Just Oral Boards

[Skip2myLou]

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Ok, I'm starting to gear up for the oral boards in the Spring. I already have failed it and don't want to screw it up again. A friend of mine took this Just Oral Boards course where you basically do simulated exams over Skype. After each exam they critique your answers and offer some tips.

This seems more like my cup of tea rather than being in an auditorium listening to someone lecturing about topics I can read on my own.

Any thoughts on this?

The alternative is finding a studying partner and essentially doing the same thing...which I did do for the previous attempt.

 

[gasfunk]

I did Just Oral Boards after failing multiple attempts on Oral Boards in 2010 & passed.Simulation tests were very close to real exams & feedback from examiners after each test was extremely helpful.

 

[bnm]

I failed the Oral Boards miserably the first time. I had friends that took the Just Oral Boards course, but they did not do it just by itself becuase it will cost you arount $4000 dollars to do all the cases and you cannot just try to memorize the cases that they represent. What if the case you get is not in their database of cases?
I took Niel Jensens' case. I bought Big Red and Audio Red (which is a reading of big red on CD) and I memorized the material in in it. I then found a friend and did the Ho cases with them. That was excellent. I am going to keep the Big Red forever becuase I thought it was very well done. But I am selling my Audio Red on Ebay if you are interested. Almost everyone in Jensen's class is talking the exam for the second time so it is very geared to those who did not pass. But you have to have memorized Big Red before you take the course. Cd's really help you verbally hear the material in some ways help you talk the information out since this is a verbal exam. If I were you, I'd go with Niel Jensen. I think that it was excellent. Good luck.

 

[Docintubate]

Interested in studying for the anesthesiology oral boards together?

 

[Lee123]

Ok, I'm starting to gear up for the oral boards in the Spring. I already have failed it and don't want to screw it up again. A friend of mine took this Just Oral Boards course where you basically do simulated exams over Skype. After each exam they critique your answers and offer some tips.

This seems more like my cup of tea rather than being in an auditorium listening to someone lecturing about topics I can read on my own.

Any thoughts on this?

The alternative is finding a studying partner and essentially doing the same thing...which I did do for the previous attempt.

This is the same advice I give everyone studying for the boards:

Assuming you have a good working fund of knowledge, study something like Yao to get a feel for case-presentation style. Read either Anesthesia and Co-Existing Disease or Anesthesia and Uncommon Diseases cover to cover. There will be questions on esoteric conditions that you do not see regularly like thyroid storm. Finally, you need to have someone quiz you with mock exams. If this person is not skillful enough, have him or her ask you specific topics, like how to handle oliguria in the PACU, or a failed intubation attempt. Your answer must be smooth, and you need to be able to defend your answers.

Those that follow this usually pass. When I retire I will probably open a course of my own.

 

[pgg]

Finally, you need to have someone quiz you with mock exams. If this person is not skillful enough, have him or her ask you specific topics, like how to handle oliguria in the PACU, or a failed intubation attempt. Your answer must be smooth, and you need to be able to defend your answers.

This works - I did a lot of 1-on-1 mock orals with my wife, who is not in medicine. Even a layperson can read from a mock oral script, and tell when you're unsure of your answers, or dancing around the question, or starting to BS them.

Even reading the questions and talking aloud to an empty room helps, but you have to actually form the words with your lips. It was amazing how many subjects I knew and understood well, but came out sounding stupid and ignorant early on in practice.

It's a spoken test, reading has its place in preparing, but you have to talk.

 

[sevoflurane]

It's a spoken test, reading has its place in preparing, but you have to talk.

+1

Mock orals are priceless. Do as many as you can. You want to sound confident, organized and professional when you are in those closed quarters.

You also need to bring the knowledge you aquired during the writtens.

Do not take them lightly.

 

[CambieMD]

There is nothing special about Just Orals or any of the review courses out there. Focused practice will always win the day. I have had more experience with the orals than I would like to admit. Learning how to present yourself like a consultant/expert will get you through the exam. I do not believe in memorizing answers to various senerios. You must own your answers. You are presenting an expert opinion.

I think that the Ho course is a waste of time. The best way to prepare for the orals is by discussing anesthesia. Watching others discuss anesthesia is low yield.

The truth is that most people pass the orals on their initial attempt, review course or not.

I went to a review course for my initial attempt at the orals. For my second attempt I used the hand book for Anesthesia and Co-Existing Diseases and Board Stiff III.

Cambie