Boards over...

[Doc Samson]

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So, finally took the written boards yesterday (hence my protracted absence from SDN). Here's my thoughts 24 hours later... I'm sure my perspective might change with time.

-It's a LONG test. Two 3 1/2 hour sections seperated by a 1 hour break. I Know the MCAT and and USMLEs are longer overall, but those uninterrupted 3 1/2 sections are a killer (maybe I'm just getting old).

-The Neurology was not bad at all. Lot's of what you'd expect to see. More straight-up neuroanatomy than I was expecting (but I like neuroanatomy, so that's a plus for me). Typical clinical stuff you'd expect to be asked: stroke, seizure (lots), MG, neuropathy, MS, Huntington's (lots), and so on.

-The Psychiatry was astonishingly obscure. Sure, there was a fair amount of typical clinical stuff (med side effects, drug choices in pregnancy, delirium vs dementia, etc), but there was just as much random epidemiology and psychometrics. "What scale on the MMPI... ?" and "What subtest of the Halstead-Reitan Battery... ?" Huh? Unfortunately for me "I leave the psych testing to my psychology colleagues and trust them to pick the right tests" was not an answer.

I was asked a while ago to comment on how the boards compared to the PRITE. The Neurology on the PRITE is about right, but the Psychiatry is actually much too easy (I reviewed the past 5 years worth of PRITEs prior to the boards).

In terms of what to study, I would recommend the following:

Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists by David Myland Kaufman - can't recommend this highly enough. Read this, and you'll do fine on Neurology

Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Update & Board Preparation, Second Edition by Theodore A. Stern and John B. Herman - again, covers all of the information. All of the answers were in this book, but when I was studying, I skimmed some of it saying "Nah, they'll never ask anything this obscure" - but they did

Fundamental Neuroanatomy by Walle Nauta and Michael Feirtag - out of print (but available 2nd hand on ebay for cheap). If you have any extra time, this is very readable, and will stand you in good stead for the basic neuroanatomy stuff

 

[maranatha]

So, finally took the written boards yesterday (hence my protracted absence from SDN). Here's my thoughts 24 hours later... I'm sure my perspective might change with time.

-It's a LONG test. Two 3 1/2 hour sections seperated by a 1 hour break. I Know the MCAT and and USMLEs are longer overall, but those uninterrupted 3 1/2 sections are a killer (maybe I'm just getting old).

-The Neurology was not bad at all. Lot's of what you'd expect to see. More straight-up neuroanatomy than I was expecting (but I like neuroanatomy, so that's a plus for me). Typical clinical stuff you'd expect to be asked: stroke, seizure (lots), MG, neuropathy, MS, Huntington's (lots), and so on.

-The Psychiatry was astonishingly obscure. Sure, there was a fair amount of typical clinical stuff (med side effects, drug choices in pregnancy, delirium vs dementia, etc), but there was just as much random epidemiology and psychometrics. "What scale on the MMPI... ?" and "What subtest of the Halstead-Reitan Battery... ?" Huh? Unfortunately for me "I leave the psych testing to my psychology colleagues and trust them to pick the right tests" was not an answer.

I was asked a while ago to comment on how the boards compared to the PRITE. The Neurology on the PRITE is about right, but the Psychiatry is actually much too easy (I reviewed the past 5 years worth of PRITEs prior to the boards).

In terms of what to study, I would recommend the following:

Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists by David Myland Kaufman - can't recommend this highly enough. Read this, and you'll do fine on Neurology

Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Update & Board Preparation, Second Edition by Theodore A. Stern and John B. Herman - again, covers all of the information. All of the answers were in this book, but when I was studying, I skimmed some of it saying "Nah, they'll never ask anything this obscure" - but they did

Fundamental Neuroanatomy by Walle Nauta and Michael Feirtag - out of print (but available 2nd hand on ebay for cheap). If you have any extra time, this is very readable, and will stand you in good stead for the basic neuroanatomy stuff

First, congrats on finishing your test!!!!

Question for you: How important is the quality of a residency in preparing for that exam??? I know I've been told to ask about the pass rate during my up coming interviews; however, it would seem that just because a program doesn't have a 100% pass rate, that may reflect the quality of the resident's study habits and not necessarily the quality of the teaching. Is that wrong?

Thank you!

 

[Doc Samson]

I think the correlation is probably more to do with what the residency expects you to know. A residency that just wants you writing script after script for an SSRI isn't going to care too much about you knowing "boards-type" stuff. A more rigorous environment, where you're seeing lots of complicated cases is obviously going to be better preparation for the boards. There were a fair number of questions about psychotherapy theory (dynamic/analytic, CBT, DBT, family, and couple's) all of which are much easier to learn in practice than by just reading about them. In fact, with most of the psychiatry questions that I did think I knew the answer to, I was relying much more heavily on my experiential learning in residency than on my studying of minutiae prior to the exam.

 

[Atilla]

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts about the boards exams.
There is one thing I do want to clarify- when you said that Psychiatry was way easy did you mean Psychaitry was easier on the PRITE?

 

[whopper]

I think that's what he meant.

If that's the case, that's not easy. So many questions on the PRITE are clinically useless.

Thanks for the heads up Doc. I have heard that its really not the written part that you got to worry about, its really the oral boards.

 

[Doc Samson]

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts about the boards exams.
There is one thing I do want to clarify- when you said that Psychiatry was way easy did you mean Psychaitry was easier on the PRITE?

That's what I meant

 

[prominence]

So, finally took the written boards yesterday (hence my protracted absence from SDN). Here's my thoughts 24 hours later... I'm sure my perspective might change with time.

-It's a LONG test. Two 3 1/2 hour sections seperated by a 1 hour break. I Know the MCAT and and USMLEs are longer overall, but those uninterrupted 3 1/2 sections are a killer (maybe I'm just getting old).

Does anyone how many total questions are on the Part I written psychiatry board exam?

Also can anyone estimate the approximate ratio of psychiatry to neurology questions for this exam?

thanks in advance!

 

[masterofmonkeys]

I think that's what he meant.

If that's the case, that's not easy. So many questions on the PRITE are clinically useless.

Thanks for the heads up Doc. I have heard that its really not the written part that you got to worry about, its really the oral boards.

Orals don't exist anymore though, right? Or will they be phased out after a bit?

 

[michaelrack]

Orals don't exist anymore though, right? Or will they be phased out after a bit?

They're being phased out over the next decade. Most current psych residents except, I believe, current interns, will still have to take them.

 

[masterofmonkeys]

They're being phased out over the next decade. Most current psych residents except, I believe, current interns, will still have to take them.

i.e. the masterofmonkeys will be exempt? Because that's really all that matters.

Thanks for the info.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

i.e. the masterofmonkeys will be exempt? Because that's really all that matters.

Thanks for the info.

We could arrange a special one, just for you, if you like.

 

[MDhasbeen]

Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Update & Board Preparation, Second Edition by Theodore A. Stern and John B. Herman - again, covers all of the information. All of the answers were in this book, but when I was studying, I skimmed some of it saying "Nah, they'll never ask anything this obscure" - but they did

why is this book no longer in print??? 😡

 

[Faebinder]

For the second time in my life I am happy to declare that I am a current intern!!!

 

[OldPsychDoc]

For the second time in my life I am happy to declare that I am a current intern!!!

I think we need to have a special SDN edition of the oral boards--with Sazi, Doc Samson, and myself as examiners--for these unfortunates who will never be able to experience the supreme sense of accomplishment that comes from completing this exam without soiling oneself.

 

[Faebinder]

I think we need to have a special SDN edition of the oral boards--with Sazi, Doc Samson, and myself as examiners--for these unfortunates who will never be able to experience the supreme sense of accomplishment that comes from completing this exam without soiling oneself.

Can I just take the 5 mg PO haldol please? 😀

 

[Doc Samson]

I think we need to have a special SDN edition of the oral boards--with Sazi, Doc Samson, and myself as examiners--for these unfortunates who will never be able to experience the supreme sense of accomplishment that comes from completing this exam without soiling oneself.

Oooh! Can I be the impenetrably flat analytic type examiner? The one I had even wore a cravatte.

 

[Doc Samson]

why is this book no longer in print??? 😡

Perhaps they're readying the 3rd edition? Looks like used copies are going for >$200 on Amazon.

 

[PsychedUp]

Oooh! Can I be the impenetrably flat analytic type examiner? The one I had even wore a cravatte.

A cravatte? Are you serious? This had to be an attending from one of the coasts...no way it could be pulled off here in the midwest. Did he (I'm assuming a male examiner) pull it off?

 

[prominence]

why is this book no longer in print??? 😡

anyone know the answer to this?

 

[prominence]

Does anyone how many total questions are on the Part I written psychiatry board exam?

Also can anyone estimate the approximate ratio of psychiatry to neurology questions for this exam?

thanks in advance!

bump

 

[Doc Samson]

A cravatte? Are you serious? This had to be an attending from one of the coasts...no way it could be pulled off here in the midwest. Did he (I'm assuming a male examiner) pull it off?

He did pull it off. My boards were in NYC, but no telling where the examiners are from.

 

[Doc Samson]

Does anyone how many total questions are on the Part I written psychiatry board exam?

Also can anyone estimate the approximate ratio of psychiatry to neurology questions for this exam?

thanks in advance!

Per the ABPN website, for 2009 there will be 253 psychiatry questions and 167 neurology questions.

http://www.abpn.com/downloads/content_outlines/Initial Cert/content_PartI_Psych_AandB_09.pdf

 

[luft]

They're being phased out over the next decade. Most current psych residents except, I believe, current interns, will still have to take them.

AND THE SECOND YEARS! US TOO! WE'RE THE FIRST ONES THAT DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT!!!!! unless that was all a vicious lie...

 

[OldPsychDoc]

AND THE SECOND YEARS! US TOO! WE'RE THE FIRST ONES THAT DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT!!!!! unless that was all a vicious lie...

Note to self: pimp PGY2s especially hard this year, too.

 

[Verbigeration]

I know what I'm thankful for this thanksgiving...except that I'm in the ER reading SDN vs. being a tryptophan laden post-turkey binged coma

 

[masterofmonkeys]

40% neuro? That seems like overkill. I thought it was 20% in previous years...

 

[Doc Samson]

40% neuro? That seems like overkill. I thought it was 20% in previous years...

Don't worry about it - as I mentioned in the OP, the neuro was much easier than the psychiatry.

 

[notdeadyet]

He did pull it off. My boards were in NYC, but no telling where the examiners are from.

Can someone clue me in to what a "cravatte" is? Google seems to want to tell me it's just French for tie.

Pardon my ignorance. I have a hunch that whatever it is, it's not the sort of thing you'd wear in my neighborhood growing up.

 

[Doc Samson]

Can someone clue me in to what a "cravatte" is? Google seems to want to tell me it's just French for tie.

Pardon my ignorance. I have a hunch that whatever it is, it's not the sort of thing you'd wear in my neighborhood growing up.

See the bottom left picture:

http://www.andrewsties.gr/en/accessories-en.htm

The broken english on this page is pretty funny too.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Can someone clue me in to what a "cravatte" is? Google seems to want to tell me it's just French for tie.

Pardon my ignorance. I have a hunch that whatever it is, it's not the sort of thing you'd wear in my neighborhood growing up.

Not unless you wanted to get beaten up every day after school!

 

[masterofmonkeys]

Don't worry about it - as I mentioned in the OP, the neuro was much easier than the psychiatry.

Not worried in the least. I take to neuro like a fish to water. Been a neuro 'patient' for 11 years (can you really be called a patient if they can't actually treat you???). And majored in it.

Just surprised by the emphasis. They might as well let us double board with that much neuro.

 

[MDhasbeen]

How important are the editions of the neuro texts for boards review? I have a 2001 edition of Kaufman which I plan on reading for Part 1. Will that be lacking compared to the newer 2006 edition? I keep thinking that the neuro we need to know for the boards won't have to be as cutting edge and thus I could get away with the older version; but I obviously haven't taken the boards yet to know for sure. I'd really rather not shell out another hundred dollars I don't have for another text. Thoughts?

 

[sunlioness]

Oral boards this weekend in Boston . . .

Be there, or be somewhere else having more fun than me. 🙂

 

[Regnvejr]

Good luck all.

 

[Solideliquid]

I think that's what he meant.

If that's the case, that's not easy. So many questions on the PRITE are clinically useless.

Thanks for the heads up Doc. I have heard that its really not the written part that you got to worry about, its really the oral boards.

I'm sorry to bump this question again, maybe I'm just tired but are you actually saying that the psychiatry questions on the PRITE are easier than the questions found on the board? As in, if one isn't scoring high on the PRITE, one isn't going to be passing the boards?

 

[Regnvejr]

Back in residency, we were told that typically, 60% on PRITE was iffy and 65% generally meant a pass on the boards.

 

[Anasazi23]

I'm sorry to bump this question again, maybe I'm just tired but are you actually saying that the psychiatry questions on the PRITE are easier than the questions found on the board? As in, if one isn't scoring high on the PRITE, one isn't going to be passing the boards?

I found the questions on the boards to be much clearer and straight-forward than the PRITE. I found the PRITE questions to be obscure, more focused on irrelevant minutiae, and more therapy (name dropping) focused than on the actual boards.