9 mantras for success of FMGE Toppers

9 mantras for success of FMGE Toppers:

Focus on your preparation.
Maintain the optimal physical & mental health (your productivity depends on your health)
Identify your learning style, academic strengths, and weaknesses.
Analyze the exam scheme, pattern, syllabus & high yield.
Smart study plan (Plan & strategies for a time-efficient comprehensive review).
Choose the appropriate materials for the preparation.
Realistic Schedule
Effective time management.
Regular Revisions to improve recall.
Practice tests regularly & attempt mock tests.

1. Focus on your FMGE preparation:

Focus is the art of concentrating your interests or activities that are the foremost & important determinants of your success in the FMGE.
Keep in mind that your exam preparation is equivalent to a runner preparing for a marathon race, therefore, you need to retain your focus throughout the preparation, not to let your body and mind to slack off until your entire exam is over.
DMA’s formula of FOCUS (Mnemonics FOCUS):
- F = Find your ambiance (comfortable & soothing for you without any distractions).
- O= Organize (Schedule your revision & prioritize what to be revised within the time frame).
- C = Cut off your procrastination (It’s very important to escape from procrastinations like chitchats & don forget time is the precious resource now).
- U = Undo your negative thinking (Think only positive, avoid Naysayers & Negative talkers.You can’t manage to waste your energy with negative thoughts during this time).
- S = Sustain your persistence (participate completely without slacking off until you crack the FMGE).

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2. Physical & mental health for FMGE preparation:

Basic physical to be taken care (your productivity depends on your health):
- Eat well-balanced meals comprising complex carbohydrates and proteins
- Get adequate sleep (minimum 7 hrs)

Sleep research & Study Skills

During sleep, your brain sorts through the things you studied earlier, organizes them, considers them, calculates them, decides what’s important and what’s not.
This process changes the physical structure of the brain cells so that specific pieces of knowledge are etched more permanently in memory especially during Slow Wave Sleep referred to as consolidation.

- Do mild exercise
- Take no medications that could compromise your thinking
Emotional needs to be taken care:
- Do stress reduction exercises and deep-breathing exercises/meditate.
- Fortify yourself with positive self-talk (positive attitude will have a great impact on your preparation & direct you to achieve your goal but avoid negative attitude which will drain your energy)
- Clear your mind of extraneous thoughts.

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3. Identify your learning style, academic strengths, and weaknesses for FMGE preparation:

Learning style is a combo of psychological profile combined with the pattern of learning new information. Each of you possesses a unique learning style that might make you unsuitable to fit into a generalized study plan, therefore, it brings a necessity for you to customize & improvise your own plan.
Academic strengths and weaknesses: the effort & time spent on topics depends on your background knowledge in the topics, therefore, its essential to identify your academic strengths and weaknesses before strategizing your study plan.

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4. Smart study plan for FMGE preparation (Plan/strategies for a time-efficient comprehensive review):

Working harder without proper guidelines shall sway away from reaching your goal.
A smart study plan should be devised based on your learning style, your strengths/weaknesses analysis of syllabus & high yield topics in order to boost the efficiency of preparation without wasting your energy & time.

1. Know the updated syllabus: The Syllabus for the FMGE is as per the Graduate Medical Education Regulations issued by Medical Council of India with prior approval of Government of India (mciindia.org)
2. Analyze the mark distribution, high yield chapters & topics.
3. Strategy depending on the weightage/difficulty.

Strategies

Strengths vs weaknesses: Appreciate your strengths, and identify your weaknesses, so you can fill up the gaps in your knowledge.
Highly yield subjects, chapters & topics should be given more importance.
The time you spend per subject depends upon:

1. Your basic knowledge in the subject (Cover weak areas first → go to your stronger areas→ returning at the end of your entire review to those subjects you once considered your weak areas)
2. Tougher subjects/topics first → easier ones later
3. Plan to spend more time on those subjects that gave you trouble, and less time on your strong subjects.

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5. Choose the appropriate materials for the FMGE preparation:

Appropriate & good study materials are the most essential component of any exam preparation.

Reading theory: systematically prepared NBE centric materials
Revision materials: organize your revision notes or acquire some specialized revision materials (QRS for FMGE) exclusively for revision purpose (should be used parallel with the reading materials & for the revision later)
MCQs: Practice tests in latest pattern & Past papers (NBE including FMGE & DNB)
Avoid using multiple & unfamiliar materials to prevent confusion, delay in preparation & make your revision easy + effective.

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6. Realistic Schedule for FMGE preparation:

Completing the scheduled tasks within the time frame is one of the biggest hurdles for most of the FMGE aspirants.
Success demands self-discipline, steady commitment, and a sense of humor, therefore construct your schedule so that you intersperse serious times with fun times.
Develop your personal schedule so that you can create a realistic study plan based on:

1. Time of the day or night are you most alert?
2. Your preference for large blocks of study time or hourly increments.
3. How much sleep do you need?
4. Duration of the breaks & the activities you seek when you take a break.

The very important point to be emphasized: This schedule is not strict/rigid & should be modified according to your happy hours + convenience & high energy slots, however, you need to adhere to an organized study schedule from 9 m to 5 pm daily because this time frame is during which the FMGE will be conducted.
Self-discipline: Success is not possible without strict adherence to the schedule.

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7. Effective time management for FMGE preparation:

Chunking: break down a single task with large blocks with long hours into actionable bitesize (divide time slots with content to be covered with guilt-free breaks).
Study duration/day: 10-14 hours (Be aware that only 2/3 of the total scheduled time shall be effectively utilized for preparing).
Take regular & guilt-free breaks: take protein-rich snacks (avoid sugars) & move around/stretch in order to warm up.

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8. Regular Revisions to improve recall in FMGE:

Revision is the key to recall (revise all the older topics in the last 1-2 months & try to avoid reading any new topics before).
Full understanding and knowledge can grow deeper with persistence, routine, and practice.
Revise all topics regularly (5 revisions will be optimal but minimum 3 revisions are essential).

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9. Practice tests regularly & attempt mock tests for FMGE preparation:

Practice tests regularly aid in the following:

1. Diagnose your competence (strengths and weaknesses) in the subjects & exam-taking skills for FMGE.
2. To maximize your efficiency of learning (70/20/10 Model of Lombardo and Eichinger) during your FMGE preparation.
3. To practice time management (speed) in FMGE.
4. To improve accuracy & increase the confidence level in FMGE.
5. To desensitize the exam anxiety (increase the familiarity with the online platform) in FMGE.

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Tests to be practiced:

1. Chapter-wise/subject wise/Module-wise practice tests.
2. Previous years (FMGE MCQs + NBE MCQs) Question Papers: must practice on a regular basis (Read more about the Reasons to practice past papers).
3. Attempt FMGE mock tests regularly to boost your confidence level, sharpen accuracy & aid in time management.
  - The optimal number of mocks/week: 2 full-length FMGE mocks/week will be Optimal however a minimum of 1 full-length FMGE mocks/week will be required.
  - What to start practicing the mocks? Start practicing mock exams as early as possible otherwise at least 6-8 weeks before your exam.