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- Jan 24, 2003
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I know there are multiple threads out there offering up tips on how to approach the oral boards, including which classes to take. Wanted to start a fresh thread with exactly what people's study approaches were and what they recommend. Take each with a grain of salt, since you need to individualize greatly based on your personality and practice atmosphere. Here are my tips that don't include spending thousands of dollars on a course, but again-- this worked for ME, and I am at a large academic institution where we do every type of case and have access to multiple oral board examiners- and if I had failed I would be right there taking the course the next time.
1. Decide if you have reasonable speaking skills and can organize your thoughts clearly under pressure- if not-- take a course to figure out how to do so, because if you can't, chances of success are not high.
2. Figure out what types of cases you aren't exposed to routinely and find a way to review those over and over (i.e. transplant, TURP, peds, cardiac). No need reviewing over and over again cases you do everyday because all you need to do is imagine yourself in the OR and explain exactly how you would approach it to the oral board examiners.
3. I read through all the ASA refresher courses from the CD you can get online (and for free if you attended ASA). Covers many basics very well.
4. Buy Board Stiff 3. Know the info section cold. Do ALL the cases with a partner (preferably) or talk to yourself
5. Find old ABA exams and do at least one case a week with a partner by phone or in person- give each other the stem- hang up-- 10 minutes to write everything down you want-- then give each other your respective exams and critique. make sure you and your partner actually read up a little on the case you're about to give your partner so you can give a reasonable critique.
6. Come up with a system for organizing your thoughts for stems and stick to them for all questions. For example-- for a pre-op and intra-op question my organization sheet had PREOP, INTRAOP, DRUGS, MONITORS, INDUCTION, and a stick figure so i didn't forget any systems
7. Do at least two exams with actual board examiners if you have access to them-- no need to do a bunch-- just need to get the real experience twice. If they can simulate the experience for you exactly, all the better.
8. At the exam-- READ THE STEM- it's got everything you need. This is a hindsight thing. If you don't know what the hell the examiners are getting at, do your best, stay calm, and explain things the best you can. If they keep pushing you on something, tell them how you would do it "in my practice"- as long as your practice isn't something asinine. There were multiple things I "screwed up"-- but I guess I was rational enough in my explanations that it was good enough.
9. "kill-shots"- you'll hear a lot about these-- that they will fail you. I forgot to say i would give fluids to a guy in anaphylactic shock, went right to epi. they pushed me a few times and i guess i had a brain fart and forgot i hadn't said fluids. "anything else?" they said over and over...i never said fluids. i guess they gave me the benefit of the doubt.
10. There will be some weird stuff on there that no amount of studying will help you with. be ready to say i don't know- don't bullsh#t.
11. Review the stuff that you reviewed for writtens. For example i outlined faust for writtens and reviewed that for the pharmacology/physio stuff. I did get asked doses and mechanisms. everything is fair game. one of my friends had to draw diagrams on napkins.
12. Know the differentials cold for hypoxia, hypercarbia, tachycardia, bradycardia, hypertension, hypotension, post-op issues, neuropathies, vision loss, the list goes on-- i got some permutation of all of these and more-- there is a previous thread that expounds on many of these "lists" and board stiff covers many of these. by doing the above I felt I was well prepared for the common stuff
13. When in doubt, just tell them what you would do in a calm and organized fashion.
13b. Everyone says the examiners aren't out to trick you. But if you are on course they WILL try to get you to mess up. mark my words. For example, they tried to get me to intubate an elective c-section before incision just because she had a Class III airway. i kept saying i would take my time to get a working regional technique. Even then she ended up going apneic during the case and i had to demonstrate the difficult airway algorithm. so stick to your guns if they seem to be steering you wrong. the scenario will still go down the same path, but at least you didn't cause it ;-)
14. Up for debate-- going on vacation after the exam. I was convinced I failed the exam and had a vacation planned immediately after. It could have been the best vacation of my life, but I spent the whole time commiserating over the exam, reliving it in my head and pretty down because I felt I wasted an opportunity. I feel like it would have been better to be immersed in work where I wouldn't have time to think about it. Depends on your personality. So I ruined a vacation for no reason.
Bottom line..I passed. I started the studying process 4 months prior. I guess it worked. Maybe I was lucky. Good luck!!!
Everyone else who passed-- post your study plans!
1. Decide if you have reasonable speaking skills and can organize your thoughts clearly under pressure- if not-- take a course to figure out how to do so, because if you can't, chances of success are not high.
2. Figure out what types of cases you aren't exposed to routinely and find a way to review those over and over (i.e. transplant, TURP, peds, cardiac). No need reviewing over and over again cases you do everyday because all you need to do is imagine yourself in the OR and explain exactly how you would approach it to the oral board examiners.
3. I read through all the ASA refresher courses from the CD you can get online (and for free if you attended ASA). Covers many basics very well.
4. Buy Board Stiff 3. Know the info section cold. Do ALL the cases with a partner (preferably) or talk to yourself
5. Find old ABA exams and do at least one case a week with a partner by phone or in person- give each other the stem- hang up-- 10 minutes to write everything down you want-- then give each other your respective exams and critique. make sure you and your partner actually read up a little on the case you're about to give your partner so you can give a reasonable critique.
6. Come up with a system for organizing your thoughts for stems and stick to them for all questions. For example-- for a pre-op and intra-op question my organization sheet had PREOP, INTRAOP, DRUGS, MONITORS, INDUCTION, and a stick figure so i didn't forget any systems
7. Do at least two exams with actual board examiners if you have access to them-- no need to do a bunch-- just need to get the real experience twice. If they can simulate the experience for you exactly, all the better.
8. At the exam-- READ THE STEM- it's got everything you need. This is a hindsight thing. If you don't know what the hell the examiners are getting at, do your best, stay calm, and explain things the best you can. If they keep pushing you on something, tell them how you would do it "in my practice"- as long as your practice isn't something asinine. There were multiple things I "screwed up"-- but I guess I was rational enough in my explanations that it was good enough.
9. "kill-shots"- you'll hear a lot about these-- that they will fail you. I forgot to say i would give fluids to a guy in anaphylactic shock, went right to epi. they pushed me a few times and i guess i had a brain fart and forgot i hadn't said fluids. "anything else?" they said over and over...i never said fluids. i guess they gave me the benefit of the doubt.
10. There will be some weird stuff on there that no amount of studying will help you with. be ready to say i don't know- don't bullsh#t.
11. Review the stuff that you reviewed for writtens. For example i outlined faust for writtens and reviewed that for the pharmacology/physio stuff. I did get asked doses and mechanisms. everything is fair game. one of my friends had to draw diagrams on napkins.
12. Know the differentials cold for hypoxia, hypercarbia, tachycardia, bradycardia, hypertension, hypotension, post-op issues, neuropathies, vision loss, the list goes on-- i got some permutation of all of these and more-- there is a previous thread that expounds on many of these "lists" and board stiff covers many of these. by doing the above I felt I was well prepared for the common stuff
13. When in doubt, just tell them what you would do in a calm and organized fashion.
13b. Everyone says the examiners aren't out to trick you. But if you are on course they WILL try to get you to mess up. mark my words. For example, they tried to get me to intubate an elective c-section before incision just because she had a Class III airway. i kept saying i would take my time to get a working regional technique. Even then she ended up going apneic during the case and i had to demonstrate the difficult airway algorithm. so stick to your guns if they seem to be steering you wrong. the scenario will still go down the same path, but at least you didn't cause it ;-)
14. Up for debate-- going on vacation after the exam. I was convinced I failed the exam and had a vacation planned immediately after. It could have been the best vacation of my life, but I spent the whole time commiserating over the exam, reliving it in my head and pretty down because I felt I wasted an opportunity. I feel like it would have been better to be immersed in work where I wouldn't have time to think about it. Depends on your personality. So I ruined a vacation for no reason.
Bottom line..I passed. I started the studying process 4 months prior. I guess it worked. Maybe I was lucky. Good luck!!!
Everyone else who passed-- post your study plans!
or several other mishaps. I had to say "I do not know" 2 times.
