ABR Board Debacle Part Two: Electric Boogaloo

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elementaryschooleconomics

elementaryschooleconomics

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Background: For those of us in the board exam cycle, we were told we could register at 12:01AM August 3rd (this morning) for the December 7th/8th written qualifying examinations, the last to be delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers.

Almost immediately, people noticed that there were no seats available in entire states/regions spanning literally hundreds of square miles.

We thought this was a glitch.

We were wrong.

While a few people were able to find a few seats in America, presumably due to other exams and social distancing rules, almost no one will be able to take the written board exams in December. The ABR says they'll update us later? Maybe I'm wrong on this but I'm so tired of this game.

I am just...out of steam. No boards, no jobs, no hope - #radonc2020
 
I have no words of advice. I just want to write that I feel extremely sorry for you and your class, and the class taking oral boards. I can't imagine what you all are going through and how frustrating it is. Finishing the boards(and being done with the study schedule- not that you ever stop learning)was a massive relief to move on and enjoy the rest of my life.

I hope things get straightened out soon, and I hope you find a great job somewhere despite the odds!
 
Med students this year had a HORRIFIC time with PearsonVUE and Step exams. They got d*cked around like crazy with seats available and what not, whiplash emails "the test is on! the test is off!". True boogaloo, you're right. So this is not surprising. Also look for ABR to blame PearsonVUE. But if they had been paying attention they'd have realized this company has some issues.
 
I dont want to discount everyones frustration, but I dont see what we can reasonably expect the ABR to do here. I'd rather they not rush a remote exam and risk the same debacle as the ABS. They've already posted another date in April for a remote exam that hopefullly they'll beta test beforehand. If that turns into a disaster then the ABR needs sued/regime change (which they probably should have had already for the debacle 2 years ago).
 
elementaryschooleconomics said:
Background: For those of us in the board exam cycle, we were told we could register at 12:01AM August 3rd (this morning) for the December 7th/8th written qualifying examinations, the last to be delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers.

Almost immediately, people noticed that there were no seats available in entire states/regions spanning literally hundreds of square miles.

We thought this was a glitch.

We were wrong.

While a few people were able to find a few seats in America, presumably due to other exams and social distancing rules, almost no one will be able to take the written board exams in December. The ABR says they'll update us later? Maybe I'm wrong on this but I'm so tired of this game.

I am just...out of steam. No boards, no jobs, no hope - #radonc2020
Click to expand...
evilbooyaa said:
This is now affecting class of 2020 and class of 2021 folks.
Click to expand...


So sorry this is happening. I feel bad b/c I predict and predicted a higher failure rate just from all the crap everyone is going through with this, not to mention the difficulties COVID has caused. I would hate to be studying this long and during this time.

Didn't someone here talk about how the class of 2020 and 2021 were going to be taking oral boards at the same time? Anyone confirm?
 
radoncopotamus said:
I dont want to discount everyones frustration, but I dont see what we can reasonably expect the ABR to do here. I'd rather they not rush a remote exam and risk the same debacle as the ABS. They've already posted another date in April for a remote exam that hopefullly they'll beta test beforehand. If that turns into a disaster then the ABR needs sued/regime change (which they probably should have had already for the debacle 2 years ago).
Click to expand...

Agreed, this is more a Pearson problem than an ABR problem.

However, the ABR locked people in to a single exam date without considering the downstream effect of ALL the rescheduled exams done at Pearson. We might have had a fighting chance if they had let us register the moment they announced the dates...but maybe not. Were there even ~400-500 seats available nationally when registration opened (classes of 2020, 2021, and retakers)?

RadOncMegatron said:
So sorry this is happening. I feel bad b/c I predict and predicted a higher failure rate just from all the crap everyone is going through with this, not to mention the difficulties COVID has caused. I would hate to be studying this long and during this time.

Didn't someone here talk about how the class of 2020 and 2021 were going to be taking oral boards at the same time? Anyone confirm?
Click to expand...

I can't tell you how difficult it is to try and study while finishing residency and looking for non-existent jobs, without even considering the stress that comes from living any semblance of a personal life. Family, bills, not being able to go to a grocery store without proper PPE? Nah this is fine.
 
RadOncMegatron said:
Didn't someone here talk about how the class of 2020 and 2021 were going to be taking oral boards at the same time? Anyone confirm?
Click to expand...

I believe it's class of 2019 and class of 2020 will be taking it at the same time.

Class of 2020 is getting hosed with this December Debacle pretty hard - they might be forced to take remote clinical writtens in April and then the inaugural remote orals in May.
 
elementaryschooleconomics said:
I believe it's class of 2019 and class of 2020 will be taking it at the same time.

Class of 2020 is getting hosed with this December Debacle pretty hard - they might be forced to take remote clinical writtens in April and then the inaugural remote orals in May.
Click to expand...

I thought orals in 2021 were going to be May for Class of 2019, and September for Class of 2020?

High potential for Class of 2020 to get ****ed, agreed, as someone in that group. Still nothing compared to what Class of 2019 went through, IMO.
 
Week of May 17, 2021

Registration limited to candidates eligible for the 2020 Radiation Oncology Oral Exam



September 2021 (exact exam dates will be determined shortly)

Registration limited to candidates eligible for the 2021 Radiation Oncology Oral Exam
 
metallica81788 said:
Week of May 17, 2021

Registration limited to candidates eligible for the 2020 Radiation Oncology Oral Exam



September 2021 (exact exam dates will be determined shortly)

Registration limited to candidates eligible for the 2021 Radiation Oncology Oral Exam
Click to expand...

Oh good, mild silver lining? Well, more like off-brand grey spray paint lining, but better than April/May back-to-back exams.
 
The ABR is so dumb, they forgot their history...

Back in the 1990s, we took the written exam using paper, maybe with Scantron (using a pencil to fill a sheet with A, B, C, D or E).
Under the extreme circumstances, they can always administer the exam using paper and Scantron.
All they have to do:
1. Print the exam using paper.
2. Find a very large gym (or something similar) so people can sit some 6-10 ft apart and go.

I think they are stuck in the mindset of Pearson VUE testing centers and forgot they can administer the exam using paper...

When something goes wrong, check the history...this is taught in high-school history of the world...
 
It's true this isn't the ABR's fault. But I have no empathy for them. This was 110% predictable.

This certifying organization has time and time again worked against the interests of its members (and more broadly, it has worked against the public by placing barriers between physicians and patients).

The organization is rotten to the core. 21st Century, the most ridiculed and heinous name in oncology is at the head of all this?

What a joke.

We seriously need an alternative.
 
Tremendous update from Our Overlords:

1596499834017.png
 
evilbooyaa said:
Wowza. Wish I had received something like that. They said they were going to contact everyone. Guess they didn't mean me in that everyone.
Click to expand...

For some reason I tend to usually get these emails, while many of my co-residents/recent grads get left out. I would love to know what their listserv technology looks like - this seems pretty straightforward...?
 
elementaryschooleconomics said:
We all got this email ~3:37PM:

View attachment 315038

Instantly, a half-dozen of my buddies and I jumped on the website to find...no additional spots? I'm not entirely sure what opened up...or where...or for who...I'm still traveling several hundred miles to be asked about wedge angles.
Click to expand...
I'm just going to wait until next year. Or maybe something will open up later this cycle. My impression is that Pearson Vue is closed entirely in some states, and that this may change once covid is under control in the next few days or so.
 
elementaryschooleconomics said:
Instantly, a half-dozen of my buddies and I jumped on the website to find...no additional spots? I'm not entirely sure what opened up...or where...or for who...I'm still traveling several hundred miles to be asked about wedge angles.
Click to expand...

I presume if you weren't online, read the email on logged onto Perason VUE all in less than 15 seconds that you are SOL.
 
Gfunk6 said:
I presume if you weren't online, read the email on logged onto Perason VUE all in less than 15 seconds that you are SOL.
Click to expand...

Helped me smoewhat but not in an ideal situation. Most specialties have multiple days they can choose to do their board exams which would make this easy.
 
The insistence of having it be the same day for everyone was always going to be problematic in this context of COVID/outbreaks/sporadic, random shut downs and pent up demand due to previous cancellations.

Takes a lack of any foresight to miss this simple piece of logical reasoning.
 
Wild idea... why not let the residency programs proctor the exam like they do already for the in-service? Duh. Out of residency already? You go to nearest academic center with a residency and they proctor for you (they're on every street corner nowadays). Have an ethics and reciprocity agreement that all residency program directors sign and everyone is happy.
 
I'm so confused. I actually can't find any seats still, anywhere. I'm not registered for the test.

Can I just take Bio/Physics in April 2021 since they said they're going to be offering remote exams then? What am I supposed to do? Legitimately confused and looking for guidance.
 
maruchan said:
I'm so confused. I actually can't find any seats still, anywhere. I'm not registered for the test.

Can I just take Bio/Physics in April 2021 since they said they're going to be offering remote exams then? What am I supposed to do? Legitimately confused and looking for guidance.
Click to expand...
I think Pearson is closed entirely in certain states and not accepting reservations. In my state, where there are still statewide mask mandates, etc, there's nothing anywhere. Same for a couple border states. One nearby state, that was like one of the first to reopen, has a bunch of spots, so I took one as it's not immensely inconvenient, with the hopes something closer opens as the year goes on. If I could only find a spot that required a flight or night in a hotel, I'd have waited until April.
 
maruchan said:
I'm so confused. I actually can't find any seats still, anywhere. I'm not registered for the test.

Can I just take Bio/Physics in April 2021 since they said they're going to be offering remote exams then? What am I supposed to do? Legitimately confused and looking for guidance.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can absolutely wait until April.

I just personally didn't plan on dragging studying for these IRRELEVANT exams out through my entire PGY5 year and instead opted to try to Lewis&Clark my way through this messed up country to let the ABR know that I know what an Auger electron is.
 
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