How to prepare for the INBDE
A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
Studying for the INBDE is like preparing for a marathon; it requires both mental and physical preparation. You have heard the saying “Running is 90 percent mental and the rest is physical.” Putting on your running shoes and hitting the pavement regularly will not necessarily get you over the finish line. Runners must mentally prepare for what’s ahead. And you need to do the same!
FOCUS ON THE MOMENT
If you attempt to visualize the enormous intellectual mountain you are about to climb it can leave you discouraged and disheartened. Instead, focus on the moment. One step at a time. Every step is one closer to your goal.
POSITIVE THINKING
There will certainly be times you feel overwhelmed. It is important to stay positive. Not in an artificial way, by ignoring your feelings. Instead consider this: many, many students have studied for the same exam as you and passed. They were normal people who studied, worked hard, got angry and frustrated, doubted themselves, but kept going. Recognize that many have faced the same challenges and succeeded. If they can do it, so can you!! Knuckle down, work hard, and keep going one step at a time. You CAN do it!
PURSUE BALANCE
This exam may feel like the biggest thing in your life. It is not. I can guarantee you that, in 5 or 10 or 20 years time you’ll look back on your life and the INBDE will only be a blip. Be mindful of your priorities. Keep yourself healthy, eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly. Stay connected with the people in your life that matter the most to you. Gratitude will help you feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve your health, help you deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Find at least one thing each day you can be grateful for.
MAKE A PLAN
The overall time you will need to adequately prepare for the INBDE will vary, but examinees still enrolled in dental school are expected to require 1-4 months of preparation. For international students or examinees not currently enrolled in an active dental program, preparation may take 4-8 months. Regardless of the time you spend, you will not feel 100% prepared. And that’s OK. No student will have an absolutely comprehensive grasp of every single topic and be able to retrieve the information with 100% accuracy. All you need to do is your best, you can do this! Once you’ve decided on the total length of study, it’s time to make a daily study plan. Make achievable goals for each day. Remember to structure topics for best yield, and focus on your weak subjects. Your study plan will act as a guide.
HOW YOU LEARN
It is common to study in the way that is most familiar to you, what intuitively makes sense. You may be surprised to find out that there is a wealth of research into how to study effectively. Reading and re-reading notes is an ineffective, time-consuming study technique that does little to significantly improve memory retention and performance. Before you start, spend some time studying the best ways to study.
Active recall involves creating questions based on atopic and then repeatedly testing yourself by forcing your brain to retrieve the information. Active retrieval of information is far more efficient at consolidating information and enforcing understanding compared to passive reading. You could, for example, create flashcards with questions on one side and answers on the reverse. Test yourself regularly to reinforce memory.
Spaced repetition is an evidence-based study technique that is usually performed with flashcards or similar online tools. Flashcards that contain new information or content that is more difficult to master are reviewed more frequently, while older and less difficult flashcards are reviewed less frequently, “spacing” the content out further. You can use an app or software that schedules review sessions based on how well you remember each card.
The Pomodoro Technique is a common time management method developed in the late 1980sby Francesco Cirillo. Study blocks are organized in intervals known as a pomodoro (from the Italian word for tomato) that consists of:
- Decided on the task to be done.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Work on the task until the alarm sounds.
- Take a short break (5–10 minutes).
- Rinse and repeat. Take a longer break (20-30 minutes) after the 4th pomodoro.
Alternatively, try study sessions between 45 mins and one hour. Any longer and you will start to lose focus. Take regular breaks, 5-15 mins. Be disciplined about the breaks, consider setting a timer. Avoid distractions that become a time sink. Some people study better in groups. Studying with people may help you to bounce ideas, to share information, and you can assess each other. One of the most powerful studying tools is teaching the material you are studying to someone else. But be careful, groups can also be very distracting.
A great tip is to learn pathways in reverse. For example, you may learn the path of the lingual branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, starting in the trigeminal ganglion, ending in providing sensory information to the anterior two thirds of the tongue. But this pathway will likely have to be recalled in reverse in the exam, starting with a picture of the tongue.
EAT-SLEEP-EXERCISE
It is very easy to fall into bad habits. Proper nutrition is undervalued when it comes to effective studying. Make sure to get enough quality sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Sleep seems to be the first thing out the window in order to make room for studying, despite being key to memory consolidation and recall. Maintain/introduce exercise into your study routine. Mild exercise half an hour a day will greatly boost your performance. If the thought of exercise makes you recoil, consider a half an hour walk outside, add headphones, and listen to study material on the go! And remember to include fruits and vegetables in your meals.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY
The Prometric evaluators take security seriously so make sure to arrive early. During the check-in process, they will inspect any and all eyeglasses, jewelry and other accessories to look for camera/audio devices that could be used to capture exam content. Jewelry outside of wedding and engagement rings are prohibited. Hair accessories and ties are subject to inspection. Please refrain from using ornate clips, combs, barrettes, headbands, tie clips, cuff links and other hair accessories as you may be prohibited from wearing them into the testing room and asked to store them in your locker. Violation of security protocol may result in the confiscation of prohibited devices and termination of your exam.
For more on what to expect on the day.
THE PACE
At the start of the exam there will be a sign In Tutorial. The 500 questions will likely be disproportionately broken up within the overall exam time of 12.5 hours, with small breaks in between session and lunch break on day one. You will have 750 minutes to answer 500 questions, which sets the pace at 1 minute 30 seconds per question on average, which is a fairly quick pace. It’s probably a good idea to aim for one minute per question, allowing flexibility on the harder questions and time to come back and revise. A crucial skill to learn will be focused time management. Keep an eye on the clock!
DEVELOP A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
Some questions will contain unnecessary information to throw you off the scent. Some are ambiguous. Some are experimental and may not count towards the final mark. Some may have unintentional errors in them that have not been picked up by the board. These questions are quicksand and you risk becoming stuck. Don’t allow yourself to become bogged down. Keep moving, keep up the pace! It is a good idea to have a standardized game plan for each question to improve your speed and minimize mistakes. If you do not have an established system, consider the following:
Read the question carefully, looking for key words like “except”, “not” or “false”. Next, read the possible answers. This will help you determine the focus of the question and distill the relevant information out of the patient profile.
Now study the patient profile.
Cross out obviously wrong answers.
Select the correct answer.
There is no penalty for wrong answers, so if you are not sure, guess! Mark the question so you can return to it later (if time permits) and keep moving forward! Keep up the pace. Remember, this resource will help you to prepare for the dreaded INBDE, but it is not designed to be an in depth resource to replace text books, journals and lectures. Make sure to keep referring back to your study notes! Prepare diligently, stay positive, and remember that every effort counts. You’ve got this! OK, let’s start studying!
