Performance Coach

You will discuss strategies for building and sustaining motivation over time and how to manage any negative feelings, such as:

• fear of failure
• being overwhelmed
• procrastination
• fear of success
• not knowing how to proceed
• increased anxiety

You will explore techniques used by doctors on how to study more effectively to increase memory retention and recall.

Exam preparation that enables success needs to include good self-care, in the form of social or family support, and quality sleep, diet and exercise.

Tailored to individuals’ past experiences of exams, heuristics are mental shortcuts, or rules of thumb, that ease the cognitive load of decision-making. Understanding what your heuristics are, and whether they are appropriate to the given situation or context, such as your exam preparation, is the first step to being able to change and implement more appropriate heuristics.

Managing exam anxiety usually involves addressing people’s negative self-talk, and whether they are being overly self-critical or judgemental rather than kind and compassionate to themselves. We will explore the physical aspects of anxiety and how to deal with them before, and on the day of the exam.

For many doctors, failing one or more of the fellowship exams may be the first time they’ve ever failed at anything – this often leads to feelings of embarrassment, shame, or anxiety with associated self-doubt – it may affect their confidence, self-worth or identity (about who they are, as a person and doctor). We will talk through these feelings, and where they may stem from.

Fellowship exams have the reputation of being a difficult exam. You may know colleagues who have failed in the past and seen them struggle time after time, managing work / life / study balance precariously. You may have seen how it has affected them personally, and decided you want to give yourself the best opportunity to pass your exams the first-time round.

Revisiting a failed exam can be a painful experience, especially when done on one’s own. If not done optimally, it can lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment or confusion about what to do differently. We will guide you through reviewing your past exam experiences step-by-step to identify where changes need to be made and explain why and how.

International Medical Graduates (IMG) may find the fellowship exams very different to any that they have experienced in the past, with potentially different expectations, methods or strategies required. Some may also have other challenges such as English being their second language, or perhaps a lack of familiarity with online exams. We will guide you through reviewing your experiences step-by-step to identify where your challenges may lie, and assist you to develop strategies to resolve, manage or minimise any difficulties.

Who have had a career change or change in specialty late in life, may find the fellowship exams very different to any that they have experienced in the past, with potentially different expectations, methods or strategies required to those they were originally taught. We will guide you through reviewing your experiences step-by-step to identify where your challenges may lie, and assist you to develop strategies to resolve, manage or minimise any difficulties.

In today’s world, it is easy to fall into the trap of extreme ‘busyness’. Many doctors juggle work, long hours, different jobs and other professional commitments, relationships with partners, friends and family, young children, their care and extracurricular activities, as well as studying for their fellowship high-stake exams. We will discuss and guide you through reviewing your commitments and devising strategies on achieving a realistic work/life/study balance, as well as how to maintain wellbeing and resilience in the midst of busy schedules.