CAQ-Ortho study plan

Map the full CAQ-Ortho blueprint into a one-page checklist that lists every orthopaedic subtopic you must cover and rate your current confidence on each from 1 to 5

Build a spaced-repetition deck seeded with at least 150 high-yield orthopaedic facts drawn from your own reading, tagged by subtopic and by anatomy region

Establish a weekly study calendar that blocks six protected hours and reserves one 90-minute block for practice questions only

Complete 40 mixed practice questions under untimed conditions and log every miss with the reason: knowledge gap, misread stem, or reasoning error

Review fracture classification systems and write a one-line decision rule for each major system explaining when it changes management

Practice describing radiographic findings in words only, without images, for 20 common orthopaedic presentations to build verbal precision

Drill anatomy and surgical approaches by drawing and labeling the key neurovascular relationships for the hip, knee, shoulder, and distal radius

Answer 50 practice questions in the trauma and fracture subtopic and rework every missed item until you can justify the correct answer from first principles

Compare operative versus nonoperative indications for the major adult reconstruction scenarios and write the deciding factors for each

Summarize pediatric orthopaedic conditions by age of onset, key exam finding, and first-line management in a comparison table

Explain compartment syndrome, fat embolism, and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in your own words with mechanism, recognition, and action steps

Complete 60 timed practice questions across trauma, pediatrics, and complications, targeting 70 percent or better

Review sports medicine and shoulder/elbow topics, writing the provocative test, expected finding, and next step for each condition

Audit your error log from weeks 1 through 3 and identify the three subtopics with the lowest accuracy

Rebuild weak areas by writing a short teach-back summary for each of those three subtopics as if explaining to a junior colleague

Take a 75-question cumulative timed exam simulating half-length test conditions

Cover spine, hand, and foot and ankle topics by listing the red-flag findings that mandate urgent referral or workup for each region

Practice interpreting lab and imaging results embedded in question stems to reach a diagnosis within 60 seconds per item

Review biomechanics and implant selection principles and write the tradeoffs between fixation options for common fractures

Complete 60 practice questions focused on spine, hand, and foot and ankle and remediate every miss

Review orthopedic oncology and infection topics, writing the distinguishing features between benign and malignant lesions and between septic and inflammatory joints

Consolidate all classification systems from prior weeks into a single one-page rapid-review sheet

Increase practice volume to 80 questions this week while maintaining timed conditions and tracking pace per question

Revisit your spaced-repetition deck and retire cards you now answer instantly, keeping only uncertain material

Take two full-length timed practice exams on separate days and record accuracy by subtopic for each attempt

Perform a structured review of every missed question from both exams, writing the underlying concept rather than just the correct option

Target your two lowest-accuracy subtopics with focused reading and 30 additional questions each

Rehearse test-day logistics including timing strategy for long stems and a plan for flagging and returning to uncertain items

Review only your error log and rapid-review sheet during the final week, avoiding new material that could destabilize recall

Run one final 50-question mixed set two or three days before the exam and confirm accuracy holds above your target threshold

Recite the key decision rules for trauma, pediatrics, and adult reconstruction aloud from memory without notes

Finalize exam-day logistics including timing, breaks, identification requirements, and a rest plan for the preceding night