Essential Board Exam Study Resources for OB GYN Residency Success

Understanding the OB GYN Board Exam Landscape

Preparing for board exams in Obstetrics & Gynecology is a multi-year process that begins during residency and continues into your early attending years. Knowing the exam structure and how different board exam resources fit into your overall strategy is critical.

The Key Exams in OB GYN

For most trainees on the OB GYN residency pathway, your exam roadmap includes:

• USMLE/COMLEX (pre-residency and early residency)

  • Step 2/Level 2 and, for some, Step 3/Level 3 overlap heavily with core OB GYN concepts.
  • Strong early habits with Anki USMLE decks and question banks like UWorld will support later board performance.

• CREOG In-Training Examination

  • Administered annually during residency.
  • Content mirrors the ABOG written exam blueprint.
  • Your performance predicts how ready you are for the ABOG Qualifying Exam.

• ABOG Qualifying (Written) Exam

  • Typically taken the year after residency graduation.
  • Primarily multiple-choice, covering the entire spectrum of OB GYN.
  • High-yield topics: obstetrics complications, gynecologic oncology, reproductive endocrinology, urogynecology, benign gynecology, contraception, and preventive care.

• ABOG Certifying (Oral) Exam

  • Case-based, focused on your case list and core principles across OB GYN.
  • Tests your ability to reason, prioritize, and practice evidence-based medicine in real time.

When you evaluate board exam resources, always ask:

1. Which exam(s) is this resource targeting?
2. Does it match the style and depth of questions I’ll be tested on?
3. Is it evidence-based and updated with current guidelines (ACOG Practice Bulletins, SMFM, ASCCP, etc.)?

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Core Question Banks and Digital Platforms

Question banks are the backbone of effective exam prep. For OB GYN residents, they serve two major functions: building clinical reasoning and improving test-taking skills.

UWorld and General Question Banks

While UWorld is designed primarily for USMLE, its clinical vignettes and teaching points remain highly relevant throughout residency.

UWorld tips for OB GYN–bound residents:

• During MS3/MS4 and early PGY years:

  • Tag OB GYN questions: In UWorld, create OB GYN-specific custom blocks (OB, gyn, surgery/onc overlaps).
  • After each block, add high-yield learning points to your Anki USMLE deck for spaced repetition.

• During PGY1–PGY2:

  • Use UWorld as a clinical reasoning lab:
    • Focus on differential diagnosis, next best step, and interpreting labs/imaging.
    • Stop and ask, “How would I handle this on L&D tonight?” to reinforce practical application.

• In the year leading to your ABOG Qualifying Exam:

  • UWorld is adjunctive, not primary. Use it to:
    • Refresh core medicine/OB concepts (e.g., sepsis, coagulopathy, hypertension).
    • Strengthen test-taking stamina with long blocks.

General exam-prep question banks:

• AMBOSS

  • Strong for USMLE Step 2/3-level OB GYN.
  • Excellent for integration with clinical rotations (quick articles, algorithms).
  • Use during residency when you want rapid reference + questions.

• OnlineMedEd / Boards & Beyond (legacy pre-clinical support)

  • These are more foundational; useful if your basic pathophysiology in OB GYN feels weak.

Remember: for the CREOG and ABOG written exams, you’ll eventually need OB GYN-specific question banks and review books beyond general USMLE resources.

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OB GYN–Specific Question Banks and Courses

These are essential for high performance on the CREOG and ABOG Qualifying Exam, and are often tailored to the obstetrics match and residency training pipeline.

Common categories include:

1. Comprehensive OB GYN question banks
2. CREOG-focused review courses
3. Board review packages with lecture videos + QBank

Look for resources that:

• Clearly state they are aligned with:
  • ABOG Exam Topics or
  • CREOG/ACOG educational objectives.
• Provide:
  • Question explanations with references to ACOG Practice Bulletins, Committee Opinions, SMFM statements, and major guidelines (ASCCP, USPSTF).

Features that matter:

• Mixed-topic blocks: simulating actual exam conditions.
• Subspecialty tagging: OB, gyn, REI, Gyn Onc, MFM, Urogyn, primary care/well-woman.
• Test mode vs. tutor mode: You need both.

Practical example:

A PGY3 preparing for CREOG identifies “hypertensive disorders in pregnancy” and “gynecologic oncology staging” as weak areas from last year’s exam. They:

• Do timed, mixed blocks focusing on these topics.
• Immediately add difficult questions to a “marked” list.
• Revisit those questions weekly and cross-reference ACOG and NCCN guidelines.

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Mastering Textbooks, Guidelines, and Review Books

While question banks teach you to answer “What’s the best next step?”, textbooks and guidelines answer the deeper “Why?” and “What are the exceptions?” — both crucial for boards and practice.

Foundational OB GYN Textbooks

1. Comprehensive Texts (for deep reference)

   • Examples include standard OB and GYN mega-texts (often recommended by your residency program).
   • Use them:
     • To clarify pathophysiology.
     • For complex or rare topics (e.g., molar pregnancy management, placenta accreta spectrum nuances, pelvic floor reconstructive surgery details).

   Practical tip:

   • Don’t read these cover-to-cover for board prep.
   • Instead, target:
     • Common exam topics (HTN, diabetes, PPH, ectopic pregnancy, adnexal masses, AUB, cervical pathology).
     • Areas you consistently miss in question banks.

2. Short Review Books and Outlines

   • “High-yield” OB GYN review books or CREOG prep outlines are more realistic for repeated passes.
   • Aim for:
     • 2–3 full passes during your chief year or pre-Qualifying Exam period.
   • Use them to:
     • Build a mental scaffold of major topics.
     • Quickly review algorithms (e.g., AUB classification, cervical cancer screening/management, gestational diabetes).

ACOG Guidelines, Bulletins, and Other Society Resources

For OB GYN, guideline literacy is not optional; it is central to board performance and safe practice.

Key must-know guideline sources:

• ACOG Practice Bulletins & Clinical Practice Guidelines

  • Bread-and-butter for exam answers.
  • Prioritize:
    • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
    • Gestational diabetes and pregestational diabetes
    • Preterm labor and PPROM
    • VBAC and TOLAC
    • Induction of labor
    • PPH prevention and management
    • Contraception and sterilization
    • Abnormal cervical screening and ASCCP guidelines
    • AUB, fibroids, endometriosis
    • Gynecologic malignancies (basic staging and management principles)

• SMFM Consult Series & Guidelines

  • For MFM-heavy content:
    • Fetal growth restriction
    • Isoimmunization
    • Multiple gestation
    • Placenta previa/accreta spectrum
    • Maternal cardiac disease, thrombophilias

• ASCCP Guidelines

  • Cervical cancer screening and management of abnormal results.

• USPSTF, CDC, WHO

  • Preventive care topics:
    • Breast, cervical, colon cancer screening.
    • STI screening.
    • Vaccination in pregnancy and reproductive-age patients (Tdap, flu, HPV, COVID-19, RSV where applicable).

How to integrate guidelines into your study plan:

• Weekly “Guideline Hour”

  • One hour per week dedicated solely to reading or updating guidelines.
  • Summarize each guideline into:
    • Short bullet points
    • Flowcharts or decision trees
  • Then create Anki cards from these summaries (e.g., “34-week PPROM, no infection, no abruption: next step?”).

• Link questions to bulletins

  • When a question references a guideline, note which ACOG PB or Consult it corresponds to.
  • Build a personal spreadsheet: Topic – Bulletin/Guideline – Last Updated – Summary.

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Effective Use of Anki, Spaced Repetition, and Study Systems

For long-term retention across residency and into the ABOG exams, spaced repetition tools like Anki USMLE decks and custom OB GYN decks are game-changers.

Building Your OB GYN Memory System

1. Start with pre-existing decks where appropriate

   • Anki USMLE decks are excellent for:
     • Foundational physiology, pharmacology, and pathology.
     • General principles (e.g., thromboembolism, endocrinology, oncology basics).
   • During early residency, tag OB GYN-related cards to keep them active.

2. Create your own OB GYN-specific cards

   • These will be higher-yield than generic decks.
   • Focus on:
     • Algorithms (e.g., PPH management steps with medications and doses).
     • Diagnostic criteria (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes thresholds, PCOS criteria).
     • Staging systems (FIGO, endometrial/cervical/ovarian cancer basics).
     • Contraindications and side effects (e.g., who cannot receive estrogen-containing contraception; magnesium toxicity).

   Use formats like:

   • Cloze deletions for algorithms:
     • “First-line uterotonic after oxytocin in PPH: {{c1::methylergonovine}} unless {{c2::hypertension or preeclampsia}}.”
   • Q&A for definitions:
     • “Q: Diagnostic criteria for postpartum endometritis? A: …”

3. Integrate cards with your daily clinical practice

   • After challenging cases on L&D or in clinic (e.g., severe range BPs, shoulder dystocia, abnormal Pap), create 2–3 cards right away.
   • This tightens the link between clinical experience and exam recall.

4. Maintain consistent daily Anki habits

   • Even during busy rotations, aim for:
     • 20–30 minutes per day, broken into small blocks (pre-rounds, between cases, pre-call).
   • Protect this time; consider it part of your safety net for the Qualifying Exam.

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Planning for CREOG, the ABOG Written, and the Oral Exam

The most successful OB GYN residents treat board exam prep as a multi-year arc, not a last-minute cram.

CREOG In-Training Examination Strategy

The CREOG exam is your annual diagnostic checkpoint.

Year-by-year approach:

• PGY1

  • Use CREOG to identify:
    • Baseline strengths (e.g., OB management).
    • Gaps in GYN or primary care.
  • Resources:
    • USMLE-style question banks plus early OB GYN review questions.
    • Start reading ACOG guidelines for major OB topics.

• PGY2

  • Aim for steady score improvement.
  • Start a more serious OB GYN QBank routine (e.g., 10–20 questions/day).
  • Review questions you miss with:
    • Relevant ACOG bulletins.
    • Targeted textbook or review book sections.

• PGY3–PGY4

  • Treat CREOG like a mock ABOG written.
  • Strategy:
    • Mixed-topic question blocks several times per week.
    • Timed practice to simulate exam conditions.
    • Post-exam debrief: identify patterns (topic-specific weaknesses and test-taking issues).

Practical example:

After a low score in Gyn Oncology on CREOG, a PGY3 plans:

• Two weeks of focused gyn onc: 20 QBank questions daily + review of staging and basic management for endometrial, ovarian, cervical cancers.
• One dedicated session to reading the relevant NCCN summaries recommended by attendings.

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ABOG Qualifying (Written) Exam Preparation

Timing and resource layering make or break your written exam prep.

12–18 months before the exam (late PGY3 to early PGY4/chief year)

• Solidify habits:
  • Regular question bank use.
  • Weekly guideline reading.
  • Consistent Anki reviews.
• Attend or schedule:
  • A comprehensive OB GYN review course (in-person or virtual) if feasible.

6–9 months before the exam

• Create a formal study schedule:
  • Break content into monthly blocks:
    • Month 1–2: Obstetrics (hypertensive disorders, diabetes, labor dystocia, operative delivery, induction, PPH).
    • Month 3: Benign Gyn (AUB, fibroids, endometriosis, contraception).
    • Month 4: Gyn Onc (staging, treatment basics), REI (infertility, ART, endocrine).
    • Month 5: Urogyn and pelvic floor, primary care/well-woman.
    • Month 6: Mixed review and full-length practice exams.
  • Allocate daily goals:
    • 40–60 questions/day.
    • One small topic from a review book.
    • 20–30 minutes of Anki.

3 months before the exam

• Shift toward:
  • Full-length, timed practice exams at least every 2–3 weeks.
  • Rapid guideline and outline review.
  • Focus on:
    • Frequently tested OB complications.
    • Gyn cancer staging and risk-reducing strategies.
    • Contraceptive eligibility criteria.
    • Preventive care schedules.

1 month before the exam

• Lighten new material intake; emphasize:
  • Drilling weak areas identified from practice exams.
  • Rapid-fire flashcards and charts.
  • Sleep, nutrition, and stress management.

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ABOG Certifying (Oral) Exam Preparation

The oral exam is different: it tests how you think and practice, not just what you know.

Key components:

1. Case List Preparation

   • Start early (during your chief year).
   • Ensure your list:
     • Represents your actual practice.
     • Covers the breadth of OB, gyn, and office practice.
   • Anticipate board-style questions for each case:
     • Why did you choose this management?
     • What alternatives were reasonable?
     • How would you handle complications?

2. Oral Board Resources

   • Specialized oral board prep courses and mock orals are highly recommended.
   • Look for:
     • Structured practice in giving concise, organized responses.
     • Feedback on:
       • Clinical reasoning
       • Use of guidelines
       • Professional demeanor and communication style

3. Practice “Thinking Out Loud”

   • Use daily cases on L&D and in the OR to rehearse:
     • “If this were in my oral exam, how would I explain my management?”
   • Conduct:
     • Weekly mock oral sessions with co-residents or attendings.
   • Focus on:
     • Clear structure: problem, assessment, guideline-based plan, complication anticipation.

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Putting It All Together: Sample Study Plans and Practical Tips

Example: PGY2 Resident Focused on CREOG Improvement

• Weekly Plan

  • 80–120 OB GYN QBank questions/week (mixed OB and gyn).
  • 1 ACOG guideline read in full (e.g., gestational diabetes).
  • 4–5 days/week of 20 minutes Anki.
  • 1 half-day per month to tackle a challenging topic in depth (e.g., multiple gestation, urogynecologic surgery).

• On Service

  • When you encounter a clinical dilemma, later:
    • Look up the guideline.
    • Do 5–10 related practice questions.
    • Make 1–3 Anki cards.

Example: Graduate Preparing for ABOG Written Exam While in Fellowship or Practice

• 6-Month Countdown Plan
  • Months 1–2:
    • 30–40 questions/day.
    • Review book reading: 1 chapter/day (alternating OB and gyn).
  • Months 3–4:
    • 40–60 questions/day, timed.
    • One full-length practice exam each month.
  • Months 5–6:
    • Focused question review (only missed questions and weaker topics).
    • Anki + guideline refresh.
    • Two full-length practice exams spaced 2–3 weeks apart.

General Practical Advice

• Balance clinical demands and study time

  • Use lighter rotations (e.g., REI, clinic-heavy months) for higher-intensity study.
  • During nights or OB-heavy calls, lower your daily goals but maintain some continuity (e.g., just Anki or 10 questions).

• Study in layers

  • First pass: broad overview and lots of questions.
  • Second pass: fill gaps with guidelines and deeper reading.
  • Final pass: rapid review and test simulation.

• Form a small, serious study group

  • 2–4 people max.
  • Weekly meetings:
    • Rapid-fire questions.
    • Guideline teaching: each person presents 1–2 bulletins.
    • Case-based discussions to prep for both written and oral boards.

• Avoid resource overload

  • Pick:
    • 1–2 primary question banks.
    • 1 concise review text.
    • A structured plan for guidelines.
  • Stick with these rather than cycling through multiple new resources.

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FAQ: Board Exam Study Resources in OB GYN

1. When should I start using OB GYN–specific board exam resources during residency?
Start integrating OB GYN-specific question banks and review books by mid-PGY2 at the latest. In PGY1, focus more on clinical adaptation and general question banks (UWorld, AMBOSS), but begin reading key ACOG bulletins. By PGY3, you should have a consistent OB GYN QBank routine, as this will directly impact your CREOG and later ABOG written performance.

2. How important is Anki for OB GYN board preparation if I didn’t use it for USMLE?
Anki is not mandatory, but it is highly effective for long-term retention, especially for guideline-based algorithms, diagnostic criteria, and staging systems. Even if you never used Anki USMLE decks, you can start fresh with a targeted OB GYN deck focused on:

• Hypertensive disorders and diabetes in pregnancy
• Contraception eligibility and contraindications
• Cancer staging and key management pathways
  The key is daily consistency, even if it’s just 15–20 minutes.

3. Can I rely only on question banks for the ABOG written exam?
Question banks are essential, but not sufficient alone. You also need:

• A structured review text or outline for breadth and organization.
• Direct engagement with ACOG/SMFM/ASCCP guidelines to ensure your answers are aligned with current standards of care.
  Use question banks to identify weaknesses, but close the loop with guideline reading and concise notes.

4. How should I adjust my study plan if I’m also applying for the obstetrics match or fellowship during senior residency?
During the residency application or fellowship match season, time is tight. Prioritize:

• Sustaining a baseline study routine (e.g., 20–30 questions/day + 15 minutes Anki).
• Efficient resources (concise review books, short guideline summaries).
• Study blocks on weekends or post-interview days.
  Do not completely pause exam prep; maintaining continuity will make it much easier to ramp up once interviews are done.

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By choosing high-yield board exam resources, integrating them into a realistic long-term plan, and aligning your studying with daily clinical practice, you’ll not only excel on OB GYN board exams but also strengthen your foundation as a safe, thoughtful, and evidence-based clinician.