90-Day Board Prep Curriculum
Five phases, 13 weeks, 28 named cases — with the examiner's lens on each phase and milestone benchmarks that tell you exactly when you're ready to advance.
Learn the Format
Examiner's Lens
In weeks 1–2, the examiner isn't grading your content — they're watching how you think. They want structure before answers. Lead with: "My first concern is X, here's why, here's my approach." Never open with a specific drug or dose. Start with the problem you're solving. A structured wrong answer scores higher than an unstructured right one.
Case Sequence
Your starting case. Familiar scenario, moderate complexity. Don't focus on scores yet — focus on learning how the 5-phase structure flows and how the examiner probes. This case is also free, so you've already done it.
Bread-and-butter ortho in MCQ format. Teaches you pre-op evaluation structure in a low-stakes setting. Good early calibration of your knowledge gaps.
Introduces steep Trendelenburg, pneumoperitoneum, and prolonged positioning — all frequent ABA topics. Pay attention to how the examiner handles ventilation and neuro complication questions.
MAC cases seem simple but the ABA uses them to test airway vigilance. This session calibrates your monitoring and rescue thinking early.
End of Week 2 — Milestone
You should be able to name all 5 exam phases unprompted and complete a practice case without losing the thread of the conversation. Score doesn't matter yet — structured process does.
If You're Not There
If you're getting lost in phase transitions: redo Lap Appendectomy in Practice mode and focus only on when you move from Pre-op → Anesthetic Plan → Intraoperative, not on the clinical content.
Domain Sweep
Examiner's Lens
Every ABA case is built around a tension — a trade-off the examiner wants to watch you navigate. Cardiac: surgical urgency vs. cardiac risk. OB: maternal vs. fetal priorities. Airway: can't intubate vs. can't oxygenate. Neuro: positioning vs. access. Name the tension early in your answer. "The challenge here is balancing X and Y" immediately signals to the examiner that you understand the case. A answers frame the tension. B answers just list management steps.
Case Sequence
WEEK 3 — CARDIAC. High-yield. Valvular disease + hybrid OR environment + TIVA considerations. The ABA loves hybrid room cases. Start your cardiac week here.
WEEK 3 — CARDIAC. Most complex cardiac case in the library. Do it early in the sweep so you have time to retry. Focus on anticoagulation management and hemodynamic goals.
WEEK 3 — CARDIAC. Rapid reps on cardiac physiology immediately after CABG while the content is fresh. Reinforces your understanding of hemodynamic monitoring.
WEEK 4 — OB. The highest-yield OB case in the library. Preeclampsia + emergent C-section is a top-3 likely ABA scenario. If you score below 75%, do it again before moving on.
WEEK 4 — OB. Pairs with preeclampsia. Teaches OB emergencies after delivery — uterotonic agents, massive transfusion, DIC management.
WEEK 4 — OB. Tests the epidural-to-spinal conversion decision tree. Common ABA topic — the examiner wants to know exactly when you'd extend the epidural vs. place a spinal.
WEEK 4 — OB. Non-obstetric surgery in pregnancy. Tests how you balance fetal vs. maternal concerns and when you'd alter your standard approach.
WEEK 5 — AIRWAY. The definitive airway case. If you can talk through awake FOI fluently — indications, technique, sedation plan, bail-out — you can handle any airway question the ABA throws.
WEEK 5 — AIRWAY. Shared airway + spontaneous ventilation + pediatric physiology. Teaches you to layer multiple constraints simultaneously.
WEEK 5 — AIRWAY. Post-anesthesia airway rescue. Every resident should own this response pattern. Do it in MCQ for rapid pattern reinforcement.
WEEK 6 — NEURO/PEDS. Essential peds case. PONV, emergence agitation, opioid sensitivity in an OSA patient. The examiner uses this to test your post-op vigilance.
WEEK 6 — NEURO. Do this in Practice mode now — you'll retest in Test mode during Phase 4. Complex neuro positioning + language mapping + asleep-awake-asleep technique.
WEEK 6 — NEURO. Prone positioning complications: VAE, pressure injuries, post-op vision loss. High-yield ABA content across multiple domains.
WEEK 7 — THORACIC. OLV is a guaranteed ABA topic. This case teaches lung isolation front to back — double-lumen tube sizing, fiber-optic confirmation, hypoxia management.
WEEK 7 — THORACIC. Combined abdominal + thoracic approach. High complexity, high yield. If you can navigate this case, the ABA thoracic questions will feel manageable.
WEEK 7 — THORACIC. Lung isolation decision-making under timed Quiz pressure. Reinforces COPD physiology and post-op ventilation planning.
WEEK 7 — REGIONAL. Cerebral hypoperfusion in beach chair is a classic ABA question. Tests your regional decision-making and positioning risk awareness.
End of Week 7 — Milestone
Your dashboard subspecialty breakdown should show no domain below 65% average score. Cardiac and OB are the highest-stakes domains — they must both be at 65%+ before you advance.
If You're Not There
If Cardiac is below 65%: redo Off-Pump CABG in Practice mode, then do Cardiac Cath Lab MCQ again. If OB is below 65%: redo the OB Stat C-Section and add one more Pass in Postpartum Hemorrhage before moving to Phase 3.
Speed & Recall
Examiner's Lens
Speed matters in the ABA oral exam — not because they time you, but because hesitation reads as uncertainty. By this phase your content knowledge is solid. The goal now is pattern recognition: hear "elderly + hip fracture" and immediately think aortic stenosis workup. Hear "pediatric + stridor" and immediately think croup vs. epiglottitis vs. foreign body. These MCQ sets build that automatic pattern response. A good 45-minute session: 1 MCQ set (15 min) → 1 Quiz case (20 min) → 10 min reviewing your 2 lowest-scoring answers and identifying which exam phase they came from.
Case Sequence
Crisis recognition and immediate ABCDE management. The ABA loves this case for testing your structured emergency response. Epinephrine first, always.
Do MCQ first, then the Quiz version of this case. Same clinical problem, different question formats. Seeing it both ways cements the management algorithm.
Most residents know the late MH picture. This tests whether you catch the subtle early signs — masseter spasm, mixed acidosis, slight temperature rise. The ABA will test early presentation.
Classic fluid absorption complication. Hyponatremia + neurologic symptoms in a urologic case. High-yield MCQ content that comes up across multiple subspecialties.
Post-anesthesia emergency. Tests your PACU handoff standards, monitoring requirements, and rescue sequence. The ABA expects zero hesitation on basic airway rescue.
Immunosuppression, electrolyte management, and hemodynamic goals in a patient with end-stage renal disease. Good Quiz session for timed reps on a complex comorbidity profile.
Endocrine case with airway implications. Thyroid storm, recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring, and post-op airway management. Pairs well with the Pheo case coming in Phase 4.
End of Week 9 — Milestone
You should score ≥80% on any MCQ set and complete Quiz cases in under 25 minutes with no phase skipped. If you're under 80% on MCQ, identify which exam phase category is failing most (Pre-op? Intraoperative? Crisis?) and do targeted reps there.
If You're Not There
If Pre-op Evaluation scores are low: go back and redo Awake Fiberoptic and OB Stat C-Section in Practice mode — both have rich pre-op evaluation phases. If Crisis Management is low: MH Early + Anaphylaxis MCQ twice more before advancing.
Full Simulations
Examiner's Lens
Test mode is where you find your fatal blind spots — and that's the point. A FAIL in Phase 4 is the most valuable data you can get before the real exam. It tells you exactly where to focus your final two weeks. Don't avoid the hard cases. The ABA will not give you a case you're comfortable with. Seek the discomfort now, on your terms. Rule: any case you FAIL — do it immediately in Practice mode, identify every missed critical action, then retest in Test mode before moving to the next case.
Case Sequence
Start here. Hemodynamic catastrophe + surgical urgency + permissive hypotension decision-making. Tests your ability to manage a crashing patient while coordinating a team. If you fail this, you'll know exactly which critical actions to fix.
Can't Intubate, Can't Oxygenate. The ABA's most feared scenario. Do this early in Phase 4 so you have time to retry if you fail. There is no partial credit for a delayed surgical airway.
Sudden cardiovascular collapse with a clear differential. Tests crisis management, TEE interpretation, and VA-ECMO decision-making. The examiner wants to hear your differential before your treatment.
OB catastrophe. Simultaneous cardiovascular collapse + DIC + fetal compromise. Tests your ability to manage multiple life threats with two patients. One of the highest-stakes test cases in the library.
Complex cardiac emergency. The critical action most residents miss: do not induce anesthesia until the cardiac surgery team is in the room and ready to go on bypass immediately. Tests your pre-induction checklist under pressure.
End of Week 11 — Milestone
You should PASS at least 3 of 5 test simulations. A pass rate below 60% means a specific phase is failing — check which one across your test results.
If You're Not There
Below 3 passes: extend Phase 4 by one week. Identify the 1-2 failed critical actions that appear across multiple cases — those are your highest-priority targets for Phase 5. Don't advance until you've retested and passed each failed case.
Final Review
Examiner's Lens
The night before your boards, you won't remember everything — and you don't need to. What you need is to trust your process: What's my assessment? What's the most dangerous thing that can happen right now? What am I doing first? Every ABA examiner is looking for organized, methodical thinking — not encyclopedic recall. If you've run this curriculum, you have the process. The final week is not for learning new content. It's for consolidating what you already know. No new cases after day 3 of week 13.
Case Sequence
Review your critical actions: dantrolene dosing (2.5 mg/kg IV, repeat q5–10 min, no ceiling), cooling measures, triggering agent removal, bicarbonate. Non-negotiable to own cold. No hesitation on dantrolene dosing.
Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity. Lipid emulsion 20% — 1.5 mL/kg bolus, then infusion. Avoid vasopressin, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers. The ABA expects zero hesitation on this. Test mode only.
Dialysis patient + cardiac arrest. Modified ACLS: calcium chloride first, sodium bicarbonate, insulin/dextrose. Tests your ability to deviate from standard ACLS with a clear rationale.
If you haven't done this case yet, do it now. OB emergency with total spinal block — hemodynamic collapse, respiratory arrest, fetal compromise. This is a board-favorite scenario.
Endocrine emergency. Phenoxybenzamine timing, hypertensive crisis management, adrenergic storm after tumor manipulation. The examiner will probe your pre-operative alpha blockade knowledge specifically.
End of Week 12 — Milestone
Pass all 3 Test mode cases above. If you pass all three and your dashboard average is ≥75%, you're ready. If any Phase 5 test case fails, it identifies a knowledge gap that needs one more targeted Practice session — not panic.
If You're Not There
If Bupivacaine Toxicity fails: review LAST management in Practice mode, focus on lipid emulsion dosing and what NOT to use. If MH Crisis scores below 80% in Practice: you need one more repetition of dantrolene dosing and cooling protocol. The ABA will ask for specifics.
Start Phase 1 today.
The Lap Appendectomy case is free — no code required. Run it once and see how the examiner probes across all 5 phases.