I passed the boards! Woohoo!

Started by sohsie
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sohsie

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Just got my board exam results. I passed! 🙂

I'd like to thank Dr. Mais for his wonderful Clinical Compendium 👍, without which my studying would have been much more scattered and time consuming. Here's to a mistake free new edition hopefully coming soon for all the future board takers.

Whew! :hardy:
 
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DrBloodmoney said:
You should share some remembrances with the forum.😍
Click to expand...

To quote the ABP on irregularities:
"The unauthorized possession, reproduction, or disclosure of any ABP examination-related materials, including, but not limited to, examination questions or answers, before, during, or after the examination."

and later:
"Any examination information that is shared among candidates will affect the evaluation and will be detrimental to all parties. All ABP examination questions are copyrighted. Any violation of this copyright will be legally pursued."

and in a different section on irregularities:
"Engaging in irregular behavior in connection with the administration of the examination, including but not limited to:
a. referring to notes, books, or any other examination aid at any time during the examination, including breaks,
b. transferring or receiving information relating to the contents or answers of the examination to or from another candidate or a third party before, during, or after the examination. This prohibition includes any transfer of information between a candidate and another person at any time during the examination, including breaks, and any reconstruction of examination questions and answers and the transfer of information concerning the same after the examination."
 
I'm actually not in the wrong forum, and my remark was based on the fact that I think it was rather rude to DrBlood Money to write that long and unecessary response. If you were concerned about him knowing the exact stated rules you could have private messaged him instead of using the forum to regurgitate the honor code as you did...it just came off rather condescending.
 
sohsie said:
Just got my board exam results. I passed! 🙂

I'd like to thank Dr. Mais for his wonderful Clinical Compendium 👍, without which my studying would have been much more scattered and time consuming. Here's to a mistake free new edition hopefully coming soon for all the future board takers.

Whew! :hardy:
Click to expand...

Do you have any advice for those of us who have just started residency (is there anything you wish you would have done earlier in your training?) I have the Compendium. Should I also be looking at the Osler notes or doing practice questions?
 
veo1 said:
Do you have any advice for those of us who have just started residency (is there anything you wish you would have done earlier in your training?) I have the Compendium. Should I also be looking at the Osler notes or doing practice questions?
Click to expand...

1) Pay more attention to good lectures (Unfortuantely, I tend to fall asleep during lectures.)
2) Try to take note of the procedures and regulations surrounding the rotations that you do.
3) Try to look at a lot of images as you read up during rotations
4) Dont goof off during all your micro rotations like I did. Look for teaching sets and go through a little each day.
5) I probably would save the question books until the year you take the boards, but definitely keep up with stuff like the Johns Hopkins unknown cases and the PathMD board review questions.
6) Go on a CAP inspection if you can
7) See if you can do the CAP unknowns and questions that your hospital gets
8) Listening to the Osler CD and reading the Osler notes of the rotation you are about to do will help you focus on what to pay attention to during the rotation
9) Try to put yourself on a light reading schedule (a few pages a day) to keep your mind fresh. Compendium, Pearls, your favorite AP book, etc.
10) Dont hide during unknown conferences. Get out there, go through the cases, speak up, take a beating because you dont know what the diagnosis is, it will help you learn.
 
Congratulations on passing your boards sohsie!

And yes, there is no place for remembrances on this forum. Such things should never be publicized.
 
Congratulations, Sohsie, on passing. Nicely done.
And thanks for the study tips...I hadn't thought of a couple of them....
 
veo1 said:
Do you have any advice for those of us who have just started residency (is there anything you wish you would have done earlier in your training?) I have the Compendium. Should I also be looking at the Osler notes or doing practice questions?
Click to expand...

I also just got my passing letter on Monday. My advice would be to read a little every day. I didn't start reading seriously until 3-4 months before boards, and I wish I would have. My program was pretty strong and we got great practical training, so maybe I felt as though I didn't need to study as much, especially with regard to CP. I studied a few hours a day for a couple months, and no more on the weekends, and I passed, but I wish I had read more all along. Try to set a goal to get through whatever text you like, Rosai, Sternberg, Henry, etc and stick to it. I never paid much attention in lectures, it's just not my thing. I never listened in med school either, I just studied it on my own. We'll see what I do for re-cert in 10 years.
 
Grats!!!!!!!!!!

Now, be honest who took the boards and then jumped in a Tampa cab to go to Mons???

Seriously. I want the truth. I know some of you out there were trying to hide in the back of the club...

One good thing about Tampa ABP is the hotel has a cigar shop near the lobby. I grabbed a pre-embargo Cuban and walked the area behind the hotel, the houses are killer. Would be fun to take boards, rent out a waterfront mansion and throw an epic party.
 
LADoc00 said:
Would be fun to take boards, rent out a waterfront mansion and throw an epic party.
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Except for the fact that everyone seems to feel like they failed right after they took it. 😉

Obviously it's not true. First time pass rate even for CP last year was >75% I think. So I think if you have a good track record of taking standardized tests and the RISE (I know they are not the same material, but I still maintain that once a good standardized test taker, always a good standardized test taker) AND you study appropriately, you will more that likely pass.

I'm debating review courses now. Can't do the october Osler, but the question is whether it's worth it to do a course a month or two before the actual exam. I am thinking not really, that I have all the information I am going to get there, it's just a matter of reviewing and studying and being focused. But it might be nice to go and just get it crystallized.
 
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Patholog said:
I went to the boards with a Mormon and a Muslim, so no, we didn't go to Mons. Although I was told to go by others. I guess that place is (in)famous.
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The guy who organized the cab ride to Mons after my last board excursion was a Muslim guy and the dude who called ahead there was from Utah. true story.
 
LADoc00 said:
Grats!!!!!!!!!!

Now, be honest who took the boards and then jumped in a Tampa cab to go to Mons???

Seriously. I want the truth. I know some of you out there were trying to hide in the back of the club...

One good thing about Tampa ABP is the hotel has a cigar shop near the lobby. I grabbed a pre-embargo Cuban and walked the area behind the hotel, the houses are killer. Would be fun to take boards, rent out a waterfront mansion and throw an epic party.
Click to expand...

Sorry, no Mons for me. I went with a fellow board taker to see Pirates of the Carribean across the street.

As for the cigars, unfortunately, they closed the cigar shop (At least, thats what the bartender said).
 
yaah said:
Except for the fact that everyone seems to feel like they failed right after they took it. 😉

Obviously it's not true. First time pass rate even for CP last year was >75% I think. So I think if you have a good track record of taking standardized tests and the RISE (I know they are not the same material, but I still maintain that once a good standardized test taker, always a good standardized test taker) AND you study appropriately, you will more that likely pass.

I'm debating review courses now. Can't do the october Osler, but the question is whether it's worth it to do a course a month or two before the actual exam. I am thinking not really, that I have all the information I am going to get there, it's just a matter of reviewing and studying and being focused. But it might be nice to go and just get it crystallized.
Click to expand...

Unlike most people, I actually felt good about CP,especially the problem solving part. I was 99% sure I passed. AP was a whole different ball game. Felt good about the written, a little queasy after the pictures, and really, really bad after the slides and virtual microscopy. I was seriously worried that I failed that part. Fortunately, I passed, but who knows by how much (or better, who cares?). Talking to others, they were all over the place. Some thought the slides was the easiest part. Most other were not as confident about CP as I was. However, I probably spent 70-80% of my study time on CP.

I listened to copies of the ASCP review course from last year (all of CP, about 1/4 of AP). I probably also listened to about 1/2 of the Osler CDs. Personally, I doubt going to the course would be worth it. I think it might serve two functions.
1) See a lot of images in an organized fashion
2) Feel better about taking the exam

If you dont need those things, I would save your money and just read Mais a few more times.
 
Patholog said:
I also just got my passing letter on Monday. My advice would be to read a little every day. I didn't start reading seriously until 3-4 months before boards, and I wish I would have. My program was pretty strong and we got great practical training, so maybe I felt as though I didn't need to study as much, especially with regard to CP. I studied a few hours a day for a couple months, and no more on the weekends, and I passed, but I wish I had read more all along. Try to set a goal to get through whatever text you like, Rosai, Sternberg, Henry, etc and stick to it. I never paid much attention in lectures, it's just not my thing. I never listened in med school either, I just studied it on my own. We'll see what I do for re-cert in 10 years.
Click to expand...

Congratulations!
 
sohsie said:
As for the cigars, unfortunately, they closed the cigar shop (At least, thats what the bartender said).
Click to expand...

Oh man, they closed the cigar shop?? I was hoping to revisit that place after my subspecialty boards. After the AP/CP exam, I got a cigar as big around as my wrist and celebrated with my hubby (who flew in that morning). Went to Orlando for two day to visit friends and act like drunken idiots at Disney.

The only bliss that beats finishing the exam is the bliss in receiving your passing letter. Congrats to everyone!

As for studying--everyone here speaks the truth. Start early, don't slack on the "unimportant" rotations, read daily (even if just a little), and the Johns Hopkins electronic surg path atlas was awesome to go through within a brief time before the exam.

And the Osler Blood Banking notes are worth their weight in gold. Trust me on this one.
 
sohsie said:
Just got my board exam results. I passed! 🙂

I'd like to thank Dr. Mais for his wonderful Clinical Compendium 👍, without which my studying would have been much more scattered and time consuming. Here's to a mistake free new edition hopefully coming soon for all the future board takers.

Whew! :hardy:
Click to expand...

Congrats, I passed my boards too and yes, the Clinical Compendium was awesome.....yeah, baby, yeah!
 
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