Inservice Exam....

[mountebank]

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for all those in residency.

How's the preparation going for this test. I'm a bit nervous myself, not about passing...but about doing well (its the medical student in me).

anyone else studying, or do some simply treat this like STEP 3

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by mountebank
for all those in residency.

How's the preparation going for this test. I'm a bit nervous myself, not about passing...but about doing well (its the medical student in me).

anyone else studying, or do some simply treat this like STEP 3

Hey mountebank. Haven't seen you in a while.

I'm hardly studying for it. I have a 2nd edition fo Carol Rivers in our ER call room, but I never really get around to it. Honestly, I spend more time on SDN than i do studying. But some say not to study and study as an r2 and r3 to see how you improve, as well as to point out your weaknesses. Sounds like a great idea to me. 🙂

Q, DO

 

[mountebank]

Yeah, as expected i've been putting in quite a few hours in the hospital.

I'm going to have to disagree with your line of reasoning, although humerous. I think one should still study with as much time as one has. As well as continue to study as a R2 and R3. I think the point you made is true, as our experience/knowledge improves our test scores will too.

quinn, pick up a copy of PEER VI and do some questions...its better than nothing.

 

[Apollyon]

Originally posted by QuinnNSU
Hey mountebank. Haven't seen you in a while.

I'm hardly studying for it. I have a 2nd edition fo Carol Rivers in our ER call room, but I never really get around to it. Honestly, I spend more time on SDN than i do studying. But some say not to study and study as an r2 and r3 to see how you improve, as well as to point out your weaknesses. Sounds like a great idea to me. 🙂

Q, DO

I am NOT studying for it. We got PEER VI, and I haven't even broken the plastic. I, too, spend more time on SDN than studying (enough that someone called me a "bully" - well, bully for me!).

Do any of you do the EM tests from Summa, that Mike Beeson puts out on behalf of SAEM? We are required to do them, and, on the mock inservice last month, I hit 61%. Not bad for going in cold, I think!

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by Apollyon
I am NOT studying for it. We got PEER VI, and I haven't even broken the plastic. I, too, spend more time on SDN than studying (enough that someone called me a "bully" - well, bully for me!).

Do any of you do the EM tests from Summa, that Mike Beeson puts out on behalf of SAEM? We are required to do them, and, on the mock inservice last month, I hit 61%. Not bad for going in cold, I think!

I don't believe i have the one from Summa/Beeson/SAEM. Is it a hard copy? I'll have to ask my PD. I did get a 100 or so question test this past week from our PD, apparently put out by CORD. Is this the same test?

Q, DO

 

[Apollyon]

This one had a nice round 98 questions. The website is www.emtests.com. However, you need a login to see the questions, but it is a CORDEM site. I don't know if there are hard copies. Our coordinator was able to print out our tests afterwards. May be the same thing.

 

[EMIMG]

Personally, I would rather study to know the scope of Emergency Medicine rather than studying for one specific exam. Afterall, I treat patients, not test questions.

Peer 6 is a 413 question "book" of questions. It is quite good and similar in nature to types of questions you will see on the exam. From people who have taken the boards, they say it is also similar.

As for "review books". I oppose these. I don't understand how someone can look at Rivers without looking at one of the texts (i.e. Rosen's, Tintinalli) first. I have been told that Rivers will help you get some extra points; however, the big books are where you should start.

Your scores should go up with experience. However, some programs do use board scores for certain things (i.e. bonus, vacation bonus, and even moonlighting privileges).

Good luck all.

 

[anonymousEM]

The emtest question bank maintained by Dr. Beeson at Summa is in fact the CORD question bank. Questions are submitted by all of the residency directors and edited by Dr. Beeson. PDs can either make their own tests out of the questions and give them as hard copies or have the residents log on for practice questions with answers and references or graded tests.

While there are many good questions, you have to get the report from your PD for any feedback on the graded ones and there are some mistakes in the grading of the practice ones. I think the plan is to add more questions with images to the online version soon as well.

As we were saying the other day, thank goodness inservice and boards don't have "smell recognition"...UTI,melena,gangrenous foot....mmm

 

[beyond all hope]

Be lucky you folks don't have PDs that are draconian about getting good inservice scores. I know of some less-than-desirable places that doing poorly on the inservice means getting picked on and harassed on rounds for an entire year until you do better or drop out.

The inservice is only a score for the resident, as a self-test guide and preview of the EM boards. It shouldn't be used by the program to discriminate against residents who are not strong test-takers.

 

[Scrubbs]

I truly am in denial that the inservice is 5 days away. I haven't studied. I still don't have Rivers. I've done some Peer VI here and there, but I'm basically taking Quinn's approach - go in cold and study next year. Besides not studying... I'm on a nightfloat schedule currently, and the inservice is right smack in the middle of my week of nights - so the 5 hours my body is most likely to expect sleep, I'll be doing the test! Ah... the joy of it!

I know...

 

[Apollyon]

Originally posted by Scrubbs
but I'm basically taking Quinn's approach - go in cold and study next year. Besides not studying...

Umm...that's my schtick. (Quinn HAS cracked a book.)

 

[Scrubbs]

Originally posted by Apollyon
Umm...that's my schtick. (Quinn HAS cracked a book.)

Ok... ok... credit where it is due... 😀

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by Apollyon
Umm...that's my schtick. (Quinn HAS cracked a book.)

Yes, yes, I'll admit it, I did read the ortho section of Rivers, but that was before my ortho rotation started. I did PEER V, and am hopefully going ot get to do PEER VI before Wednesday.

*sigh* Time to go to bed.

Q, DO

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Going in cold, really cold. Let's have a pool....lowest score gets $5 from everyone.

 

[Chris_Topher]

I have been getting hammered on my CCU rotation this month (thank god for a short month!), so little studying. I have been reading Rivers gently over the last few months, but I expect to make my PD proud....next year!

 

[roja]

There's a test for this thing? 😉

 

[Scrubbs]

Originally posted by Desperado
Going in cold, really cold. Let's have a pool....lowest score gets $5 from everyone.

I'm in! Could always use a little cash...

BTW - Found out today that the 2 med residents covering our ICU tonight are making... drumroll... $600 a piece for the night!!!! Is it the fact that its more than half my BI-WEEKLY check, or just that I'm exhausted right now that makes it seem criminal?