Heard pathology has extremely difficult boards to pass...some very smart people i've run across have fessed up to not being able to do it...heard radiology is inherently tough too in addition to having three separate exams to sit for...any thoughts/comments/experiences.
Hardest Specialty Boards
- Thread starter m32b
- Start date
Smurfette
Gargamel always had a thing for blondes.
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
20+ Year Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2001
- Messages
- 5,035
- Reaction score
- 4,584
I've heard that OB oral boards are particularly brutal....and that they often take you through scenarios so extreme you'd never be able to find them in literature.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2004
- Messages
- 462
- Reaction score
- 5
bababuey said:
Nobody can answer this for you, since nobody takes all the boards to be able to make a comparison. Yes, radiology is very tough. It's three exams, one physics, one clinical written, and a clinical oral exam. Plus, it covers diseases of all all organs from head to toe and they even ask you management questions which don't necessary fall into the traditional domain of what radiologists do.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2004
- Messages
- 462
- Reaction score
- 5
m32b said:
Nobody can answer this for you, since nobody takes all the boards to be able to make a comparison. Yes, radiology is very tough. It's three exams, one physics, one clinical written, and a clinical oral exam. Plus, it covers diseases of all organs from head to toe and they even ask you management questions which don't necessary fall into the traditional domain of what radiologists do. A couple of people that I know that are double-boarded in radiology and some other field (mostly IM, but one in neurology, and one in peds) have told me radiology was much harder for them.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2002
- Messages
- 362
- Reaction score
- 4
Pathology is notoriously difficult. Everything head to toe, every organ, every disease, etc.
But I think that all boards will be difficult... so who really cares.
But I think that all boards will be difficult... so who really cares.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 71
- Reaction score
- 0
Docxter said:
Docxter... im just repeating what i have heard from several radiologists... No need to discredit what i say.
Docxter said:
Apparently you have the heard the same things i have heard...
- Joined
- May 7, 2004
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 0
Family practice not bad, just one set, written.
Agree that path would be very tough, but able to sidestep orals, and only one test. Urologist friends quiver in their oral bds, defending their selected patient cases (they've seen in first yr) in front of a panel of gods who've written their specialty's textbooks. Perhaps other surgical subspecialty bds are similiar.
I have a friend who is fellowship trained Pathologist now doing rad residency, taking final bds next yr. We'll see what they think.
Agree that path would be very tough, but able to sidestep orals, and only one test. Urologist friends quiver in their oral bds, defending their selected patient cases (they've seen in first yr) in front of a panel of gods who've written their specialty's textbooks. Perhaps other surgical subspecialty bds are similiar.
I have a friend who is fellowship trained Pathologist now doing rad residency, taking final bds next yr. We'll see what they think.
- Joined
- May 30, 2002
- Messages
- 449
- Reaction score
- 4
General Surgery has written and oral boards. Haven't taken them yet, but have taken a few inservice exams (intended to be sort of practice for the boards and given each year) - and they are definitely challenging.
You will have to read and study during residency no matter what you do, but it is certainly encouraged and emphasized in most surgical residencies. I have friends in radiology, dermatology, and the surgical specialties who all say the same - lots of emphasis on the inservice exams and academic conferences. Surprisingly the people I know in internal medicine and peds seem to read less and have less emphasis on the inservice exam performance - but this may be biased by the people I happen to be talking to.
You will have to read and study during residency no matter what you do, but it is certainly encouraged and emphasized in most surgical residencies. I have friends in radiology, dermatology, and the surgical specialties who all say the same - lots of emphasis on the inservice exams and academic conferences. Surprisingly the people I know in internal medicine and peds seem to read less and have less emphasis on the inservice exam performance - but this may be biased by the people I happen to be talking to.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2002
- Messages
- 768
- Reaction score
- 4
I would imagine that the toughest specialty boards would be the ones in which you are not trained for.
I doubt I could pass the surgery, IM, or Path boards.
Judging from my inservice exam scores, I'm sure I could pass the EM boards.
I doubt I could pass the surgery, IM, or Path boards.
Judging from my inservice exam scores, I'm sure I could pass the EM boards.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2003
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 1
I was just chatting with a glaucoma fellow who took his ophtho boards last weekend. He told me that about 1/3 of people fail them on the first try.
It was interesting to discuss the various approaches to board preparation in different programs (e.g., ophtho vs. rads). I know that many rads programs specifically prepare residents for their board exams. He told me that there usually is no such specific preparation in ophtho. He found it difficult to find appropriate material to even study from.
It was interesting to discuss the various approaches to board preparation in different programs (e.g., ophtho vs. rads). I know that many rads programs specifically prepare residents for their board exams. He told me that there usually is no such specific preparation in ophtho. He found it difficult to find appropriate material to even study from.
- Joined
- May 8, 2004
- Messages
- 322
- Reaction score
- 1
Psych boards have historically had a notoriously low pass rate (sort of in the less than 60% range. This is by hearsay, because I think that they keep it very "close to the vest", sort of like a "secret" that nobody wants to talk about or is even supposed to talk about!). I know, one could argue maybe that the overall quality of the total applicant pool may be in question; others also say the orals are really weirdly subjective. OTOH, I know several great and very competent attendings who are not boarded. No one talks about it in Psych. It's almost like an embarassing "family secret".
Personally, since I've always been a big fan of transparency, I've always wondered why, in general, the boards seem to have been historically hesitant to disclose their pass/fail rates. What are they afraid might happen? I'm not sure if this pertains to all the specialty boards or just to some of them.
Whenever one talks with docs from many specialties, not just Psych., who are currently preparing for the boards or have just recently taken them...you get these disquieting sighs and a lot of comments comparing the board exams to some sort of hazing! (Especially the ones with an Oral component.)
I think it's sort of an almost obsolete/quaint traditionalism which seems a bit out of synch with this era in which real-life physicians in practice are otherwise regulated to death. Nowadays, realistically, to get into any type of post-residency credentialling, either on a hospital staff, or on insurance panels, most require one to be board certified anyway, or at least to be certified within a specific time-frame, like 2 or 3 years after completing your residency training. So I guess, also in real-life, most docs do get to take and pass their boards sooner or later. It's still an obviously anxiety provoking "rite of passage".
Personally, since I've always been a big fan of transparency, I've always wondered why, in general, the boards seem to have been historically hesitant to disclose their pass/fail rates. What are they afraid might happen? I'm not sure if this pertains to all the specialty boards or just to some of them.
Whenever one talks with docs from many specialties, not just Psych., who are currently preparing for the boards or have just recently taken them...you get these disquieting sighs and a lot of comments comparing the board exams to some sort of hazing! (Especially the ones with an Oral component.)
I think it's sort of an almost obsolete/quaint traditionalism which seems a bit out of synch with this era in which real-life physicians in practice are otherwise regulated to death. Nowadays, realistically, to get into any type of post-residency credentialling, either on a hospital staff, or on insurance panels, most require one to be board certified anyway, or at least to be certified within a specific time-frame, like 2 or 3 years after completing your residency training. So I guess, also in real-life, most docs do get to take and pass their boards sooner or later. It's still an obviously anxiety provoking "rite of passage".
- Joined
- May 20, 2001
- Messages
- 387
- Reaction score
- 1
psych md you are correct about the board exam being out of synch.. it is sort of like hazing... Im studying for my anesthesia orals this fall and its almost like getting into the club. extremely subjective and people fail this exam in a true sense. and it is extremely anxiety provoking more so if you fail the first time.. It is a stupid system being that im practicing already.. I spoke to the guy at the board.. manager of exam services.. he said the board exam is there to protect the public. His statement is obviously flawed because if that were the case I wouldnt be practicing now.. It would be given and have to be passed before i finished residency. But thast the way it is in medicine the older guys need to feel superior so thats their last bastion. I predict that orals will go away and the written portion will remain. Its too subjective. the anesthesia orals repeat exam is 1700 dollars.. not to mention review courses not to mention the flight to california and not to mention the hotel stay at one of the most expensive areas in the country sanfrancisco.. MOre bull**** to look forward to for the younger people...
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2004
- Messages
- 7,132
- Reaction score
- 1,255
DrBloodmoney said:
Information wise the combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology boards are the hardest from the stuff Ive heard. In addition, pass wise some Path subspecialities are hitting near 50% fail rates now.
