Gail Carmody aims to help healthcare professionals develop strategies to bridge gaps in their career or personal life. With over three decades of experience, she advocates for their wellbeing to urge the medical industry to put more emphasis on their physical, emotional, and mental state. Gail currently works with ACRRM providing this specialised support. 

Passing fellowship exams can be a daunting feat for registrars, since a multitude of factors come into play: aside from your knowledge, your mental resolve and follow-through plan can also play a huge role in your success. Also, the fear of failure can be overwhelming, which can lead to procrastination and loss of motivation. 

In this work Gail has talked to a number of registrars who struggled with preparing for exams. Here are some tips she has shared with them that have contributed to this huge win: 

• Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Use these goals as your main pillar guides in formulating the exam study plan that works best for you
• Plan and study for your exam at least a month in advance
• Discover the learning model that best suits your preferences and cater your study plan towards it: are you a visual, aural, reading/writing, or kinesthetic learner?
• Try studying in groups to help with your knowledge pool, motivation, and accountability
• When studying, remember to take breaks. We’ve discovered that the Pomodoro Technique works for a lot of registrars: 25 minutes of deep work, followed by a 10-minute break
• Be at your best physical condition on exam day. Get at least 8 hours of sleep, and never enter your exam room with an empty stomach
• Understand the techniques required for each exam format. For example, essays would require you to budget your time during the exam, while multiple-choice questions would test your deduction skills. 

These are top-level tips - if you want to talk in-depth about them, your training officer can refer you to Gail at any time. You may also reach Gail at +61 405 720 115 or gail@coachingforhealthcare.com. With the right preparation and dedication, you’ll be able to ace your exams and move one step closer to achieving your goals. Best of luck!