ABA oral boards and 10 min stem reading session

[susruta]

I have my oral boards coming up next week.
What are some of the strategies that you use during the 10 min period when you are given to read the stem ?

Just writing some considerations for the case on the sheet and planning for how the case is to be done ?

Thanks

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[caligas]

I have my oral boards coming up next week.
What are some of the strategies that you use during the 10 min period when you are given to read the stem ?

Just writing some considerations for the case on the sheet and planning for how the case is to be done ?

Thanks

It's been a while but I did 2 minutes each for:

Pre op plan

Intraop plan

Post op plan

Anticipated questions/complications

Re-read stem and notes.

 

[Noyac]

Just as calgas said plus I wrote down a few of the never events I wanted to avoid and other points that I wanted to address.

Also, don't be a fraud to say "I don't know". You are not expected to know everything as far as I can tell. If you are too rigid I think that is a bad sign. If you act as if you know it all, you are then dangerous. I think flexibility can be good as long as you understand where you can get in trouble.

 

[psychbender]

One of my attendings taught me to sketch a table with Preop, Intraop, Post-op along the top, and organ systems going down the side, then fill in relevant bits and talking points in those blocks. This usually takes about five minutes, and was easy to refer back to during the exam. Then I wrote in giant letters whatever clean kill may be present in the stem (like NO SUX!! in a peds patient with a myopathy) to make sure I didn't forget this while the examiner was leading me off into the weeds. Agree with Noyac, if you don't know, just come out and say it, don't try to make something up or BS the examiner.

 

[leaverus]

a week before the exam seems a little late to be asking about strategy...sorry op, not trying to undermine any confidence and i hope you do well; but for anyone else taking the oral it's not an exam to be trifled with. have a plan for dissecting the stem well in advance and do lots of practice exams. and one thing for certain, re-read the stem at least once if not more before entering the room.

 

[criticalelement]

I have my oral boards coming up next week.
What are some of the strategies that you use during the 10 min period when you are given to read the stem ?

Just writing some considerations for the case on the sheet and planning for how the case is to be done ?

Thanks

You need a system on how you dissect the case before you go in the room

I think mine was



Preop

Intraop

Airway
FS(full stomach) if they were.

Medical problems

write down the medical problems and talking points of each.

You only get to say I dont know once during the exam.

 

[criticalelement]

Just as calgas said plus I wrote down a few of the never events I wanted to avoid and other points that I wanted to address.

Also, don't be a fraud to say "I don't know". You are not expected to know everything as far as I can tell. If you are too rigid I think that is a bad sign. If you act as if you know it all, you are then dangerous. I think flexibility can be good as long as you understand where you can get in trouble.

They want you to be flexible that is true.. unless..... unless... they are trying to get you to induce a known difficult airway... then you stand your ground...

 

[Chloroform4Life]

Do they give you a full blank page to write on? I'm also studying for the oral board.

 

[susruta]

Do they give you a full blank page to write on? I'm also studying for the oral board.

Would like to know this as well.
Thanks

 

[Noyac]

I think so.
If I remember correctly they give you a page with the stem on the top and the rest is blank but I took it over 10yrs ago.

 

[leaverus]

Do they give you a full blank page to write on? I'm also studying for the oral board.

The 1st room is long stem and recent scenarios have contained a lot of info, often taking up at least half and sometimes up to 75% of the page - but the entire backside is blank. The 2nd stem is very short so you have most of the front and all of the back to write on if needed. Write as much as you can/want but for most of the exam you won't have time to refer to your notes since the questions come at you pretty fast and regular.