ABPS Urgent Care study plan

Build symptom-based differential tables for 12 high-frequency urgent care presentations (sore throat, ear pain, cough, dysuria, rash, abdominal pain, headache, back pain, dizziness, fever, red eye, minor trauma).

Apply validated risk-stratification tools (Centor/McIsaac, Ottawa ankle and knee rules, HEART, PERC, Wells) to 30 vignettes and record which management decision each tool changes.

Distinguish antibiotic-appropriate from non-antibiotic conditions across 40 vignettes written in your own words, with a one-line justification for each.

Answer 100 Domain 1 practice questions and classify every miss by failure mode (knowledge gap, misread, anchoring bias, time pressure).

Adjust adult differentials for pediatric and older-adult variants (otitis media, bronchiolitis, dehydration, atypical MI, delirium) across 25 vignettes.

Calculate maximum safe doses of lidocaine with and without epinephrine by patient weight for 10 scenarios, showing each step.

Decide wound closure method (adhesive, staples, sutures, secondary intention, referral) for 20 wound descriptions using a written algorithm.

State indications, contraindications, and complication rates for the 8 most common urgent care procedures.

Demonstrate and self-rate with a technique checklist: simple interrupted sutures, incision and drainage, digital block, splinting, and foreign body removal on a bench model or practice kit.

Sequence the steps of nail trephination, nail avulsion, cerumen impaction removal, and abscess packing, writing each as a numbered protocol.

Identify tetanus prophylaxis and wound infection risk decisions for 15 wound scenarios, including bite and puncture wounds.

Document three mock procedures using a SOAP-style note that includes consent, anesthesia used, technique, aftercare, and follow-up.

Interpret 50 ECGs and rhythm strips (chest pain, syncope, palpitations, dyspnea) and assign each to an immediate-action or routine-follow-up pathway.

Interpret point-of-care results for 10 in-office tests (strep, influenza, urine dipstick, urine pregnancy, glucose, hemoglobin, INR, rapid HIV, mono, stool occult blood) and state the next step for each result.

Read 25 plain radiographs for fracture, dislocation, pneumonia, and foreign body, recording findings before checking the answer key.

Explain CLIA-waived test quality controls, storage, and documentation requirements in a written summary.

Assemble age- and risk-based immunization and screening schedules (USPSTF/ACIP) for pediatric, adult, pregnant, and older-adult patients.

Apply occupational health workflows to 15 scenarios: pre-placement exam, respirator clearance, TB screening, needlestick exposure, and return-to-work clearance.

Write return-to-work and work-restriction letters for three common injury patterns with defensible language.

Compare sports, school, and employment physical requirements and list the mandatory components of each.

Map the compliance obligations that govern daily urgent care practice: CLIA waiver, OSHA bloodborne pathogens and sharps, HIPAA, and scope-of-practice limits.

Assign E/M level and basic ICD-10 code to 15 documented encounters, defending each choice.

Draft a clinic emergency-preparedness plan covering anaphylaxis, cardiac arrest, stroke, and mass-casualty surge, with role assignments and transfer criteria.

Audit a mock crash cart and emergency medication list against a 20-item checklist.

Re-attempt every item in the weeks 1-6 error log and re-teach each missed concept out loud or in writing.

Complete two 40-question timed mixed blocks across Domains 1-3 and compare pacing and accuracy to week 1 baseline.

Consolidate high-yield pharmacology: indications, adult and pediatric dosing, contraindications, and interactions for the 25 drugs most dispensed in urgent care.

Reduce the flashcard deck to only items still missed twice.

Complete one full-length timed practice examination under exam-day conditions with no interruptions or reference materials.

Review every incorrect and flagged item and categorize by domain and failure mode.

Rehearse the final week's logistics: test-day schedule, permitted items, breaks, and anxiety-management routine.

Write a one-page high-yield summary of the 30 facts you were most likely to forget.