Can you draw me something…......?

It’s a question we often asked in the Primary Exam and one we concentrate on in the Course. 
​There’s a few reasons we love to ask this– if you can draw a diagram, you’re more likely to remember it in the future.  What’s more, drawing while explaining something in a viva is often a much more efficient way of conveying information that talking alone - as they say, ‘a picture paints a thousand words’. 
This week, can you draw me a left ventricular pressure-volume loop?  Can you label it?  Where do the valves open and close?  How do you calculate stroke volume from it?  If you can do that you’ll have a much better understanding of the mechanics of LV in systole and diastole.  So give it a go.  Draw it while talking about what you’re drawing.  Draw it while teaching it to someone.  You know you’ve understood something when you can teach it!  I’ll get you started…

​If you want to learn more, we’re covering this in this week’s Primary Exam modules.

This week we wanted to talk to you about STRATEGY.  The next sitting of the primary is just over 6 months away.  People will tell you that you need to spend a year preparing for this exam, but you CAN be ready for the August sitting with the right strategy – if you commit now.
Let’s start with what NOT to do. 

• DON’T just read the major textbooks cover to cover. 
  
• DON’T just read the College curriculum and try to learn everything you can about all of the topics.  The curriculum is long and detailed and it’s impossible to know it all in detail.
  
• DO pick when you want to sit.  Then tell everybody!  It’s a great help to have friends and family knowing that you are going to sit.  It will help them understand that you won’t be as free to catch up for a while.  They can also help keep you accountable and on track.  If you just say to yourself “I’ll start studying and see how I feel closer to the time” it almost certainly won’t work out.  Pick a date, commit, and go for it!

What you need to do is have a  FOCUSSED study.  A STRATEGY that will get you maximum gain for your study time.  This means a study plan that focusses on the BIG topics and a way of maximising your learning for the time you put in.
You also need lots of MCQ practice.  Good MCQ technique and practice are a huge part of this exam.  So make sure you’re linked in with a resource that will give you this. The almost 4000 MCQs on the site will help you, but you MUST DO THEM.
What are the big topics?
You are told what they are in the exam.
The way to figure it out is to think clinically what the most important topics are.
If you are part of the courser we will share the exam matrix topics with you.
The new 26 week syllabus, sets those topics out for you.
Good luck!  You can get this exam.