2020 oral boards

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I think the test takers were definitely placed at a disadvantage compared to other years due to this corona virus stuff. Not only are you stressed about the exam itself but you add the additional fear of being exposed to the virus. Basically what the ABA did was get “front line” doctors from all over the US to congregate to the same place which is ridiculously stupid and take a subjective and over priced exam. Passing or failing the exam has a lot to do with how lucky you are in regards to whether or not your board examiner is a decent human being. It’s all corrupt. I would LOVE to see where the money of the exam goes too...Mercedes ? BMW?
 
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Use video conference zoom/skype/FaceTime for oral boards. The ABA needs to reassess how they implement these exams. It would be cool since tele doc is the wave of the future. Why not get a jump start with use of video conferencing.

saves candidates money and travel time.
 
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Does anybody have a list of some helpful guidelines to know similar to the 2014 ACC/AHA Guideline on Perioperative Cardiovascular Evaluation and Management of Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery? I feel like they are a really easy source of testing. Example: "Would you order ____?" Do you know of any guidelines that would assist you with making this decision?"
 
Passed!

Used UBP (read/memorized x3), old exams (went through twice), and content outline. Had a couple mock OSCEs and 3-4 mock orals during residency. I practiced with a current examiner at my institution the week before (who was very challenging) - this replicated my first set of actual examiners almost exactly.

Ubp is good for learning content but the questions dont really replicate the exam - that's where the old exams come in.

Fyi, I'm a pain fellow and hadn't intubated or done OR anesthesia for almost a year prior to the test. So I dedicated a good 3-4 months to study.
 
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Passed! I was retaking OSCE only...those bastards. If anyone wants material for OSCE, just PM. For main oral boards, I recommend Uptodate anesthesia sections on all the crazy topics.
 
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Passed. Read ubp three times. Rapid review once. Practiced with friend using old stems about once a week. And practiced with a faculty member once. In hindsight I probably would of practiced with an oral board examiner.
 
Passed! My residency did two mock orals per year (for every year of residency) and the CA3s can do a mock OSCE. I skimmed some UBP and bought Rapid Review Anesthesiology Oral boards and read the book. I then did a handful of mock orals in the OR as a fellow this year with some attendings. For the osce, I did our residency’s mock osce and just read through the ABA’s outline and I think that’s enough.

I didn’t think the real thing was all that horrible or unexpected and felt like the prep I did was enough. Some of my attendings told me they practiced every night for months and someone else told me they took one of those in-person courses and that seems like massive overkill.


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Cardiac fellow- slightly different approach.

-used Yao for some focused reading on areas I figured were high yield/areas of personal weakness (sickle cell, peds, etc)

-worked through 1/3 of UBP with a partner in a mock-oral format. This was just to get the exam “flow” down

-read Gupta in the 3 days before the test out of paranoia/boredom

-no specific OSCE practice- just watched the ABA videos the night before

total study time: 4-6 weeks
 
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As much as I hate to admit it. I think the time I spent studying for this exam will make me a better anesthesiologist in the long run as most of the information was clinical. I can’t say the same thing for the OSCE. That was ******ed and a waste of time.
 
Hello Guys,

Yesterday I found out I did not pass. This was my second attempt at the oral portion. I had gone thru Just Oral Boards, went thru UBP 3x and did every old exam 3x. I also had a colleague to study with who was also taking it for the second time. She and I were similar in presentation and knowledge and she passed. My mock examiners with JOB said I would have no problem passing. I learned the "game" in regards to how to speak and treat based on assumptions between my first two attempts. I became a consultant on my second attempt. I walked out feeling much better than the first time. The first stem on my second attempt was very difficult compared to all stems I have seen yet I still felt I managed it well.

If anyone of you have been in this situation, please advise what I can do further. I'm considering a rescore in addition to looking at other avenues for preparation for my next attempt. I legitimately feel, I could take this again next month and pass.

Thanks
 
Any idea if the summer dates will be cancelled, or not? It's hard to imagine sending people from throughout the US to a central location even if things are, hopefully, resolving, or even considering the possibility of getting sick and losing valuable study time, or even missing the exam date itself. Trying to make a study plan may be difficult. I wish the ABA would make a definitive decision for the remainder of dates soon. For those who have had their date already cancelled what have your rescheduling options been (if any)?
 
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raztes said:
Any idea if the summer dates will be cancelled, or not? It's hard to imagine sending people from throughout the US to a central location even if things are, hopefully, resolving, or even considering the possibility of getting sick and losing valuable study time, or even missing the exam date itself. Trying to make a study plan may be difficult. I wish the ABA would make a definitive decision for the remainder of dates soon. For those who have had their date already cancelled what have your rescheduling options been (if any)?
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No rescheduling options yet.


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How are they going to catch up with the back log of candidates? I think its safe to presume that oral boards will delayed until the middle of summer at best. Maybe its time to rethink this money making exam? scam?
 
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My exam was cancelled. Whenever they decide to reschedule, Im going to need a 3-4 month warning because Ive reverted back to 100% fellowship studying.
 
raztes said:
Weeks 1-7 cancelled. If I'm week 7.5 does this include me? Ugh, so vague. There's one week of exam dates in July, so how is there a half week? Why don't they just give the exact dates that are cancelled. Week 7.5 is actually the 8th week of exams in 2020. The numbering system is not intuitive.
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The "Week 7 (June 8 - 11)" is cancelled, as per the ABA's email. I think that is the most recent cancelled week as of now. So I guess anything after June 11 is still on (at the moment)?
 
Poohbear012 said:
Why not just get rid of oral board all together?:wacky:
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This is actually what they did in Canada this year - All oral exams (in every specialty) were cancelled, with refunds. Only written is required this year. Maybe ABA will do something similar??

Only problem is, some people already took the Orals this year...so if they failed, do they have to re-take it or do they get an automatic pass?...hard decision there.
 
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DJDakoo said:
This is actually what they did in Canada this year - All oral exams (in every specialty) were cancelled, with refunds. Only written is required this year. Maybe ABA will do something similar??

Only problem is, some people already took the Orals this year...so if they failed, do they have to re-take it or do they get an automatic pass?...hard decision there.
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Well, I was fortunate to take exam in week 1. They graded it. I fortunately passed. I assume the ones that failed have to retake
 
Anyone have updates about re-scheduling orals?? Seems ridiculous to offset our entire certification schedule by a year or more.
 
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incubusfanclm said:
Anyone have updates about re-scheduling orals?? Seems ridiculous to offset our entire certification schedule by a year or more.
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I was scheduled for week 2 which was cancelled. I received an email from the board stating instead of 7 years I now have 8 years to complete boards. I take that to mean they have no intention of getting anybody rescheduled this year. It seems anybody that was postponed is getting pushed to 2021.


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DJDakoo said:
This is actually what they did in Canada this year - All oral exams (in every specialty) were cancelled, with refunds. Only written is required this year. Maybe ABA will do something similar??

Only problem is, some people already took the Orals this year...so if they failed, do they have to re-take it or do they get an automatic pass?...hard decision there.
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cant imagine ABA do this. they really want the $$$
 
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I totally appreciate how communicative and open they have been with us about the entire process. Especially as they still hold on to $2400 I paid.
 
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Was scheduled to take the exam last month. Obviously it's not the ABA's fault that the exam had to be cancelled, but the fact that I'll likely have to wait until March 2021 at the earliest to take this thing enrages me. I don't want it hanging over my head for another year. I'll have to study all over again harder than ever since I'll be that much further from residency and the advanced exam. I'll have to re-learn things that I haven't even thought about in 2 years. For people who did pain or CCM fellowships it's probably even worse. When you force people to wait 2+ years, the test loses its validity. They should give our year a pass and move on. Fat chance of that happening though.
 
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Maybe if we had a nationwide petition, we could gain some traction on that subject. Or at least ask for a change in format, i.e. video conference.

It's also laughable knowing our working colleagues would have been practicing for TWO years in real life by 2021 yet they still need to be tested on an oral exam. They're too busy letting CRNAs take over the country while counting our $2400 deposits.
 
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I was scheduled for Week 4. I emailed them about 2 weeks after weeks 2-6 were canceled, approx mid March. They said they'd contact me via email and that they're working on their contingency plan. Other than that no other communication. I'm hoping best case scenario they open dates in later summer early fall? Or even winter? I'm optimistic, and really hope I don't get scheduled in 2021.
 
raztes said:
Any insight on whether the July exam will actually happen or not?
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I really hope so. I was week 3 and got cancelled. I think if they go ahead with July there’s at least a slight chance they can re-schedule most of us in 2020.
 
Drfirextinguisher said:
I really hope so. I was week 3 and got cancelled. I think if they go ahead with July there’s at least a slight chance they can re-schedule most of us in 2020.
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I'm hoping same thing as well. But that's assuming they can squeeze 5 weeks' worth of examinees into a 6 month window.
 
While examinees may be OK traveling for the exam, I can't imagine examiners agreeing to travel for this in 2 months from now...
 
silly_nay_nay said:
I'm hoping same thing as well. But that's assuming they can squeeze 5 weeks' worth of examinees into a 6 month window.
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Yeah, it’s a mess for sure. There’s an open 2-month window from July orals to September dates they could’ve tried to use, but I’m assuming that’s not gonna pan out bc they would’ve told us already. I’m just glad they’ve done such a great job of keeping us in the loop!
 
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especially when the current political situation and thus the possible second wave of covid cases/hurricane season. All this seems like a mess.
 
raztes said:
So is this exam occurring or what? Anyone know of the survey outcome? Taking time off with already reduced income for an exam that may or may not occur is just not right. Let alone having to exposing oneself by traveling several hours to a state with rising Covid cases.
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Didn’t know they were doing a survey. Do you know who it went out to? (Hopefully not just examiners getting paid by the ABA!)
 
raztes said:
So is this exam occurring or what? Anyone know of the survey outcome? Taking time off with already reduced income for an exam that may or may not occur is just not right. Let alone having to exposing oneself by traveling several hours to a state with rising Covid cases.
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Yea agreed...plus schedule requests for September coming due right about now.
 
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Can anyone decipher what the ASA's email regarding weeks 2-7 means? I think it means they "hope it will happen in before the end of 2021" which is ridiculous...
 
MikeMerk-MtS said:
Can anyone decipher what the ASA's email regarding weeks 2-7 means? I think it means they "hope it will happen in before the end of 2021" which is ridiculous...
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Yeah, I read it as “we’re too f’ing lazy and don’t give a **** about any of you enough to arrange a virtual test, which could could’ve easily arranged in the past 2.5 months when we were doing nothing.”
 
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Drfirextinguisher said:
Yeah, I read it as “we’re too f’ing lazy and don’t give a **** about any of you enough to arrange a virtual test, which could could’ve easily arranged in the past 2.5 months when we were doing nothing.”
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I know a few examiners, all of them state they have not heard anything about potential plans.
 
0kazak1 said:
I know a few examiners, all of them state they have not heard anything about potential plans.
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At this point they may as well just reschedule us for our original dates a year later. However, Covid-19 could still become a big issue next fall/winter. I feel like at this point in time they absolutely must come up with a contingency plan to do remote testing (instead of cancelling us) in the future if this happens again.
 
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