Think of med school exams as every 80’s movie bad guy rolled into one. They intimidate us and make us doubt ourselves when we’re studying, and they bully us into making dumb mistakes on exam day. They can turn a perfectly normal and well-adjusted person into a bug-eyed neurotic. Maybe this has happened to you in the past. Maybe you’ve seen it happen to others. Either way, you’ve got an exam coming up that you need to crush, and you don’t want to get crushed in the process.

You’ve come to the right place! I’m Steve Blatt, and I’ve been where you are now. I know exactly what it’s like to have a high stakes exam standing in between where you are and where you want to go. I’m an ophthalmologist, and the first time I took my board exam I failed it. Not by much—in fact, I was painfully close to passing. But that only made it feel worse, to be honest. Failing felt soul crushing. Actually, it felt worse than that. I felt like I had undone all of the previous success I had worked hard to achieve. I was totally humiliated. How could I let this happen? I had done well on so many high stakes exams, from high school to college to medical school. I even taught an SAT prep-course at one point in my life, so I understand test taking on a deep level. And I still failed this thing! The ophthalmology written board exam is only given once per year, so I had to wait twelve months for a shot at redemption.

When I looked back on how I studied the first time around, I realized that my fear of failure is really what did me in on exam day. I knew enough information to pass, but I let the exam get in my head and completely freak me out. I decided right then and there that I wouldn’t let my fear of failure hold me back again—but I obviously needed some help.

So, I sought out resources to help me get tougher mentally. And I learned incredible strategies and insights from a super-team of experts: a former Navy SEAL commander, a sports psychologist who works with olympic athletes, a memory expert, a meditation and mindfulness specialist, a peak performance guru, social psychology researchers, and a modern day philosopher. And there were even more experts whose wisdom I absorbed like a sponge. And you know what? It all worked!!

I passed the boards the following year, and all of the mental toughness skills and tools I developed made the difference. The fear, stress, and anxiety that held me back the first time were kept in check, and I was able to maintain the focus and confidence I needed on exam day to be at my best and come out on top.

Passing the boards remains one of the greatest moments of my life. It allowed me to have the career I dreamed of.

Can you have that kind of success? Absolutely!!

Best part? You can accelerate your learning curve by using the same strategies and tactics that worked for me AND by avoiding the costly mistakes I made that held me back.

I can’t wait to hear about the exam you’re preparing for, so leave a comment or email me at Steve@FaceItAndAceIt.com!

To YOUR success!!