How to study for the new PRITE?

[ara96]

Hi,
So I have a month until my PRITE is coming up. I'm a PGY2 and my program has made it very clear to me, as I did poorly on my PRITE last year (5th percentile), that if I do poorly again, there will be consequences (extra call, repeating a year, or termination). PRITE is taken very seriously in my program as you can tell from my post.

But at any rate, I am feeling very nervous and would like some guidance on how to prepare for the new PRITE exam. I have heard that the new exam will be incorporating new focus (more Neuro, etc.) and it won't be just repeat questions as in the past.

In the month that I have left, will it be advantageous to just re-read and memorize old PRITE questions/answers? My goal is to get closer to the middle percentile.

FYI, in case you are asking why my program places so much emphasis on PRITE, its because my program faculty and a good chunk of residents are of Indian FMG status. These individuals blow MCQ's out of the water because they are used to doing much harder exams in their own countries. There is a constant superiority complex that is perhaps derived from their own culture with having good scores and competing. If you don't perform good, you are punished. That is the culture at my program.

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[PikminOC]

Extra call? Wth

 

[splik]

that is bs! sorry that you are at such a terrible program. I am not sure how extra call will help your knowledge (presumably it would mean you have less time to study!) and they can't terminate you for doing poorly on the PRITE if you are performing fine as a resident. Yes you should be reading, but it is their job to make sure you receive additional support if you are struggling by coming up with some sort of remedial plan of action. There is a reason they got rid of the percentiles for the PRITE (and of course all of the toxic programs complained!)

The focus is not more neuro, it is more neuroscience. Personally I think it would have been better it if they had put more neuro rather than neuroscience. The exam has basically been revamped for the ACGME milestones so there are also more questions of wooly stuff like systems based practice, professionalism and the like. Personally I think this was a mistake but no one listens to me.

I think most people will do poorly on the PRITE so that should help! This is also the first year for DSM-5 so don't be surprised if they test the new disorders.

I would suggest what I suggest to everyone - read my 100 papers (if you even read the list you will learn alot as I have summarized the papers!), and have a look through Kaplan and Sadock's synopsis, and Stah's Essential Psychopharmacology. You have plenty of time do spend time to spend a few hours doing that.

(btw it was never "just repeating questions" there will be old PRITE questions but only a few were rpeeated, and they only re-appear after several years, however there are only so many questions you can ask. but unfortunately because of the update to DSM-5 they had to throw alot of questions out!)

 

[OldPsychDoc]

... there will be consequences (extra call, repeating a year, or termination). PRITE is taken very seriously in my program as you can tell from my post.

Pfft...no pillory in the hospital courtyard? Posting scores on the program website? Making you wear your percentile rank on you hospital ID badge?

Residents these days just have it too easy. Whatever happened to the good old days of motivation by public shaming?

Seriously...let's do the numbers. If you're going to punish for a 5th percentile score, you're just guaranteeing that 5% of the nation's residents get beat up every year...and for what?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Seriously though--could someone tell me what WOULD motivate residents to take the PRITE seriously?

 

[ara96]

that is bs! sorry that you are at such a terrible program. I am not sure how extra call will help your knowledge (presumably it would mean you have less time to study!) and they can't terminate you for doing poorly on the PRITE if you are performing fine as a resident. Yes you should be reading, but it is their job to make sure you receive additional support if you are struggling by coming up with some sort of remedial plan of action. There is a reason they got rid of the percentiles for the PRITE (and of course all of the toxic programs complained!)

The focus is not more neuro, it is more neuroscience. Personally I think it would have been better it if they had put more neuro rather than neuroscience. The exam has basically been revamped for the ACGME milestones so there are also more questions of wooly stuff like systems based practice, professionalism and the like. Personally I think this was a mistake but no one listens to me.

I think most people will do poorly on the PRITE so that should help! This is also the first year for DSM-5 so don't be surprised if they test the new disorders.

I would suggest what I suggest to everyone - read my 100 papers (if you even read the list you will learn alot as I have summarized the papers!), and have a look through Kaplan and Sadock's synopsis, and Stah's Essential Psychopharmacology. You have plenty of time do spend time to spend a few hours doing that.

(btw it was never "just repeating questions" there will be old PRITE questions but only a few were rpeeated, and they only re-appear after several years, however there are only so many questions you can ask. but unfortunately because of the update to DSM-5 they had to throw alot of questions out!)

Can you please tell me where to read these 100 papers? My program tends to put a lot of emphasis on the PRITE under the guise that it is meant to help with Board performance and will be a good predictor of Board scores.

 

[milesed]

To start, I'd read Handbook of Psychiatric Drug Therapy. It's fairly short and will help you from here on out. I'd also review DSM criteria for personality disorders, major illnesses. I can't remember if Neuro was on PRITES but Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists was the book I read before boards.

 

[Amygdarya]

The first 100 papers by splik:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/100-papers-in-clinical-psychiatry.1059514/

The further 100 papers:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/100-further-papers-in-clinical-psychiatry.1071243/

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

Seriously though--could someone tell me what WOULD motivate residents to take the PRITE seriously?

Being rewarded with less call would motivate residents to read. Then again it is all spin because of the hydraulic model our work. Rewarding high performers with less call is the same as punishing poor performance with more call.