Boards Part I Success...After First Year?

[drPheta]

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Nova Southeastern (after 2nd semester 1st year)
Meharry (after 2nd semester 1st year)
ASDOH (after 2nd semester 1st year)
VCU (after 2nd semester 1st year)
Colorado (after 2nd semester 1st year)
UIC (after 2nd semester 1st year)

Ok guys, in addition to the above schools (thanks for the Yah-E post on non-traditional board part I dates), how successful were your school/class/and yourself in taking the boards after your first year?

Did you lack any classes tested on the boards?
Did you think waiting till 2nd year would've been better?
Do you recommend the top of my class "test" the waters of summer post 1st year?

A classmate and I are trying to convince my school to allow a select few to take the boards this summer (after our first year). The one class we lack after this year is Systems Pathology. That's it. So, we are thinking that we can teach ourselves Systems Pathology and study for the Boards Part I this summer.

I need some convincing proof of this scenario to present to my dean. They said they're open to it, but they want some numbers and such. I'd also like to get more schools on this list, so that I can contact them directly and ask the admin what their thoughts on this are.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Pheta, I'd love to answer your question in depth, but none of us at ASDOH have taken the Boards yet so I can't comment. I'll get back to you in September when we get our scores back.

I will say that we aren't missing any classes, and we've had overkill on quite a few subjects.

For our curriculum waiting until 2nd year would have been detrimental. We're done with all science courses next week, so the extra year would have only been an extra year to forget things.

If it fits your curriculum, then I think taking the Boards after 1st year is an excellent option. And now, with the exam available on computer, people can really take it any day of the year.

 

[Jone]

Add UIC to the list.
NBDE1 taken after summer semester of 1st year.

Nova Southeastern (after 2nd semester 1st year)
Meharry (after 2nd semester 1st year)
ASDOH (after 2nd semester 1st year)
VCU (after 2nd semester 1st year)
Colorado (after 2nd semester 1st year)

Ok guys, in addition to the above schools (thanks for the Yah-E post on non-traditional board part I dates), how successful were your school/class/and yourself in taking the boards after your first year?

Did you lack any classes tested on the boards?
Did you think waiting till 2nd year would've been better?
Do you recommend the top of my class "test" the waters of summer post 1st year?

A classmate and I are trying to convince my school to allow a select few to take the boards this summer (after our first year). The one class we lack after this year is Systems Pathology. That's it. So, we are thinking that we can teach ourselves Systems Pathology and study for the Boards Part I this summer.

I need some convincing proof of this scenario to present to my dean. They said they're open to it, but they want some numbers and such. I'd also like to get more schools on this list, so that I can contact them directly and ask the admin what their thoughts on this are.

 

[drPheta]

Thanks, added.

 

[Yah-E]

We, Nova, did pretty well by taking the boards right after first year! 50 us took it early:

9 of us got at least a 90 or above
only 2 failed one section or more
as a group, our average was better than the class of 2005 who took it at the traditional time

To be honest though, I worst section was Dental Anatomy, got a 88 on it. I can see why I could've gotten a better score in that particular section if I would've taken the Part 1 after 2nd year! We had so much more exposure in dental lingual, dental vocabulary and occlusion topic during the 2nd year of dental school than first year alone. I feel that if I would've gotten a 90 in Dental Anatomy, my overall score would've gotten up another point or two, meaning a 91 or a 92 instead of only a 90!

Taking it early has its advantages and disadvantages just like everything else in life! My opinion, definitely more advantages than disadvantages!!! The 50 of us who took it last summer ARE SO GLAD that we don't have to deal with that this summer and the rest of our class (the other 50) have to!

I'm Andy, and I approve this message....

 

[drPheta]

Thanks Yah-E

Did you guys have to teach yourselves any class that would have been taught 2nd year? I read your posts in your study log again, but I couldn't find out the exact details. I hope I can use your posts to present to my administration.

Anyone else have experience with boards after 1st year? 2nd year test takers also chime in, and relate your feelings about the gap between material taught 1st year and examination 1 year later.

 

[Doggie]

I think the pros and cons of when to take part I depends on how your curriculum is. For my school, anatomy, dental anatomy, and biochemistry were all taught in 1st year........only microbiology/path was taught in 2nd year. Come the end of 2nd year, it's safe to say that we had forgotten a good chunk of what was taught in the 1st year. I kinda wished that we had the option of taking the Part I after 1st year. It would have been a lot easier to teach ourselves 1 new subject rather than re-teaching 3 old subjects.

But then again..........having learned those 3 subjects a 2nd time really solidified those concepts/factoids.

 

[drPheta]

Doggie, our cirriculum is essentially the same as yours then. We learn all the anatomy, biochem, histo, general path, immuno, etc. first year. The only thing we're missing is systems pathology, which is taught fall of 2nd year.

Yah-E, I was under the impression that your group took the exam after your 1st year, and you guys had not taken one course covered on the exam. What course did you have to teach yourselves, if there was one? I can't seem to recall exactly what that was.

Alright, seems like it'll be a matter of what the admin values more in terms of pros and cons of taking it after this semester.

Pros:
- Free up 2nd semester of 2nd year
- Bulk of the material is more current
- More time to study for the exam
- Nova's experimental average higher than traditional average.

Cons:
- Must learn Systems Pathology on our own

I'm seriously hoping to be allowed to take this exam this summer. I'd like to have an easier 2nd year than our upperclassmen have had.

 

[dientesfuertes]

I'm certainly not knocking the option of taking the boards early, but can someone explain to me why it is better than taking it after sophomore year? I don't really understand the advantages. DrPheta listed some pros, but I don't see how it frees up the end of the 2nd year or gives you more time to study by taking it early. And I would hate to have to learn a whole topic "on my own" just to take a test.
Maybe this is simply a variance among schedules from school to school that would make it better at one place than another?

 

[drPheta]

Well, the 2nd year curriculum consists of a lot more courses than 1st year. Also, our only real free time 2nd year would be spring break. By allowing us to take the exam this summer (summer after 1st year), we'd have 2 months to study/teach ourselves, as opposed to 1 week.

It also frees up time the end of 2nd year because we don't need to worry about boards at the same time we transition into clinic and take 2nd year courses. It's one less thing to worry about, and that one thing is a huge one at that.

It probably is the variance among schedules from school to school. Our second year is horrendous compared to 1st. This is one of the main reasons I want to get the boards over with this summer.

 

[drPheta]

It's a no go at Tufts, so we have to wait till February to take Part I. We won't get any path that's on the exam until 2nd year, and they don't want to trust us to teach ourselves the stuff. It creates groups, and breaks apart the "herd", as they like to keep the class doing as much of the same stuff as possible. This is despite the inevitable subjectivity we'll incur 3rd and 4th years, and despite the fact that we are adults who should be able to not be spoon fed. Lame.

Thanks for all of your input guys.

 

[adamlc18]

I know this thread has been dead for months, but I was wondering about all those who took the Boards this past summer after their first year. Was it worth it? We are currently deciding whether or not to take Boards after first year or second year? I think I want to specialize so I want to maximize my chances of getting a high score. Any input from you guys would be appreciated.

 

[DcS]

Adam speaking as a fellow UNC student who aslo plans to specialize, if I could have had the option I would have taken it earlier. I think you can do just as well if you take it 1st year compared to 2nd year. I think for me personally dental anatomy was a bit more intuitive having taken it 2nd year but otherwise I think you can learn the material just as well.

 

[kato999]

I think the benefits of taking it early outweigh the negatives.

The benefits: The material was a little fresher in my mind, I can now spend this summer doing a research fellowship or internship. I can focus soley on the clinical part of my education now. I will be able to make fun of all the 07's in other schools who are killing themselves this june 😎

Negatives: had to teach myself bit of material that our school negleted. our school's curriculum is designed for taking the boards a year early. However, since this is the first year, they weren't organized enough to present all the material we would need to know.

if i had the choice i would probably take it early as long as you have the time off necessary, but it totally depends on your schools curriculum.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I think the benefits of taking it early outweigh the negatives.

The benefits: The material was a little fresher in my mind, I can now spend this summer doing a research fellowship or internship. I can focus soley on the clinical part of my education now. I will be able to make fun of all the 07's in other schools who are killing themselves this june 😎

Negatives: had to teach myself bit of material that our school negleted. our school's curriculum is designed for taking the boards a year early. However, since this is the first year, they weren't organized enough to present all the material we would need to know.

if i had the choice i would probably take it early as long as you have the time off necessary, but it totally depends on your schools curriculum.

Yeah, I agree with what Kato said. I think the negatives were largely a part of our school and the curriculum being brand new, rather than simply us having only completed one year of school. For example, I don't know that our performance would have been much better (or any better) if we took the boards after 2nd year, simply because it would still be the first time the school had put students through whatever courses they would have had planned.