ATLS failure

[atlsfailure]

as my user name implies, I failed the written ATLS portion during residency orientation (practical went fine as did ACLS/BLS/PALS) and I have to re take the written test. I think I got confused with what the instructors were saying (as in they were talking about what they do in real life, although ATLS is taught world wide in places with various medical capacities). They seemed to teach differently than what was in the book.

Anyway, any suggestions of what to do for next time? I did read the book 2-3 times before the course and did fine on the pre test.

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[Arcan57]

as my user name implies, I failed the written ATLS portion during residency orientation (practical went fine as did ACLS/BLS/PALS) and I have to re take the written test. I think I got confused with what the instructors were saying (as in they were talking about what they do in real life, although ATLS is taught world wide in places with various medical capacities). They seemed to teach differently than what was in the book.

Anyway, any suggestions of what to do for next time? I did read the book 2-3 times before the course and did fine on the pre test.

???

 

[Akail]

as my user name implies, I failed the written ATLS portion during residency orientation (practical went fine as did ACLS/BLS/PALS) and I have to re take the written test. I think I got confused with what the instructors were saying (as in they were talking about what they do in real life, although ATLS is taught world wide in places with various medical capacities). They seemed to teach differently than what was in the book.

Anyway, any suggestions of what to do for next time? I did read the book 2-3 times before the course and did fine on the pre test.

 

[Doctor Bob]

as my user name implies, I failed the written ATLS portion during residency orientation (practical went fine as did ACLS/BLS/PALS) and I have to re take the written test. I think I got confused with what the instructors were saying (as in they were talking about what they do in real life, although ATLS is taught world wide in places with various medical capacities). They seemed to teach differently than what was in the book.

Anyway, any suggestions of what to do for next time? I did read the book 2-3 times before the course and did fine on the pre test.

I would recommend doing better on the test. The best way to do that is to get more questions right than you did last time. You can also try to get less questions wrong and you might find your score improves with that as well.

 

[survivordo]

I think some of the instructors for these courses are a little too informal. They often give many "real world" examples that conflict with what the book says. This than leaves the student trying to figure out what the REAL answer is on the test. When taking the course again try to really differentiate and stick with what the book says.

Survivor DO

 

[WilcoWorld]

Your instructors are trying to say that in real life, trauma care is more nuanced than ATLS protocols.

The ATLS test doesn't want you to be nuanced. Think ABCDE. I repeat, ABCDE. It's always ABCDE.

Unless B is a tension pneumothorax, then it's BACDE.

...aaand unless C is witnessed V tach, then it's CABDE. But that wont be on your ATLS test, it'll be on your (post-2009) ACLS test.

See? EM is totally cookie-cutter, except for the exceptions.

 

[BJJVP]

I've been through ATLS at least several times. From what they tell me, this latest edition of tests had an usually high failure rate on the written test, implying a poorly written or invalid test. I have heard that the ACS has allowed for alternative answers at the testing center's discretion because so many questions were felt to be vague or had several possible correct answers. My understanding is that they plan to rewrite the test ASAP. I hope this makes you feel better.

 

[Apollyon]

I would recommend doing better on the test. The best way to do that is to get more questions right than you did last time. You can also try to get less questions wrong and you might find your score improves with that as well.

I got a laugh out of this as it is a "Microsoft answer" - completely correct, yet also essentially (if not completely) useless.

 

[Groove]

I took the refresher this year and it is indeed abnormally difficult. Supposedly there was a 52% fail rate at my particular testing center. I barely passed and I can think of 3 questions that were simply flat out wrong and several that were very poorly worded. The trauma chair that gave the test agreed about the Q/A and told me that the Jan - June test was terrible this year and that there was many complaints to ACS forcing a rewrite which was supposed to be sent out for July takers according to him.

 

[Doctor Bob]

completely correct, yet also essentially (if not completely) useless.

Yea, that's pretty much what I was going for

 

[atlsfailure]

Thanks for the feedback. Should I wait until after July to take the re -test? The center also mentioned how the 9th edition exam since January has had a lot of issues. I was not the only person in this re test group.

Does anyone know the process of talking to the course director to re- evaluate the questions?

 

[atlsfailure]

I took the refresher this year and it is indeed abnormally difficult. Supposedly there was a 52% fail rate at my particular testing center. I barely passed and I can think of 3 questions that were simply flat out wrong and several that were very poorly worded. The trauma chair that gave the test agreed about the Q/A and told me that the Jan - June test was terrible this year and that there was many complaints to ACS forcing a rewrite which was supposed to be sent out for July takers according to him.

Hi Groove, thanks for the input. Over 50% failure seems concerning. Are they going to do anything about it?

 

[atlsfailure]

I've been through ATLS at least several times. From what they tell me, this latest edition of tests had an usually high failure rate on the written test, implying a poorly written or invalid test. I have heard that the ACS has allowed for alternative answers at the testing center's discretion because so many questions were felt to be vague or had several possible correct answers. My understanding is that they plan to rewrite the test ASAP. I hope this makes you feel better.

Hi thanks for the input. It just seems so dis heartning after all these years of school, to not pass a multiple choice exam...

 

[Hamhock]

ATLS is a failure (for EM grads)

 

[24IdaFire]

At my program you take ATLS as a second year. All of our second years failed the test.

 

[atlsfailure]

ATLS is a failure (for EM grads)

Hi are you referring to how the course is different from the way EM thinks?

 

[atlsfailure]

At my program you take ACLS as a second year. All of our second years failed the test.

ACLS was not an issue for me (nor was PALS). We are incoming interns who had to take ATLS. Did they just make the residents re take the test?

 

[24IdaFire]

ACLS was not an issue for me (nor was PALS). We are incoming interns who had to take ATLS. Did they just make the residents re take the test?

Typo, ATLS.

 

[EM2BE]

The other difficult thing about ATLS (ACLS and BLS and PALS), is that on paper, there is a correct order. In life, that order still exists, but almost simultaneously. I remember even from when I took it, one question got me - asked which comes first - thoracotomy or intubation? Answer was thoracotomy, but they accepted intubation after realizing everyone chose it for the A first. (ABCDE)

 

[sylvanthus]

Just finished ATLS and concur that there were terrible exam questions. I passed, but at least a few had to redo the written. Can also confirm that they are making new exam questions.

 

[andwhat]

as my user name implies, I failed the written ATLS portion during residency orientation (practical went fine as did ACLS/BLS/PALS) and I have to re take the written test. I think I got confused with what the instructors were saying (as in they were talking about what they do in real life, although ATLS is taught world wide in places with various medical capacities). They seemed to teach differently than what was in the book.

Anyway, any suggestions of what to do for next time? I did read the book 2-3 times before the course and did fine on the pre test.[/QUOTE

 

[RustedFox]

Inexplicable necromancy.

 

[BoardingDoc]

Inexplicable necromancy.

@andwhat hasn't posted since 2013. Maybe they just wanted to pick up where they left off.

 

[atls]

I went to Scribd & downloaded practice tests - some questionns are identical to the real posttests. Helps you understand whAt they are looking for.

 

[Jlaw]

You went to a testing center? I took it the first week of internship but basically if you fail you would review the test with one of the instructors and retake it, and retake it, and retake it, until you passed. Basically you didn't leave the last class until you passed. ATLS/ACLS/PALS are great for other specialties who need to have a basic knowledge of how to deal with a few possible emergencies, but a waste of time for us.