How would you deal with this board situation???

[IOD]

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[Eyedoc1999]

As we all can atest to the current part 1 of the NBEO is absolutely ridicuous and completely irrelvant to our clinical practicing and knowledge. This past December's national pass rate was a measely 24% How can that be?!?! So believe me, I was extremely elated when the NBEO announced that they were going to be abolishing the current part 1 (ding, dong...the witch is dead!).

Now, I have to be honest I have had to take part 1 multiple times and unfortunately still have not passed it. But I have graduated from a 4-yr optometry program here in the US, received "honors" in 3 out of 4 clinical rotations, and passed parts 2 & 3 of the NBEO.

It's possible that your success rate with part I is coloring your perceptions a bit. I think that a broad understanding of systemic diseases and pharmacology as well as advanced optics is important to clinical practice. Especially when you are going to be rx'ing meds to folks. I hated part I and I passed it the first time, so I have no love for this test in and of itself.

That having been said, the last thing we need to do as we try to elevate ourselves in the medical community and broaden legislation is to take the largest evaulation of general medical knowledge out of the equation. No offense, but I have to wonder about the competency of someone seeing actual real live patients that doesn't have the knowledge base to pass part I. Part II and III are considerably easier by comparison because they cover a more limited area of knowledge.

As far as it will be handled, I would contact the state board where you plan to practice and see what their requirements will be and the NBEO to find out their creditialing protocols.

 

[EyeBaller]

From what I understand is that the NBEO is going to get rid of the current part 1. Then make the current part 2 the new part 1, PAM will be expanded and made the new part 2, and the practical by itself will be part 3.

I don't think this is completely true. They're not just going to remove the Part 1 material completely. The idea of the new boards is to make it more clinically relevant. So the questions will include material from part 1 but with a bias towards clinical thinking and importance of that information.

I would expect the state board would make you repeat ALL sections under the new style of boards if you don't pass part 1 the next 2 times it is offered. That would be the only fair way to do it. (i.e. you have to pass a complete set of boards be it the old ones or the new ones, not mix and match)

To be honest, the best thing for you to do would be to study hard and pass the August session.

Good luck!

 

[KHE]

As we all can atest to the current part 1 of the NBEO is absolutely ridicuous and completely irrelvant to our clinical practicing and knowledge. This past December's national pass rate was a measely 24% How can that be?!?! So believe me, I was extremely elated when the NBEO announced that they were going to be abolishing the current part 1 (ding, dong...the witch is dead!).

Now, I have to be honest I have had to take part 1 multiple times and unfortunately still have not passed it. But I have graduated from a 4-yr optometry program here in the US, received "honors" in 3 out of 4 clinical rotations, and passed parts 2 & 3 of the NBEO.

From what I understand is that the NBEO is going to get rid of the current part 1. Then make the current part 2 the new part 1, PAM will be expanded and made the new part 2, and the practical by itself will be part 3.

Now, has anyone heard what the NBEO is going to do for optometrists who have completed the current parts 2 & 3, but not the current part 1? The fact is I will have completed all of the new requiremnts starting in 2009.

Is anyone else in the same situation? What would you do with 2 more attempts at part 1 this Aug. & Dec.(although not with a lot of confidence, especially with pass rates of 24%)? Do you think the NBEO is going to have to develop a grandfather clause? Is there a fairness issue? Let's hope it won't come to a grandfather clause.

Is this even a legitimate posting?

How are you going to meet all the new requirements in 2009? If you have already passed parts II and III, then you must have already graduated. Are you just waiting on passing part I to get your license?

And cmon now....a pass rate of 24% for the December administration does not seem that unreasonable because the December administration is going to be almost exclusively made up of people to did NOT pass in July so it stands to reason that a significant number, even possibly a majority of them are going to fail again.

With all due respect, if you have failed part I multiple times then I have serious reservations about you practicing. I also strongly disagree that there is no clinical relevance to part I. While they may not ask a lot about specific disease entities, and while they may have some somewhat silly optics questions, there is still a considerable amoung of anatomy and physiology and vision science that I think are important to have a good foundation in.

Even though part I is generally regarded as the most difficult, to have failed multiple times leads me to believe that you really haven't put in enough effort.

 

[eyestrain]

Even though part I is generally regarded as the most difficult, to have failed multiple times leads me to believe that you really haven't put in enough effort.

Ding ding ding! Part I is hard, but anyone with half a brain can pass it with a little effort. It's very easy to call it "absolutely ridiculous and irrelevant" when it's handed your ass to you several times. This reminds me of all the *****s I went to high school with who complained in almost every class "when am I ever going to need to use history/math/english/spanish/etc. in real life?"

 

[gochi]

Aren't there sample exams available from previous years ? or at least replicate study guides ?

 

[mupreopt]

Aren't there sample exams available from previous years ? or at least replicate study guides ?

Yes, there are sample exams. Here is the link: http://www.optometry.org/part_samples.cfm


Part 1 (Basic Science):
http://www.optometry.org/pdf/contents/Sample_pt1.pdf


Part 2 (Clinical Science):
http://www.optometry.org/pdf/contents/Sample_pt2.pdf


Part 3 (Clinical Skills):
http://www.optometry.org/pdf/contents/Clinical_Skills.pdf


PAM (Patient Assessment and Management):
http://www.optometry.org/part_pam_sample.cfm


TMOD (Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease):
http://www.optometry.org/part_tmod_sample.cfm


ACMO (Advanced Competence in Medical Optometry):
http://www.optometry.org/part_acmo_sample.cfm

 

[sharpshooter24]

i know part I NBEO will be given in the 3rd year from now on, and more clinically oriented. that may push my decision to go to PCO over other schools.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

i know part I NBEO will be given in the 3rd year from now on, and more clinically oriented. that may push my decision to go to PCO over other schools.

Just wondering why the date of administration for the NBEO would change which school you would go to...

 

[stand]

I am one of those who took the August board... and failed.. it with the rest of the 76%.. i can sympathize.. very well..

hang in there
Stand

 

[gochi]

i know part I NBEO will be given in the 3rd year from now on, and more clinically oriented. that may push my decision to go to PCO over other schools.

I don't know about that...I read somewhere in a recent thread that a veichle is necessary for transportation to and from the clinic, which will cost you alot of $$$ over four years.

 

[ODhopeful]

I know someone who couldn't pass boards part 1 four times and now is teaching elementary or something. So it's not the end of the world for you. Just get your teachers certificate and forget optometry because we can use one less person to compete with us.

 

[ODhopeful]

What school did he go to?

puerto rico. Surprised??

 

[drbizzaro]

puerto rico. Surprised??

be careful what you say... some of the students from there get very mad when people say their school is not #1...

 

[stand]

I dont think anyone should be making fun of any school, including Puerto Rico.. There are students from every program that have problems passing boards, and those are the ones that make the best OPTOMETRISTS.. as for the other comment that it would be better if there was less compettion for the rest of the OPTOMETRISTS out there and you dont need anymore to compete with you! Thats a bunch of crock, competition makes a Profession stronger, it gives more accountablity and checks and balances... I think the poor sob who wrote about competition should think about moving to CUBA!!!

kind regards
Stand

 

[eyestrain]

There are students from every program that have problems passing boards, and those are the ones that make the best OPTOMETRISTS..

Really? Is an "OPTOMETRIST" who failed boards three or four times somehow better than a regular old optometrist who sailed through boards on the first try?

Thats a bunch of crock, competition makes a Profession stronger, it gives more accountablity and checks and balances...

Do you know much about optometry? Have you read any threads here? Does the word "oversupply" ring a bell?

 

[stand]

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Im sorry, but has that regular old OPTOMETRIST taken a current NATIONAL BOARD, because I am almost sure you WOULD HAVE FAILED IT.. And as far as OVERSUPPLY, maybe you should go to your state board and asked them why they are opening new Optometry schools? I have another question for you? How many times does a pt of yours ask you what was your score on those very old board exams that you took years ago.. Pts want sympathetic caring OPTOMETRIST, not ODs who worry more about how much money they will lose because the market is saturated,, with NEW YOUNG ODs!!

stand
















quote=eyestrain;6327454]Really? Is an "OPTOMETRIST" who failed boards three or four times somehow better than a regular old optometrist who sailed through boards on the first try?



Do you know much about optometry? Have you read any threads here? Does the word "oversupply" ring a bell?[/quote]

 

[eyestrain]

Im sorry, but has that regular old OPTOMETRIST taken a current NATIONAL BOARD, because I am almost sure you WOULD HAVE FAILED IT.. And as far as OVERSUPPLY, maybe you should go to your state board and asked them why they are opening new Optometry schools? I have another question for you? How many times does a pt of yours ask you what was your score on those very old board exams that you took years ago.. Pts want sympathetic caring OPTOMETRIST, not ODs who worry more about how much money they will lose because the market is saturated,, with NEW YOUNG ODs!!

stand

I didn't mean "old" ODs to mean guys in practice for 40 years. I meant regular "old" as regular, run of the mill optometrists, like myself, who breezed through boards (ONE year ago, thank you). Why do you think that these "OPTOMETRISTS" who fail boards are better than optometrists who pass them on the first try? That's what you implied the first time around.

Also, my state board isn't opening any new schools, and I don't know of any state board in the nation that is.

 

[Ben Chudner]

Why do you think that these "OPTOMETRISTS" who fail boards are better than optometrists who pass them on the first try? That's what you implied the first time around.

He didn't imply it, he actually stated it.

There are students from every program that have problems passing boards, and those are the ones that make the best OPTOMETRISTS.

It seems odd to me that someone would think that people who have problems passing boards make the best optometrists.😕

 

[drbizzaro]

He didn't imply it, he actually stated it. It seems odd to me that someone would think that people who have problems passing boards make the best optometrists.😕

i agree! i do think people usually state something to make themselves feel better