Basic 2019.. Need Advice!

[ASMS_anes]

Hello guys.. unfortunately I’ve failed the basic exam.. as you can imagine, I feel terrible and very scared specially because if I fail again in November my program won’t be able to renew my contract as you probably now..

I was wondering if I can get some kind advice or tips to study. Also if there’s anybody who has been in the same position, what did you do different in the second attempt? Are there any courses or some kind of guidance that I can use? Thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[teacher2md]

What score did you get on the ITE? What did you use to study for the ITE?

Did you change your study habits for the Basic?

 

[ucladoc2b]

What did you use to study for basic? Did you use question banks and if so which ones? Did you complete them and over what time frame? How have you done on other standardized exams (USMLE and ITE)? Also US MD/DO vs IMG vs FMG (helps to get an idea of prior training )? Most importantly, Did you have adequate time to study?

Sorry for the 20 questions, but it’s just to get an idea of what the issue is.


The good news is that the majority of people pass the retake.

 

[deleted171991]

The good news is that the majority of people pass the retake.

Unfortunately.

 

[ASMS_anes]

I did horrible in the ITE, and I only used true learn... but I study very hard for the basic. I used true learn and did it twice, I did the Hall’s basic Qs and some of the M5. Took my own notes.. My time frame was 2 months. Idk what would be adequate time to study.. I think the only days I didn’t study were on call days and some post call.

I’m an IMG and I have 210 step 1, 230 step 2 and 216 step 3.

 

[abolt18]

I did horrible in the ITE, and I only used true learn... but I study very hard for the basic. I used true learn and did it twice, I did the Hall’s basic Qs and some of the M5. Took my own notes.. My time frame was 2 months. Idk what would be adequate time to study.. I think the only days I didn’t study were on call days and some post call.

I’m an IMG and I have 210 step 1, 230 step 2 and 216 step 3.

University of Kentucky YouTube videos, ACCRAC podcast. Both very helpful for learning in different ways

 

[ucladoc2b]

Add in some M5. It works well for building basic concepts in conjunction with the UK videos.

True learn is not very useful until you have the basic concepts down.

Your USMLE scores are fine and show that you can pass the basic.

So you have four months. Try to study a bit each day. Also, is your program helping you out with any suggestions?

 

[deleted171991]

The USMLE scores are just OK, especially for a foreign grad. Knowledge gaps plus poor learning skills? "Horrible" ITE should have been a clue to the PD, darn it, but then what anesthesia program would hire a 210 Step 1 IMG? (with the current score inflation)

If you have any high-scoring people in your year, tell them the truth and ask them for advice, OP.

My bet is that you have Step 1 and internship-level knowledge gaps, and I mean canyons. Just look at the exam content outline, for the Basic topics. I would read the respective information from Morgan & Mikhail, baby Miller, and whatever is in vogue today for the Basic exam (+/- Step 1 review books), following the content outline, and waste time with questions only in the last couple of weeks. Also, see the Basic exam blueprint and website.

Let me guess, you did a (mostly) surgical prelim year, @ASMS_anes?

Disclaimer: I never took this exam, so use your judgment; I may be wrong.

Do yourself a favor, and read this:

How to study for the ABA [American Board of Anesthesiology] BASIC exam – Amanda Xi

 

[26B]

I did horrible in the ITE, and I only used true learn... but I study very hard for the basic. I used true learn and did it twice, I did the Hall’s basic Qs and some of the M5. Took my own notes.. My time frame was 2 months. Idk what would be adequate time to study.. I think the only days I didn’t study were on call days and some post call.

I’m an IMG and I have 210 step 1, 230 step 2 and 216 step 3.

Knowing now that you didn't do well on the ITE, I would change my prior advice of focusing on question banks like Truelearn or M5. Doing poorly on the ITE suggests you have some knowledge gaps to fill in, so I would recommend choosing a book and reviewing all the bread and butter chapters. Whether it's M&M, Miller, or Barash doesn't matter...whatever you find the most palatable to read.

As others have mentioned, ACCRAC and the Kentucky anesthesia videos are great, but are not a substitute for having a strong core knowledge base.

Since you've already done Truelearn 2x, doing it for a third time is not going to be very high-yield as you will remember most of the questions by now. If you do decide to do Truelearn again, I would focus heavily on the explanations.

 

[CoconutDreams]

The USMLE scores are just OK, especially for a foreign grad. Knowledge gaps plus poor learning skills? "Horrible" ITE should have been a clue to the PD, darn it, but then what anesthesia program would hire a 210 Step 1 IMG? (with the current score inflation)

Damn, was that necessary? You couldn’t had just posted your advice and went about your way?

 

[deleted171991]

Damn, was that necessary? You couldn’t had just posted your advice and went about your way?

But thank you for the honor of your 9th post in 7 years. I must be really important.

And yes, that was necessary. The time for patting on the back has long passed. S/He's habitually underperforming.

 

[CoconutDreams]

But thank you for the honor of your 9th post in 7 years. I must be really important.

No, obviously I mean a lot to you if you had to go through my profile to see when and what I’m posting. Have a nice night.

 

[deleted171991]

No, obviously I mean a lot to you if you had to go through my profile to see when and what I’m posting. Have a nice night.

The information is to the left of your posts, under your username, genius.

 

[CoconutDreams]

The information is to the left of your posts, under your username, genius.

Lol, whatever dude. I don’t see what any of that has to do with you putting someone who is already in a bad state of mind down on the internet. But, whatever makes you feel better.

 

[deleted171991]

Lol, whatever dude. I don’t see what any of that has to do with you putting someone who is already in a bad state of mind down on the internet. But, whatever makes you feel better.

If a two-line critique from a stranger puts him/her down, maybe s/he's not made for anesthesia. The latter requires a much thicker skin.

And no, it doesn't make me feel better. It actually pisses me off about that PD, who should have seen this coming after the ITE.

 

[deleted875186]

Dropping bombs.

To the OP, I agree with above, look at the items missed from your ITE report and identify areas where you need to improve. Read a basic anesthesia text. Keep practicing questions.

 

[zevilempire]

You are relying on questions too much. Questions are good as a guide to fill in the gaps. You have three months to get this right. My advice, Kentucky videos + Passmachine + true learn. Read the answers to the questions and consider reading the referenced text if you keep getting the same concepts wrong.

 

[Dam272]

The USMLE scores are just OK, especially for a foreign grad. Knowledge gaps plus poor learning skills? "Horrible" ITE should have been a clue to the PD, darn it, but then what anesthesia program would hire a 210 Step 1 IMG? (with the current score inflation)

If you have any high-scoring people in your year, tell them the truth and ask them for advice, OP.

My bet is that you have Step 1 and internship-level knowledge gaps, and I mean canyons. Just look at the exam content outline, for the Basic topics. I would read the respective information from Morgan & Mikhail, baby Miller, and whatever is in vogue today for the Basic exam (+/- Step 1 review books), following the content outline, and waste time with questions only in the last couple of weeks. Also, see the Basic exam blueprint and website.

Let me guess, you did a (mostly) surgical prelim year, @ASMS_anes?

Disclaimer: I never took this exam, so use your judgment; I may be wrong.

Do yourself a favor, and read this:

How to study for the ABA [American Board of Anesthesiology] BASIC exam – Amanda Xi

Very harsh. But not untrue

 

[deleted171991]

Very harsh. But not untrue

Very harsh? Millennials and their dreamworld! You ain't seen harsh.




People don't believe me when I say that the basic science foundation (physics, physiology, pathology, pharmacology) is essential in anesthesia. Add a good knowledge of hospital medicine (including CCM) and some surgery, pediatrics and ob-gyn, and that's it. It's not rocket science, like a good house built on good foundations with good materials, one brick at a time.

Most people have an instinctive tendency of choosing what they are good at. If one loves "thinking" (using one's brain), one does a medical specialty. If one likes "doing" (using one's hands), one does a surgical one. What they don't realize is that anesthesia is at the intersection, so one can't be good just at one set of skills, especially nowadays when there is competition from midlevels. 'Doing" is NOT enough (that's one of the reasons why training includes intensive care in most other countries).

I work with anesthesia interns and residents, and the level of disinterest for internal medicine and basic science I see in a minority of them is scary. They are lucky to be in the USA, and not somewhere else, where board exams are much "harsher" and it's an honor to be board-certified, where exams are actually graded seriously, with consequences, where medical school is not a sausage-making machine, and not everybody who goes in will come out. If one is not f-cking passionate about (patho)physiology and its applications, from preop to postop, and also about the heart, the lungs, and the kidneys, one should f-cking stay away from anesthesia. Nowadays one should also add muscle and nerve anatomy to that mix, because of regional anesthesia. It's not a mistake that most anesthesia programs used to go just by the Step 1 results; they are pretty predictive of the quality of the future "house".

Seconds do count. So, yeah, I'm "harsh". Like a good coach, I'm harsh because I care. Even the blind could see this coming for the OP, and yet, s/he didn't.