Board Review Study Guides: A General Overview

No matter what year of residency you are in, there is no escaping the thought of the dermatology board certification examination, known simply as “the boards.” Multiple study tools exist to help residents memorize, recall, and summarize the mountains of information we learn in preparation for the boards; however, use of these tools requires an investment of time and sometimes money. Often, in-depth knowledge from 1 or 2 study materials is more helpful than shallow familiarity from every available resource. This article provides a general overview of the main board review study guides that currently are available to help residents decide which tools will give them the biggest bang for their investment.