CASPer test

[bobby.j]

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Just wondering how many SDNers are going to be taking this test on May 19th?

 

[bdolan]

Anyone know of any good practice materials for the test? Either free or paid.

Thanks

 

[Mansamusa]

Take the free practice exam. You 150% do not need to do anything else to prepare. Maybe study some MMI questions if you haven't already

 

[doctorleospaceman]

All you need is a keyboard that you're comfortable with because you have very little time per question. Why are you taking it so early?

 

[21Rush12]

Pro Tip: Keep a cold beer on standby for when it craps out on you and you waste most of an afternoon wondering how your life came to this point.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[FootballFoot]

What is the CASPer? I looked it up, and it says it's some test that will be transmitted to schools.

Is this something we are supposed to do to apply? I am applying this year and have never heard of it. Is it an optional thing? Or did some schools ask you to do this??

 

[ChrisMack390]

What is the CASPer? I looked it up, and it says it's some test that will be transmitted to schools.

Is this something we are supposed to do to apply? I am applying this year and have never heard of it. Is it an optional thing? Or did some schools ask you to do this??

It's basically an MMO interview that you do at home on the internet. You type up quick responses to ethical questions. Some schools (maybe like 5 max) require this instead of or in addition to secondary questions.

 

[Marcion]

What is the CASPer? I looked it up, and it says it's some test that will be transmitted to schools.

Is this something we are supposed to do to apply? I am applying this year and have never heard of it. Is it an optional thing? Or did some schools ask you to do this??

It's the latest, shiniest new hoop the Powers That Be have devised for pre-meds to jump through. Because what this process really needs is yet another time and money sink!

I expect this test, or something like it, will be standard everywhere in a few years. They get so many quality applicants these days that they've run out of really good reasons to reject people, so they're now in the process of inventing brand-new disqualifiers. I can't imagine what this process is going to be like in 10 or 20 years.

 

[Wonder Namow]

All you need is a keyboard that you're comfortable with because you have very little time per question. Why are you taking it so early?

Are you sure? From what I hear, applicants in Canada spend a lot of time studying for this test in the same way premeds study for the MCAT.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Are you sure? From what I hear, applicants in Canada spend a lot of time studying for this test in the same way premeds study for the MCAT.

I'm positive. You can't really study for it and classes are a waste of time.

 

[Wonder Namow]

I'm positive. You can't really study for it and classes are a waste of time.

ok but do you have any proof that you can't study for it and that classes are a waste of time?

 

[Mansamusa]

ok but do you have any proof that you can't study for it and that classes are a waste of time?

Do you have any proof that they help?

You can choose to pay for study materials rather than just reading MMI questions and then using common sense if you so desire. Do some practice MMI questions then take the free practice CASper and if you find it difficult in a way that you can study for, pay for some study materials.

It is all stuff that you ~should~ be able to answer on your own. For example, if someone with tattoos comes into the clinic, how do you treat them differently than an non-tattooed middle-aged patient? Do you add additional questions about drugs to the tattooed patient?.....the answer is obviously that you do nothing differently because that would be discrimination. Pressing the tattooed person on drugs would make them uncomfortable. All doctors should ask a comprehensive set of questions to ALL patients so that they aren't being discriminatory and aren't missing non-stereotypical druggies. (This is a practice mmi scenario)

Now if it's a situation with two sides, you present both sides.

Stuff like that. It's not stuff you need to learn about in a book. It is just common sense.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

ok but do you have any proof that you can't study for it and that classes are a waste of time?

Like @Mansamusa said, you can't really practice or study to improve common sense. Most of the scenarios are pretty black and white assuming you understand basic ethics and human decency.

 

[Wonder Namow]

Like @Mansamusa said, you can't really practice or study to improve common sense. Most of the scenarios are pretty black and white assuming you understand basic ethics and human decency.

I think you're minimizing the difficulty of the test by saying that all it involves is common sense. This is a new test for US medical schools so naturally there is going to be a lot of misinformation being thrown around. Maybe I'm an optimist but I tend to believe that most premeds are smart and have a lot of common sense so clearly there's more to doing well on CASPer than just having common sense. In Canada where the test has been used for many years, it's worth as much as 35% of your pre-interview score. Also, the practice scenarios I have done are not all black and white and my friends who applied last year, did the test and didn't get in, all came back and told me that the 5 min limit is very tight combined with the videos and questions, many of which were not str8 forward.

The fact is many US applicants do not really know how to approach this new test YET so I'm hoping that for those of us that are preparing, this will work out to our advantage. Best of luck to all those applying.

 

[Wonder Namow]

Do you have any proof that they help?

You can choose to pay for study materials rather than just reading MMI questions and then using common sense if you so desire. Do some practice MMI questions then take the free practice CASper and if you find it difficult in a way that you can study for, pay for some study materials.

It is all stuff that you ~should~ be able to answer on your own. For example, if someone with tattoos comes into the clinic, how do you treat them differently than an non-tattooed middle-aged patient? Do you add additional questions about drugs to the tattooed patient?.....the answer is obviously that you do nothing differently because that would be discrimination. Pressing the tattooed person on drugs would make them uncomfortable. All doctors should ask a comprehensive set of questions to ALL patients so that they aren't being discriminatory and aren't missing non-stereotypical druggies. (This is a practice mmi scenario)

Now if it's a situation with two sides, you present both sides.

Stuff like that. It's not stuff you need to learn about in a book. It is just common sense.

Yes, CASPer is an SJT and there's lots of research on SJTs and the research shows that especially behavioral SJTs (which CASPer) benefit from advanced preparation. See the following:

Whetzel, D. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2009). Situational judgment tests: An overview of current research. Human Resource Management Review, 19, 188-202.

Nguyen, N. T., Biderman, M. D., & McDaniel, M. A. (2005). Effects of response instructions on faking a situational judgment test. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 13, 250-260.

Cullen, M.J., Sackett, P.R., & Lievens, F. (2006). Threats to the operational use of situational judgment tests in the college admission process. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 14, 142-55.

Ebo K. A Osam (2014) The Adaptation of a Situational Judgement Test to Measure Leadership Knowledge in the Workplace, Western Kentucky University

Honestly, that practice example MMI scenario you gave is a lot easier than the practice CASPer questions I've been doing. My friend said their scenarios on their actual CASPer test last year were A LOT more complicated. There were a few involving sports teams where it was not EASY to make a decision, as well as personal behavioral questions that really threw them off guard. I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me!

 

[Big&Juicy]

Be able to type incredibly fast.

 

[Wonder Namow]

Be able to type incredibly fast.

definitely agree! Am I the only one that finds this test difficult?

 

[wizzed101]

The Canucks strike again!

Is there a list of schools that use this so I can avoid them?

 

[Big&Juicy]

definitely agree! Am I the only one that finds this test difficult?

It was a nightmare. Decided it was better to have complete answers vs. elaborate ones so I only had answered each question with a couple sentences

The Canucks strike again! Is there a list of schools that use this so I can avoid them?

NYMC and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson use them.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

The test interface looks straight from the 90s and their servers crashed multiple times last year when NYMC used it. Majority of the questions are black and white if you think about it. There are good SJTs, but CASPer is not one of them. Its just a words per minute test that costs ?$10 but doesnt actually give you the results.