u/Second_Brekfast

I was doing some research to see if I can have my insurance cover a glp-1 medication again, as I was covered in 2024 before policies got very restrictive and lost 60lbs, taking my BMI from obese to normal/healthy. I had to stop the rx when I switched insurance companies, and now I can’t get covered again. I’ve been able to use samples from my provider’s office for a couple of months and do take vyvanse, so those things help, but it is still a tough battle, made extra frustrating by knowing there is something that works but I can’t access it.

What I found was even if my employer does not cover any glp-1’s, I can basically do a request for formulae exception to my employer to have it covered. Has anyone tried this? It’s not exactly financially feasible or desirable to spend $200/mo on compounded options or pay out of pocket for the name brand. If I can’t get it covered, I’m willing to simply go without and try to stay on top of my weight without it.

TL;DR - I'm looking for a study resource for the Abdomen board that is more in depth than MUT but less dense than URR. Something similar to the Penny book or the green physics book and Prepry.

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I'm scheduled to take my abdomen exam in August. I'm currently studying for my Ob/GYN board using the Penny Book and a dash of MUT. I tried URR for my abdomen board but it left me feeling overwhelmed and when I took the exam I scored a 526 (so close!).

However, I used Prepry and Edelman for my SPI and passed with a score in the 620s on my first try.

All of that to say, it looks like the form of studying that works for me is a resource that breaks down the topics in detail but is still straightforward, and has practice tests to check my understanding. While URR offers all of those things, it comes from the angle that "if you know it all, you can't possibly fail!" and my method of studying works better when all of the extra is trimed away and there is a set list of topics, practice questions, etc that if you know that stuff and commit it to memory, then you will pass.

Below is the study plan I used for the SPI and have adapted to the ObGYN material in the Penny Book and MUT outline.

First I copy down the following information from the Penny Book:

- key terms and definitions

- diagrams and anatomic figures with labels

- informational cut aways like sound offs, tables, and graphs

- clinical and sonographic findings of pathologies

Once all of that is copied over, I jump over to MUT to copy down their diagrams. I also break down any medical terms I have a hard time remembering into their specific word parts to help remeber what they mean. After I have all of that compiled, then I start the practice quizzes with the Penny e-book. Any question I get wrong, I write down the question, as well as the correct answer and why it is correct. Once all of the quizzes are complete, I will go back and quiz myself on them all again. I also plan to purchase the two ARDMS practice exams from the ARDMS website.

So far, I really like the Penny book and feel like that plus the outline on MUT is preparing me extremely well for the Ob board, but I know the Abdomen and Ob board are two completely different beasts. What resources have you all used to study for abdomen that proved helpful to you? Bonus points if it's something that's no fluff and outlines the meat of everything like the Penny book does for Ob and Edelman does for Physics.