Congratulations dermatology residents, on your journey to becoming board-certified dermatologists! As you approach the APPLIED exam, it’s natural to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. This is the culmination of years of hard work, and you want to bring that credibility to your specialty in becoming a Board Certified Dermatologist.
While you are studying hard and preparing for your board exam, it’s equally important not to forget to prioritize self-care. Failing to do so can impact your mental and emotional health, leaving you burned out and distressed, which may in turn affect your exam performance.
DermCare Management is here to support you through all phases of your career, including this pivotal certification stage. Recognizing that you and your mentors are adequately covering the materials necessary to pass the exam, our focus is therefore on helping you manage stress to stay balanced and healthy while you study.
Self-Care Tips for Exam Prep Season
We’re sure you’re already aware of how challenging juggling patient care, meetings with your mentor, and studying can be without factoring in other obligations like child care or maintaining relationships. Finding that work-life balance now translates to future success in preventing burnout and ensuring your patients get the best possible care without sacrificing your own well-being.
Developing strong time management and self-care skills are essential to launching a successful and enriching career as a practicing dermatologist. Not only does this allow you to dedicate more time and focus to caring for your patients, it also creates the mental space and energy for leading a well-balanced life outside of the exam room.
While we realize a physician is never truly ‘off-the-clock’, being able to decompress once your shift is over rather than scrambling to catch up with paperwork or other obligations helps keep you at the top of your game. This extends to studying, too. Research shows that taking time away from the books to rest and decompress actually improves information retention.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle while preparing for your exam by:
- Getting Enough Sleep: Late night study sessions may seem like a good idea, but poor sleep habits affect your memory, cognitive skills, and decision making.
- Eating Well-Balanced Meals: Proper nutrition fuels the brain and body to perform at its best. Staying committed to eating well while studying for your board exam promotes better focus and recollection.
- Engaging in Regular Physical Activity: Getting to the gym might not seem like a high priority right now, but taking time away from studying to get moving helps boost your mood and alleviate stress.
- Don’t Neglect Your Social Life: Take breaks from studying to relax, pursue hobbies, and spend time with loved ones. The external support of friends and family can be just the push you need to get through this incredibly stressful period.
DermCare’s Commitment to Your Future
DermCare Management is committed to supporting our partners and future generations of dermatologists through all stages of their career. Beyond our comprehensive operational and physician services support, we also provide all of our clinicians with a generous, robust yearly CME allowance for continued education.
These funds are set aside specifically for helping our providers stay atop advancements in the field and can be used for attending seminars, additional training courses, and more. Our providers have used their CME allowance for preparatory materials and courses for certifications, exam costs, and more.
As you continue to prepare for the upcoming board certification exams, know that we are in your corner and here to support you and your needs. Feel free to connect with us to learn about our current job opportunities, partnerships, and more today.