FMGE LAST 15 DAYS STRATEGY: WHAT ALL TO REVISE?

The FMGE preparation at the last moment can be extremely stressful. You might have studied the syllabus, revised many topics and practised hundreds of MCQs, but there is always something left undone.

Is it worth spending more time on Medicine? Should you leave short subjects for later? Is now a good time to attempt a grand test or is it better to just revise my mistakes for once?

These are all valid questions and one of the most accurate FMGE last 15 days strategy would involve figuring out what to revise and what not to.

It should help you consolidate what you already know, identify your weak areas if any and practice questions that will help you apply your knowledge.

Instead of reading books, you should make the best use of your time by creating a systematic plan to revise your old concepts and rectify your errors.

This FMGE last 15 days strategy is mostly meant for people who have already studied the syllabus at least once. If you still have a lot of the syllabus left, you can always adjust the plan by prioritizing certain topics over others.

HOW TO PRIORITIZE WHAT TO REVISE?

Before moving on to the 15-day FMGE study plan, split your revision into three broad categories.

1. MAJOR CLINICAL SUBJECTS

Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pediatrics need more attention as they cover a larger chunk of the exam. You must try and revise relevant concepts, MCQs, and associations. For example, while practicing Medicine, if there are topics you already know, try and spend more time on those that you keep mixing up.

2. PRECLINICAL AND PARACLINICAL SUBJECTS

Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Community Medicine, Anatomy, and Biochemistry should not be overlooked just because Clinical subjects take up most of your time. Make short notes, comparison tables, associations, and highlight frequently tested concepts to aid your quick revision.

3. SHORT SUBJECTS AND IMAGE-BASED TOPICS

You can also make a separate list of short subjects like Ophthalmology, ENT, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Radiology, Anaesthesia, Orthopaedics, and Forensic Medicine and revise one or two important topics from each every day.

Additionally, image-based topics such as those appearing in Radiology, Anaesthesia, Orthopaedics, and Ophthalmology should also be prioritized.

It depends on how well you know a particular topic and how much practice you have with it. If you are confident and have already revised a certain concept more than once, you do not need to spend much time on it.

Whereas, if you keep making the same mistake in the same concept, dedicate a little extra time to it to clear your doubts.

FMGE LAST 15 DAYS STUDY PLAN: WHAT TO REVISE EACH DAY

You can take the following timetable as a reference to prepare your own FMGE last 15 days strategy. It is important to cover all major subjects, practice questions throughout your revision, and keep aside time to revise your mistakes before the D-day.

It is better to stick to a timetable, but understand that everyone can adjust it according to their needs. You can choose to spend more time on some areas and less on others as long as you have a good grasp of the main subjects and practice questions throughout the day.

DAYS 1 TO 3: START WITH MEDICINE, SURGERY, AND ORTHOPAEDICS

The first three days should be spent on major clinical subjects. They consist of many topics that have appeared in the exam frequently, so it is unwise to try and study every concept as if you are doing it for the first time. Go over what you already know and focus on differentiating between similar presentations, investigations, and treatment.

MEDICINE

Keep your revision topic-wise and start with cardiovascular and respiratory physiology and pathology. Move on to neurological, endocrinological, renal, and gastrointestinal presentations. You must know the basic investigations, ECG changes, and treatment principles for each of these systems.

SURGERY

Similarly, revise common surgical presentations, emergencies, and trauma. Go over topics such as breast surgery, thyroid surgery, and urology. Make sure you know the investigations, red flags, and principles of management. You should also spend some time going over fractures and nerve root involvement in Orthopaedics.

Make sure you solve a set of MCQs after studying each of these subjects. If you are unsure about one or more topics, do not waste time by simply memorizing them. Ask yourself what makes one option more correct than the others when the explanation says so. It is easy to get stuck in a topic that you do not understand, so if that happens, mark it and move on to the next day’s study plan.

OBSTETRICS

Make sure to go through antenatal care and management of high-risk pregnancies as they will help you answer more questions. Other important topics include preterm labour, antepartum haemorrhage, partograph, post-partum hemorrhage, and management of labour. Try and revise the basic concepts rather than memorizing isolated statements or sentences.

GYNAECOLOGY AND PAEDIATRICS

In Gynaecology, go over abnormal uterine bleeding, ovarian tumours, ectopic pregnancy, PCOS, and cervical cancer screening. In Paediatrics, you should focus on developmental screening and immunization, neonatal jaundice, common presentations, heart diseases, and nutritional deficiencies.

Do not forget to practice questions for these two subjects. If you keep mixing up similar presentations or procedures, create a short comparison table and refer to it in your next revision.

DAYS 6 TO 11: SMART WAY TO REVISE THE OTHER SUBJECTS

Now that you have revised major clinical subjects, it is time to move on to the others. Spend the next six days going through the important concepts, tables, and associations. Do not try and read everything as you have already studied most things once or twice before. Identify frequently appearing fundamental concepts, important tables, and often-mixed-up topics. Try and spend equal time on each subject. Here is a subject-wise guide:

DAY 6: PHARMACOLOGY

Revise drug classifications, actions, adverse effects, contraindications, and antidotes. Know the autonomic drugs, antimicrobials, cardiovascular drugs, and those commonly used in pregnancy.

DAY 7: PATHOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY

In Pathology, focus on inflammation, neoplasia, anaemia, haematology, and tumours. Microbiology covers organisms, associated conditions, lab diagnosis, and disease-causing organisms, and their culture media.

DAY 8: COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND FORENSIC MEDICINE

Community Medicine has epidemiological measures, screening tests, study designs, biostatistics, health programs, vaccines, and important figures. In Forensic Medicine, go through toxicity, injuries, and identification.

DAY 9: ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND BIOCHEMISTRY

Revise clinical anatomy, nerve root lesions, and important anatomical relations. In Physiology, learn about the mechanisms of action, graphs, and formulas. Biochemistry covers metabolism and vitamins.

DAY 10: OPHTHALMOLOGY, ENT, AND DERMATOLOGY

Go over the common presentations, investigations, treatment, and image-based topics.

DAY 11: RADIOLOGY, ANAESTHESIA, AND PSYCHIATRY

Revise important images, anaesthetic agents, contraindications, and basic concepts in Psychiatry.

These are the suggested study areas but you can make changes according to your needs and level of preparedness.

DAYS 12 TO 15: PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND REVISE MISTAKES

The last four days should be focused on practicing questions and clearing your doubts. Here is a detailed guide:

DAY 12: MIXED-SUBJECT PYQs AND IMAGE-BASED QUESTIONS

This day is meant for practicing PYQs. Go through the explanation of every question you get wrong, and the ones you guess correctly. Additionally, spend a certain amount of time going through clinical images, radiology, histopathology, ECGs, instruments, and anything else you have studied from your reference books.

DAY 13: TIMED MOCK TEST AND ANALYSIS

Take a full-length mock test on day 13 and analyze your mistakes. Make sure to sort them out into three categories: concepts you do not know, mix-up of concepts, and errors due to misread or silly mistakes. Spend additional time learning new concepts before moving on to the next day.

DAY 14: RAPID REVISION OF NOTES AND TABLES

Use the short notes, marked MCQs, error notebook, and drug tables to revise important concepts. You must avoid opening new books or websites to begin studying new concepts. Your aim should be to make everything you already know easier to recall.

DAY 15: LIGHT REVISION

Keep this day as a buffer and only revise what you already know. Lightly go over your notes, important topics, and marked MCQs. Additionally, check out your exam instructions, documents, travel, and reporting time beforehand. Get enough rest to stay energized on the day of the exam.

HOW TO PRACTICE PYQs AND MCQs IN THE LAST 15 DAYS

Do not treat PYQs and MCQs as a way to assess your own performance. Use them to identify the concepts and topics that need more practice and revision. Always think about why one option is correct and why the others are not when you are solving a question. If you keep mixing up two or more topics or concepts, create a short comparison table and revisit it during your next revision.

Similarly, PYQs can help you understand the types of questions that appear frequently in the exam. However, do not rely on them to predict the questions that will appear in your exam. Use PYQs and standard notes to revise concepts.

KEEPING AN ERROR NOTEBOOK

Your error notebook should be a short document that you can revise in one sitting. Make sure to only write down things that will help you in the future, such as a concept or a topic you keep forgetting, confusing differential diagnoses, important adverse effects of a drug, and questions you misunderstood at first glance. Do not copy down long explanations; write a brief note and revise it regularly, especially on day 14.

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

Many students make the following mistakes in the last 15 days of their FMGE preparation:

• Trying to learn from different resources: You should avoid switching between books, videos, and notes to save time.
• Avoiding difficult or low-scoring topics: Set aside specific times to revise difficult or less important topics rather than skipping them completely.
• Practicing MCQs without analyzing mistakes: Practice questions are only useful if they help you identify your weak areas.
• Trying to memorize everything: Revise what you know and understand rather than memorizing anything and everything.
• Taking too many mock tests: You should leave enough time to analyze each test and rectify your mistakes.
• Skipping sleep: Sleep deprivation can affect your memory and overall performance.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Is 15 days enough to prepare for FMGE?

It depends on how well you have prepared until now. If you have studied most parts of the syllabus, 15 days is enough to revise and practice questions. If there is still a lot of the syllabus left, focus more on important concepts rather than trying to study everything.

2. Should I study new topics in the last 15 days of FMGE?

You should only study new topics if they are important and can be understood quickly. Avoid spending a lot of time on topics you still do not know well.

3. How many MCQs should I solve each day?

It depends on how much time you have and how well you can understand and revise concepts. Choose a manageable number and make sure you do not skip any explanations.

4. Should I take a mock test on the last day?

A full-length mock test is better taken on day 13 or 14 to leave enough time to analyze and revise it. On day 15, you should only revise important concepts and avoid taking any full-length tests.

5. I am behind schedule; what should I revise first?

Start with the topics and subjects that you already know well but are likely to be forgotten or misunderstood. Then move on to the concepts that you keep getting wrong in your MCQs. Avoid spending too much time on difficult topics that you do not know well.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

The FMGE last 15 days strategy is not about studying non-stop or trying to finish everything you have left. It is about choosing the right topics to revise, practicing questions, analyzing mistakes, and studying important images.

Remember, these last 15 days are not for starting something new but finishing what you started. Use the suggested timetable as a guide to prepare your own FMGE last 15 days study plan and do not forget to get enough rest before the D-day.