OKAP/Boards Review Books

By Vipul Shah, MD

The holiday season has come and gone, and the New Year is here. While many of us look ahead to the promise of the coming months, for those of us early in their careers, a black cloud looms once again: OKAPs and the written Board exams. I keep hoping for the day when these tests will be replaced with a statement that we have to sign: "I promise to look up stuff that I'm clueless about." I think it would improve our stress levels considerably.

Until that day, however, the tests need to be taken, and therefore need to be studied for. If you've been putting off getting started, now is a great time to start—not so early that you'll forget everything, but not so late that you'll run out of time (maybe).

Hopefully at this stage, most of us have some idea of which study method is most effective, but you'll probably be using some sort of review book (or two, or six). There are many available, and they usually fall into one of two categories: review or questions. Here's a snapshot of just some of the useful tools available for you:

Review Books

• The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Illustrated Manual of Ophthalmology (Friedman, Pineda, Kaiser): An excellent, quick reference book with a decent number of pictures. Suitable detail for test purposes, although may be difficult to read straight through.


• Review of Ophthalmology (Friedman, Kaiser, Trattler): Excellent review book (and my review book of choice), with significant detail, as well as many high-yield pictures, tables, and charts.


• Ophthalmology Review Manual (Chern, Zegans): Concise, high-yield outline that may be missing some minutiae that can show up on the tests. Some pictures, but few tables or charts.


• Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach (Kanski): World-famous, with beautiful photos and a great layout. Excellent as a refresher, but may not be quite detailed enough.


• Last Minute Optics (Hunter, West) The only optics book you'll ever need for the OKAP, written, and oral boards—seriously. Work through this book a few days before the test (it only takes a few hours), and you'll rock Optics.
  

Question Books

• Ophthalmology Board Review (Tamesis) Questions are in an open-ended format that is great for studying with a partner or quizzing yourself. Does not simulate written test questions, but helps with recall.


• ProVision: Preferred Responses in Ophthalmology (Lane, Skuta): AAO-approved two-volume set of questions. The questions themselves are very similar to the actual tests (although perhaps a tad easier). Can be cumbersome to use, as the answers and discussion are in a separate volume from the questions.


• Review Questions in Ophthalmology (Chern, Wright): One of the more popular question books, this book has loads of questions that are accurate to the test. A must-use.


• The Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary Review Manual for Ophthalmology (Jager, Lamkin): Although not in the approved format, with true/false and "Except," this book has loads of questions and is an excellent supplement for those looking to get more practice under their belt.

While everyone studies differently, the vast number of review books available to you should ensure that you will be able to find one that suits you and your study style. However, be sure to keep in mind that there is a vast amount of material to get through, and continued procrastination is off limits! Those corneal dystrophies aren't going to memorize themselves, and you need to be ready for the one case you'll see in your entire career 20 years from now.

Good luck!