In-Training exam before internship?

[raf023]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Does anyone know if we normally take the 1st in-training exam in the begining of our internship? I thought it would be in the begining of th CA-1 year, but I just got a letter from my program (PGY2 in 2006) telling me about the exam on July 9th. 😕
Any advise about the exam...books to use...I know it doesn't really count yet, but don't want to have the lowest score in my year.
Thanks! 😎

 

[hawkdoc05]

Does anyone know if we normally take the 1st in-training exam in the begining of our internship? I thought it would be in the begining of th CA-1 year, but I just got a letter from my program (PGY2 in 2006) telling me about the exam on July 9th. 😕
Any advise about the exam...books to use...I know it doesn't really count yet, but don't want to have the lowest score in my year.
Thanks! 😎

Not much to add here, but I am in the same boat (also taking the exam as an intern)....Not exactly thrilled about burning a Saturday taking an exam that is going to do absolutely nothing for me, and may end up making me look like a total idiot.

 

[sean wilson]

how well they want you to be able to do on this thing. We've just finished an internship in something else, and most of us are working our a$$es off on that, with little time to sit around studying for another field.

I've got the Lange book, and if I get time in the next few months I'll crack that open. Otherwise I'll be going into it cold.

 

[OldManDave]

how well they want you to be able to do on this thing. We've just finished an internship in something else, and most of us are working our a$$es off on that, with little time to sit around studying for another field.

I've got the Lange book, and if I get time in the next few months I'll crack that open. Otherwise I'll be going into it cold.

Our (Dartmouth) PD specifically told us to take the exam cold - w/o any preparation - to obtain an accurate representation of where we are. Our program does not require minimum scores, but does require that with each taking of the in-service exam that we demonstrate significant advancement of our knowledge. I cannot imagine any program calling you on the carpet for a poor score on an in-service exam in anesth as an intern or even as an early CA-1. I would not sweat it. However, if it will make you feel better, a quick phone call/e-mail to your PD will clear things up regarding their actual expectations.

 

[Lefty]

Well, I figure they use it as a baseline to gauge your progress in the future. So taking it cold, w/o studying would be the smartest thing. If you do poorly on it the first time no one will care. But if you do well (or better than you would w/o studying) then next year when you take it you won't look like you progressed as much as you did or should have. That's the time they might start telling you to step it up. Just my thoughts on the matter. 😎

 

[gaseous]

My friend who's doing transitional year with me right now had to take the exam at the beginning internship and he did bad enough that the program sent him a copy of the Lange book Fed Ex and told him to read it before he finishes his internship. 🙄 I'm glad my program didn't make me take it. I will probably do bad enough on it my CA1 year coming up in July.

 

[MAC10]

We had to take the exam at the beginning of internship too. The test is hard as crap. No one expects you to ace the anesthesia boards straight out of med school. Use it as a starting point...thats it

 

[raf023]

Thank you for info. I just wanted to make sure that my program is not the only one out there telling me to take it in the begining of my internship rather than begining of my CA-1 year. Probably wouldn't make much difference since it's all about Anesthesia anyway.
Any other good books to use before the in-service besides Lange to just go over basics?
Thanks again everyone! 😉

 

[CaliGirlDO]

I agree with all the above posts.

The other purpose of taking the exam before internship, as pointless as it seems and depressing as it makes you feel afterwards, is that this is the actual written board exam. You will be taking it with people who are really sitting for their boards. You will have only 4 opportunities to see the actual test before it really counts, and this is one of them.

I don't know the actual numbers, however I've been told by people in my department that a good chunk of the questions are recycled from year to year. And another good chunk of questions are based on the same "keywords" or foundation of knowledge that you need to answer the question. Therefore, the more times you see the actual test, the better prepared you are for the real thing. Don't entirely waste the opportunity even though it's a buzz-kill for a Saturday.

 

[4th year]

Will someone who has taken the exam please comment on the content of the exam. For some reason I was under the impression that it was on general medical knowledge, not necessarily anesthesia. Thank you.

 

[CambieMD]

The ABA website has a complete content outline for the In-Training Exam.

CambieMD

 

[CaliGirlDO]

Residency programs also get a list of keyword topics that prior exams have covered. You can do a Google search for anesthesia keywords and a few programs have a list of recent keyword topics + discussions about them

 

[gaslady]

Passing on info about actual questions is against the rules of the exam. The key words are great though. We take it every year and I took it as an intern. When I did horribly on it, by PD told me not to worry. He felt that at that level a good score just as easily could have happened by chance as a bad one because we know so little about anesthesia. I absolutely would not study. At this point it's a waste of time. Just view it as an opportunity to get familiar with the exam format.

 

[IceDoc]

Cool! Maybe I could throw the test just to get a free textbook! If I do just as horribly on the next test then I should get a laptop or digital camera!

My friend who's doing transitional year with me right now had to take the exam at the beginning internship and he did bad enough that the program sent him a copy of the Lange book Fed Ex and told him to read it before he finishes his internship. 🙄 I'm glad my program didn't make me take it. I will probably do bad enough on it my CA1 year coming up in July.