Editors note: When this article was written by our physician writer, it was free — that no longer is the case as the developer has changed the pricing.
Purpose of App Review
How helpful is this app in preparing Emergency Medicine physicians for inservice and board exams?
Introduction
In February, all Emergency Medicine residents in the U.S. took their annual inservice exam, a yearly test that aims to prepare residents for their formal board exams at the end of residency training.
Residents must find time in their busy clinical schedules to study for exams, using a combination of textbooks and board review questions. Many resources exist for this purpose. I recently reviewed two board review apps: Practice Exams in EM and EM IQ.
EM Board review is another free app for iOS and Android that contains a bank of 5000 multiple choice questions aimed to prepare residents for inservice and board exams.
User Interface
The app interface is simple and straightforward. Users go through a series of multiple choice questions. Each question has a short explanation shown after the user selects the correct answer. The answers do not contain citations to appropriate references.
If the user gets the question right, it is removed from the rotation until the user goes through all the questions. If they are incorrect, the question is repeated further on until they get it right. Questions are generally short and specific. This can be seen in the picture below.
Some questions do not appear relevant for board review.
The app also keep tracks of various statistics.
The categories of question breakdown are tremendously specific. Instead of general categories like “Cardiology” and “Neurology,” we see categories like “Acute stroke” and “Carotid Sheath.” Though questions are not as strong as those in other commonly used resources like PEER VIII, these 5,000 free questions may be a valuable study adjunct.
Price:
- Free
Likes
- Large volume of free questions
- Short, clear explanations provided
Dislikes
- No references are cited
- Statistics categories are far too specific
- Some questions are inappropriate for board review
Healthcare providers that would benefit from the app:
- Emergency Medicine residents
Conclusions
- This medical app has a clear, simple design and provides users with a free, extensive bank of board review questions.
- Most questions given are reasonable and challenging.
- This app would benefit from citing the answers given and using more general categories in its statistics.
iMedicalApps recommended?
- Yes
Rating: 4.3/5
1. User Interface – 5/5 – clean and simple.
2. Multimedia usage- NA
3. Price – 5/5 – Free
4. Real world applicability – 3 / 5 – Not recommended as a primary study resource, but could be a helpful adjunct.
References
Guth, Todd. “Preparing for the Emergency Medicine Boards: The Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) Emergency Medicine Qualifying and Certification Exam Preparation Survey.”
Reviewed: Version 1
Device used: iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and Android devices. Requires iOS 4.3 or later or Android 2.2 and up.
Disclaimer:
This post does not establish, nor is it intended to establish, a patient physician relationship with anyone. It does not substitute for professional advice, and does not substitute for an in-person evaluation with your health care provider. It does not provide the definitive statement on the subject addressed. Before using these apps please consult with your own physician or health care provider as to the apps validity and accuracy as this post is not intended to affirm the validity or accuracy of the apps in question. The app(s) mentioned in this post should not be used without discussing the app first with your health care provider.
