Incourses and Medical Board Examinations are common to medical school. All medical students know that they have to write four professional medical board exams as well as tens of incourses in their medical school journey. Some students are always eager to see what the next medical board examination will be like, while the majority prepare for these exams with dread.
Medical Board Examinations are usually the most serious examinations for medical students. These exams are divided into different parts; theories, objectives, orals and practicals. No matter how insignificant the marks for any part of the exam looks, it adds up to determine each student’s fate. There are also no two ways to it, a student either passes or fails. Of course, there are students that aim for distinctions and are not okay with just passing.
The seriousness and importance of Medical Board exams make them the most prepared-for exams in medical school. The amount of work and time that goes into preparing for these exams make them draining. For this reason, many students fail to take care of themselves and their health during these exams. Most students would rather just live by, as long as they can pass these exams.
However, what should medical students pay attention to while preparing for their “Almighty” Medical Board examinations?
Eating Well
Food is a crucial part of medical students’ lives because they expend loads of mental energy everyday. In classes, during practicals and ward rounds, they have to store new information. They especially need to actively recall information while preparing for medical board examinations. This explains the importance of good and healthy food.
Rather than starve during exams in the name of covering the syllabus or eat junks, medical students should be intentional about eating good food.
If the aim is to be full, all medical students need is plenty of digestible carbs and lots of protein in their meal.
If the aim is to eat well while avoiding sleepiness, medical students should avoid heavy meals as they will require lots of energy to digest. Instead, they should eat light meals. That way, they can kill two birds with a stone; eat well and read well.
If cooking is an excuse for starving, medical students can adopt either of these methods:
-Asking a non-medical friend to assist them with cooking for the MB examination period.
-Asking a family member to assist them with meals during exams.
-Cooking large meals at a time and storing them in a functioning freezer, e.g, soups.
-Buying meals.
Through these means, medical students will acquire the strength they need to read and write the right things during medical board examinations.
Sleeping Well
There is a reason why many students consider sleeping as a waste of time during medical board examinations. It is because these professional exams can be compared to going to battle, and only the strong prevails. Owing to this, many medical students deprive themselves of sleep during medical board examinations.
The worst happens the night before these exams: sleeping for an hour or two becomes a norm, in fact, with the aid of caffeine, some attempt not sleeping at all.
Rather than remain sleep deprived for a period of two weeks or more to the extent of feeling dizzy or collapsing while writing these examinations, there are steps that can help medical students sleep better and stay healthier:
-Sleeping in comfortable environments, no matter the sleep duration: Sleeping on a bed will make the quality of medical students sleep better than sleeping on benches, wooden chairs and the uncomfortable seats in lecture theatres.
-Getting enough sleep before each exam: Even if a medical student decides to deprive himself or herself of sleep while preparing for his or her exams, it will be of great benefit to sleep well before each exam.
-Avoiding caffeine
-Making the best use of daytimes: If a medical student wakes up by 6am and starts reading by 8am at most, with an hour break at four-hour intervals, he or she can successfully read for at least 12 hours each day, and still sleep for at least six hours. The student will be energized for the following day, assimilate things better, and be at less risk of falling Ill.
Other Ways of Maintaining Good Health During Medical Board Examinations
In addition to eating and sleeping well, medical students should take note of the following:
- Treating malaria: It is advisable for medical students to treat malaria before starting preparations for medical board examinations. This makes them less prone to falling Ill when the exams start.
- Taking Walks: Instead of maintaining a sedentary lifestyle, it is healthier for medical students to take walks. This, amongst others things, improves mood, helps one stay focused, and reduces stress.
- Understanding the Body: It will be ironic for a medical student to collapse while writing exams because he or she failed to listen to his or her body. When medical students understand the symptoms of looming danger to their health, they should take steps to prevent danger before things get worse.
- Staying hydrated.
Conclusion
Taking the above steps is easier said than done, but the result in terms of the physical health of medical students is worth the effort.
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