If you're studying for the cardiology boards, chances are you either just started a new job as an attending or are already working in a busy practice. In either case, the days where you can lug a large textbook, notebook, and binder to the library and study throughout the day and night are over (thankfully!). You now have the blessing and curse of having to work while studying for an exam that encompasses all the knowledge required to practice modern cardiology.Enter the Ace of Hearts: Cardiovascular Board Review. We've taken all the main content of a traditional board review course and packed it into an easy-to-carry and use flashcard format. You'll realize that there are moments in your busy day that can be stolen to study. Imagine this, you're waiting for a patient to roll into the cath lab or your office patient is being triaged by the medical staff. You have 5 minutes. You take out a flashcard from your scrubs or white coat and review the entire section on pacemakers, inclusive of the major clinical trials you need to know, complete with engaging questions and answers. By the time your patient is ready for you, you've covered 5 flashcards, which is the equivalent of listening to an hour of lectures. You put the flashcards back into your pocket, take a deep breath, and walk into your patient's room.I made these flashcards at the peak of my early career and about 5-6 years after taking the exam. I feel blessed to be in a field that is constantly and rapidly updated with solid clinical science. The motivator to do this project, which I pitched to the publisher, was based on my fear of missing important updates in cardiology. There is no good answer on how to stay updated in cardiology after fellowship where you had constant lectures and didactics. How do I make sure I'm offering my patients the best available therapies? My choice to take on this massive project was simple once I realize that "first, do no harm," means keeping up with the latest science for your patients and knowing your stuff. I knew I was onto something when, after days of putting together a "chapter" from the latest ACC/AHA guidelines, I would start referring to the flashcards to treat my patients. My hope is that after using these for the boards, you keep the pack of cards in your office and use them as a quick reference for your patients.The flashcards are meant to be engaging. Look at the questions on the front, then answer them in your head. If a question has more than one blank line, answer each one of them in your head. Then, and only then, glance at the bottom where you will see the answer to that question. Try not to accidentally peak at the next answers (I tried to space them out to reduce this from happening). Try to memorize the answers and then turn the card over where you will find the detailed content regarding that topic. We took the high-yield information likely to be tested and certainly important to know in practice, took out the fluff, and put it into the flashcards.Carry the flashcards with you everywhere. Use them over and over again…and then again. Use them while working, while commuting, while exercising, while in the bathroom, while complaining, and while partying! The exam is straightforward; know the Class I and Class III indications for therapies in the guidelines. We have highlighted them for you in the flashcards. I still recommend taking a traditional board review course, while using these flashcards as your main study tool to memorize the high-yield material for the multiple-choice portion of the exam.If you're taking the exam for the first time (i.e., "initial certification"), it will be over 2 days. The first day is all multiple-choice questions (4 sessions, 2 hours each, total = 8 hours) with 100 minutes of allotted breaktime divided over 3 breaks. The second day is a half day of ECGs and images (echo, cath, etc.); this section is not for recertification exams. This is by no means a test that feels longer or harder than all the exams you've taken before. However, I recommend doing the tutorial before exam day to familiarize yourself with the test taking software; it is available on the ABIM website. Unless you have taken tests before with no breaks, and passed, I recommend planning out your breaks and taking them (use the restroom, eat a snack, stretch). You should come back to each session with a fresh mind because the questions/cases can be long. And don't forget, the majority of people pass this test!