pre‑exam: 20–40 extra questions on your lowest‑performing subjects.

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Flashcards, Memory, and Spaced Repetition: Using Anki Strategically

For the last decade, Anki USMLE–style flashcards have transformed how medical trainees retain enormous volumes of material. Global health–oriented trainees are no exception—but you must be deliberate.

Why Anki Works for Board Prep

• Uses spaced repetition to revisit facts before you forget them.
• Forces active recall, which mirrors board questions more than passive reading.
• Ideal for:
  • Microbiology and infectious disease
  • Pharm (antimicrobials, antimalarials, TB regimens, HIV meds)
  • Epidemiology formulas and thresholds (RR, OR, NNT, vaccine coverage targets)

Choosing or Creating Decks

You can use:

• Pre-made decks (for USMLE, in‑training, or specialty boards):
  • Look for well‑vetted, frequently updated decks.
  • Avoid downloading huge decks you do not have the bandwidth to maintain.
• Custom cards from:
  • UWorld questions you missed (especially ID and global‑relevant topics)
  • Lectures in your global health residency track
  • Guideline summaries (e.g., WHO TB guidelines, HIV PEP/PrEP protocols where they overlap with board‑relevant practice)

High‑yield card types for global health content:

• Antibiotic regimens:
  “First‑line treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in chloroquine‑resistant regions?”
  → Answer plus backup regimens and contraindications.

• Screening and vaccine schedules:
  “Age and schedule for HPV vaccination in immunocompromised adults?”
  Highlight differences across guidelines when relevant to your boards.

• Epidemiology and public health thresholds:
  “Definition of herd immunity threshold?”
  or
  “Key components of DOTS strategy for TB?”

Practical Anki Habits for Busy Residents

1. Limit daily new cards.
   20–40 new cards/day is realistic when on wards; more during elective or research months.

2. Prioritize reviews over new cards.
   Clearing your review queue protects your existing knowledge base.

3. Make concise, testable cards.
   One fact per card; minimal clutter. This mirrors board question “anchors.”

4. Tie cards to cases.
   If you see a child with severe malnutrition, tag your Anki cards related to:

   • Kwashiorkor vs marasmus
   • Refeeding syndrome
   • WHO malnutrition treatment guidelines
     Real patients help anchor memory deeply.

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Integrating Global Health Content into Standard Board Prep

Most board exams rarely use overtly “international medicine” branding, yet they continually test concepts central to global health: infectious diseases, maternal‑child health, chronic disease management, and health systems.

Map the Exam Blueprint to Global Health Domains

Review your exam’s content outline (e.g., ABIM, ABFM, ABP). Then, identify where global health overlaps:

• Infectious Diseases: HIV, TB, malaria, parasitic infections, vaccine‑preventable illnesses, STIs
• Pulmonology: TB, COPD, asthma in poorly resourced settings
• Gastroenterology: diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, cirrhosis globally
• OB/Gyn and Pediatrics: maternal mortality, neonatal sepsis, peripartum infections, congenital infections
• Endocrine & Cardiology: diabetes, hypertension, heart failure in low‑resource contexts (e.g., limited medication options)
• Public Health & Epidemiology: outbreak investigation, screening programs, vaccination campaigns, global health metrics

Once mapped, you can intentionally frame your study in terms of how these topics might present in both domestic and global environments.

Case‑Based Learning with a Global Twist

When doing Qbank questions, especially in ID or public health, ask:

• How would this case differ in:
  • Rural sub‑Saharan Africa?
  • Urban South Asia?
  • A refugee camp or humanitarian crisis?
• What diagnostics would I realistically have?
• What empiric therapy would I start if labs were delayed or unavailable?

This does not change how you answer questions on the exam—but it trains flexible reasoning that serves both board success and fieldwork.

Global Health–Specific Study Add‑Ons

While your boards should remain your core priority, layering in select global health resources can reinforce exam‑relevant knowledge.

Useful options include:

• Textbooks/Manuals
  • Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine
  • CDC Yellow Book (for travel and infectious diseases)
  • WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines
• Open‑access WHO/CDC resources
  • TB and HIV treatment guidelines
  • Malaria management recommendations
  • Safe motherhood and neonatal care protocols

Strategy:

• Do not read cover‑to‑cover during busy clinical months.
• Instead, align your reading with Qbank themes:
  • After a UWorld block on diarrhea, skim IMCI guidance on dehydration and oral rehydration.
  • After ID questions, review WHO recommendations on malaria or TB drug regimens.

This creates a bidirectional reinforcement loop: boards strengthen your global health base; global health resources make exam content more clinically meaningful.

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Building a Study Plan That Works with a Global Health Track

Residents in a global health residency track often have extra demands—international rotations, research projects, language study, and advocacy work—on top of usual clinical duties. A realistic, structured plan is essential.

Phase 1: Foundation (12–18 Months Before Boards)

Goals:

• Build daily study habits
• Complete 25–40% of a core Qbank (e.g., UWorld)
• Establish a sustainable Anki routine

Suggested weekly structure (during average ward months):

• Qbank: 10–20 questions/day, 5 days/week, timed & mixed if feasible
• Anki: 20–40 new cards/day, plus all due reviews
• Reading: 2–3 hours/week from a core board review text (or Amboss articles)
• Global health link:
  Once a week, add 3–5 Anki cards based on:
  • Global health lectures
  • Articles from Lancet Global Health or BMJ Global Health
  • Cases seen in clinic involving migrant, refugee, or underserved patients

Phase 2: Consolidation (6–9 Months Before Boards)

Often coincides with elective or research months, which can be ideal for ramping up.

Goals:

• Reach 80–100% completion of your primary Qbank
• Identify weak systems and global‑health‑relevant gaps
• Integrate a secondary Qbank or focused board review course

Suggested weekly structure (lighter months):

• Qbank: 30–60 questions/day, with same‑day review
• Anki: Maintain reviews; can increase new cards moderately
• Board review course / videos: 3–5 hours/week
• Global rotations:
  If you are on an international medicine elective:
  • Use clinical cases to anchor your knowledge
  • In the evenings, do 10–20 Qbank questions related to what you saw (e.g., ID, pediatrics, OB)
  • Note any management differences vs. guidelines used on boards

Important: Protect 1–2 days per week as “low‑intensity” to prevent burnout.

Phase 3: Intensive Review (2–3 Months Before Boards)

This period requires focused board prep; global health activities should support—not compete with—exam performance.

Goals:

• Second pass or “marked questions” pass through UWorld
• 2000–3000+ questions completed overall (varies by specialty and Qbank)
• Systematic review of weak areas (including key global health topics like HIV, TB, STIs, vaccines)

Suggested weekly structure:

• Qbank: 60–80 questions/day, 5–6 days/week
• Anki: Mostly review, very few new cards
• Simulated exams: 1–2 full‑length practice tests (NBME, in‑house, or specialty boards)
• Targeted global health emphasis:
  • In the final 4–6 weeks, do a focused pass on ID, pulmonary, GI, OB/peds questions.
  • Keep a one‑page cheat sheet of “global health‑dense” topics:
    • Opportunistic infection prophylaxis schedules
    • Malaria and TB treatment regimens
    • Vaccination indications and contraindications
    • Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)–related illness management principles (as they appear on exams)

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Specialty‑Specific Considerations for Global Health Board Prep

Global health interests can be pursued from many specialties. Here’s how to tilt your board prep accordingly:

Internal Medicine

• Heavy overlap between boards and chronic disease management relevant to global settings:
  • Heart failure, COPD, diabetes, HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, rheumatic heart disease
• Use MKSAP or MedStudy alongside UWorld to:
  • Reinforce chronic disease guidelines
  • Practice internal medicine–style clinical reasoning
• Pay particular attention to:
  • Opportunistic infections (cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis)
  • TB screening and treatment (latent vs active)
  • Viral hepatitis complications (HCC, cirrhosis, portal HTN)

Family Medicine

• Family medicine is naturally aligned with international medicine and community‑based care.
• Use AAFP board resources + UWorld/other Qbanks:
  • Emphasize maternal‑child health, chronic disease, mental health, and preventive medicine.
• Focus on:
  • Prenatal and peripartum care (screening, immunizations, infection management)
  • Pediatric growth, development, and vaccine timing
  • STIs, HIV prevention, and harm‑reduction strategies

Pediatrics

• Use AAP PREP, UWorld, and specialty‑specific Qbanks:
  • Emphasize infections, malnutrition, dehydration, neonatal sepsis, and respiratory illness.
• Link your board prep to global health domains:
  • Diarrheal diseases and oral rehydration
  • Vaccine‑preventable diseases (measles, polio, pertussis)
  • Neonatal mortality causes and early newborn care

Other Specialties (OB/Gyn, EM, Surgery, Psychiatry)

• Focus on areas of your blueprint that have strong global health relevance:
  • OB/Gyn: maternal mortality, postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, STIs, HIV in pregnancy.
  • EM: trauma, poisoning, resuscitation in low‑resource settings; mass casualty principles.
  • Surgery: emergency surgeries (appendicitis, bowel obstruction), wound infection, trauma care.
  • Psychiatry: PTSD, depression, and substance use in displaced populations and humanitarian crises.

In all cases, the same principle holds: board exam resources first, augmented by contextual global health reading and reflection.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How do I balance global health electives with intense board studying?

Time your major global rotations 6–12 months before your exam where possible. During the rotation:

• Maintain a lighter Qbank target (e.g., 10–20 questions/day).
• Focus Anki on clinical ID, OB/peds, and public health topics that come up daily.
• Use weekends for 1–2 longer blocks of practice questions.

Avoid scheduling extended international travel in the final 2–3 months before your boards, when intensive review is most productive.

2. Are there board exam resources specific to global health or international medicine?

There are few board resources branded explicitly as “global health” for mainstream boards. However, you can integrate:

• Standard Qbanks (UWorld, Amboss, MKSAP, PREP, etc.) for exam alignment.
• Tropical medicine and global health texts (e.g., Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine).
• WHO, CDC, and international guidelines as adjuncts, especially for ID and maternal‑child care.

The priority is mastery of your official exam blueprint; global health resources should reinforce, not replace, these.

3. Is Anki really necessary if I’m already doing a lot of questions?

Not strictly necessary, but highly advantageous—especially if you:

• Struggle to retain large volumes of microbiology, pharm, or epidemiology.
• Are juggling clinical work, global health projects, and exam prep simultaneously.

Anki USMLE–style decks help ensure that once you learn something from UWorld, you don’t forget it. Even a modest daily Anki habit (15–20 minutes) can significantly improve long‑term retention.

4. What are the most important topics to master for boards if I’m interested in global health?

Across specialties, the recurring high‑yield areas include:

• Infectious Diseases: TB, HIV, malaria, helminths, diarrheal diseases, vaccine‑preventable illnesses.
• Maternal–Child Health: prenatal care, labor and delivery complications, neonatal resuscitation, malnutrition, vaccination.
• Chronic Diseases: hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, COPD, liver disease—especially where medication access or monitoring may be limited.
• Public Health and Epidemiology: screening programs, vaccination strategies, outbreak investigation, basic biostats, and health systems concepts.

Use your core board exam resources to achieve excellence in these areas; then expand to region‑specific details based on where you plan to work.

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By anchoring your preparation in high‑quality question banks, disciplined spaced‑repetition (Anki), and a thoughtful schedule that respects both exam demands and global health commitments, you can excel on your boards and build the clinical acumen needed for impactful international medicine.