AAEM oral board review course. Does it suck, or is it worth it?

[AlmostAnMD]

Trying throw some money AAEM's way, wouldn't mind using my CME on their oral board review course.

However, if it's a complete waste of time, would rather do something else

anyone ever do it?

Even if it's marginally worth it I've got 7k CME to burn through and I can only buy so many gift cards (thanks, boardvitals!)

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[bravotwozero]

Take the course. You won’t regret it. I took the course and it did a lot to increase my confidence. Sure it may be overkill, but might as well err on the side of caution.


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[inspirationmd]

Worth it. Took the course and was very helpful to practice the style of cases. The experience of being in the same hotel for it helped make it even less stressful. Did well on orals.

 

[JumpingThroughHoops]

Worth it. Took the course and was very helpful to practice the style of cases. The experience of being in the same hotel for it helped make it even less stressful. Did well on orals.

how much does it cost?

 

[Groove]

I took the course and it was totally worth it. It replicates the environment almost perfectly and the cases are very close to the real thing. In fact, I had two cases that were almost identical to the ones encountered during the board review course. I don't know if someone is sneaking them cases from the actual exam, but a few were eerily similar. It really helped with getting me used to the format, timing, the "game" of the exam if you will. In fact, I'm pretty sure I would have failed the real thing if I hadn't taken that review course. There may be other ones that are just as good out there but the AAEM one was spot on.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I didn't take a course and felt fine I'm test day, but that doesn't answer your question.

 

[p1acebo]

It’s worth it, to echo what others have already said, it replicates the whole experience. So when you are actually at oral boards it feels like you have been their before, and really takes any performance anxiety away that you might of had. It really teaches you to “play the game.”


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[gamerEMdoc]

I've been a preceptor at the Philly AAEM course many times in the past. It's an excellent course. The cases are challenging (sometimes even more so than most of the board cases I had). You come out of there very prepared.

In my opinion, the people that benefit the most from the course are:
1. People who didn't do much structured oral board training in residency and need to work on their system. Lets face it, the oral board process is unnatural in terms of how we actually perform patient care. You have to learn a system of data gathering and how to play the game, and practice that system.
2. People that are quite anxious about taking the oral boards

The course simulates the experience of the actual board exam pretty well. So once you go through it two straight days, you realize that you are going to be just fine. It's very reassuring.

 

[inspirationmd]

how much does it cost?

Oral Board Review Courses - Illinois College of Emergency Physicians

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www.icep.org

Did the 10 hour one for $1,045. It’s the Illinois chapter of AAEM

 

[gamerEMdoc]

The main AAEM course is offered in Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Philly and Vegas. I think Philly and Vegas are the two biggest. All are two day courses and feature the same format/cases no matter where you go.

I'm pretty sure the cost is somewhere around 1200, but I'm not exactly sure what the exact cost is this year. They usually put it out there when registration for the next course (spring) opens; the website says registration opens in January.

 

[TheSingularity]

I took that money I would've spent and took a killer vacation to greece.

It's not needed.

 

[DocEspana]

Definitely worth it. The comfort it gives you with the whole process is worth the price. You leave there feeling ready for the test, something I can't say someone walking into it without a course can say. And that's largely because the test has so many quirks and odd "just do it this way to get the most points the quickest" elements that you wouldn't realize without it.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

I took that money I would've spent and took a killer vacation to greece.

It's not needed.

True. I didnt take the course when I took boards either because I felt comfortable with my process and practiced it on my own. Depends on how much piece of mind is worth to you.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I think the question of did your residency prepare you to play the game is important. My program taught us how to play.

I've been a preceptor at the Philly AAEM course many times in the past. It's an excellent course. The cases are challenging (sometimes even more so than most of the board cases I had). You come out of there very prepared.

In my opinion, the people that benefit the most from the course are:
1. People who didn't do much structured oral board training in residency and need to work on their system. Lets face it, the oral board process is unnatural in terms of how we actually perform patient care. You have to learn a system of data gathering and how to play the game, and practice that system.
2. People that are quite anxious about taking the oral boards

The course simulates the experience of the actual board exam pretty well. So once you go through it two straight days, you realize that you are going to be just fine. It's very reassuring.

 

[BoardingDoc]

As others have said above, I did not take a course so I can not speak to its helpfulness. I don't think that a course is necessary.

Okuda book front to back with a partner. Every patient: what do I hear, see and smell. IV, O2, monitor, EKG and FSBG. Then do the case.

The test certainly is about how to "play the game" and not about your medical knowledge. I think Okuda made the gameplaying aspect easy to learn. If you're still anxious about it after that, go for the course.

 

[RustedFox]

I think the question of did your residency prepare you to play the game is important. My program taught us how to play.

We seriously did one case every week in residency [Tuesday morning conference] where one of us was in the "hot seat" and had to play the game with a faculty member serving as examiner while everyone else looked on. Heckling was encouraged, to get the "player" to focus and not get distracted by bull****. It was a lot of fun at the time, but it really did a great job of preparing us for the real deal.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Yeah we do a mix of oral boards / sim weekly. I don't think any of my residents have taken the review course that I know of. We've never had an oral boards failure. So I agree, if your residency does a lot of education in this realm, the course is unnecessary because you almost assuredly are already very comfortable and confident in your approach to the oral boards.

The course is much more useful for those that don't do a lot of oral board training in residency or who have some overwhelming anxiety about the whole process.

 

[Old_Mil]

Trying throw some money AAEM's way, wouldn't mind using my CME on their oral board review course.

However, if it's a complete waste of time, would rather do something else

anyone ever do it?

Even if it's marginally worth it I've got 7k CME to burn through and I can only buy so many gift cards (thanks, boardvitals!)

I took it. Would recommend it.

 

[sylvanthus]

Id say go for it if you have the CME money, I didnt have CME money to burn through at the time or Id have taken it. I went in blind, Had no time to study or practice with new baby, multiple new jobs, new house, etc. I was frackin terrified, totally f'ed up my first case, was able to rally and pass. I think I put in maybe 2 hours into reading through a book to get down the format, but that was it. Dont do what I did, I was almost certain id have to redo that ridiculous waste of time exam.

 

[miacomet]

It was fun, but I don't think I needed it. Then again, if I'd failed and hadn't taken it I'd be kicking myself, hard.