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- Jul 20, 2005
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Hi Just want to give my two cents contribution since everyone on this forum has helped me SO much! I took the Prenaplex(4 days prior) and got a 99 and ended up with a 109. I thought it gauged the exam score pretty well **Disclaimer:this will be long**
If I can pass this exam, then anyone else can. I was avg student in phcy school but worked hard for my grades. So definitely worked hard for this test. Maybe studied 3 weeks but 2 weeks hardcore.
I used:
RxPrep-If you read this book cover to cover, and focus on the underlined stuff, you should be fine
RxPrep Quiz Bank-This is helpful and for me, I liked it because I learn most through testing mysefl through questions and reading the rationale (BTW I am selling a brand new rx prep book/quiz bank in the selling forums)
Random old questions-this includes Flynn which I glimpsed at(If youve been ard long enough you know what this is)--this helped me gauged how detailed I should study
Math-Rx prep was sufficient....plus no time for 120 calc's
The thing with this exam is that its SO random that your friends may get a bunch of HIV, Oncology, Asthma questions, but you only get one or two, or none. So really you have to study EVERYTHING in order to be prepared. I had the most random question about Prevident..I was like wTH?
Here are the types of questions:
When you get questions based on therapy..you have to make a change in their profile..i.e. (this is not a real question) Patient is on Glyburide for 3 mos and comes back with A1c 9.1...What do you do? So while you're studying its important to know WHEN the patient should come back for reevaluation...That way you can decide: Should you a. increase dose b. change medication c. continue current med
If patient comes back for reevaluation in two weeks after being on Rosiglitazone...well thats not long enough to evaluate therapy-----some q's are SO obvious like this but easily overlooked
So same goes for SSRI's and reevaluating in 4 to 6 wks. etc.Levothyroxine, aricept, etc.
I had A LOT OF questions like this...
Then there's questions based on labs...you have to look at 10 med's and 10 lab values(which ranges are given for), and decide either WHAT CAUSED the side effect, or WHAT SHOULD be CHANGED in the prof based on values..KNOW how drugs will affect lab values and what you would do (increase or decrease the dose)
Then I had around 5 to 10 questions on formulations(some were select all-those were so annoying)...Definitely know for Bipolar/Schizo/Alzheimers/ADHD
Then you get questions asking MECHANISM OF ACTION...its funny b/c they will ask the most basic thing, and have all these selections for LOOK ALIKE SOUND ALIKE drugs...if you dont know your drugs, then you're kinda just screwed..b/c these can be easy questions
Then there's the Math, maybe I had around 30...half fill in blank and half MC...There was also Biostat q's..., just calc RR, ARR, NNT, RRR <---easy points
I also got a handful of questions on types of questionnaires used to diagnose things like ADD and Alzheimers...thats deinitely something overlooked but once again, easy points
If I could go back then I would definitely have taken time to look at top 200 but I just didnt get around to it..If you have pharm experience, most likely you wont need to...but its so easy to knock out answers when you know that they are pulling a drug from out of nowhere. And plus, I would get a profile question with some random brand name I didnt recognize, then I would get a whole sleu of questions on that drug...this happened twice! So I prolly missed 10 q's based on having no clue what the drug was
Anyways I walked out of the exam feeling pretty good but then you never know until u get ur score! I was super nervous and so tired during the exam I almost felll asleep towards the end...I am generally the SLOWEST test taker, but I actually finished early. I know it s a different experience for everyone, but if anyone EVER needs anything please dont hesitate to PM me..this was a nightmare for me so I would reallly like to help easy anyones' nerves.
Good luck all!
and Yeehaw!
If I can pass this exam, then anyone else can. I was avg student in phcy school but worked hard for my grades. So definitely worked hard for this test. Maybe studied 3 weeks but 2 weeks hardcore.
I used:
RxPrep-If you read this book cover to cover, and focus on the underlined stuff, you should be fine
RxPrep Quiz Bank-This is helpful and for me, I liked it because I learn most through testing mysefl through questions and reading the rationale (BTW I am selling a brand new rx prep book/quiz bank in the selling forums)
Random old questions-this includes Flynn which I glimpsed at(If youve been ard long enough you know what this is)--this helped me gauged how detailed I should study
Math-Rx prep was sufficient....plus no time for 120 calc's
The thing with this exam is that its SO random that your friends may get a bunch of HIV, Oncology, Asthma questions, but you only get one or two, or none. So really you have to study EVERYTHING in order to be prepared. I had the most random question about Prevident..I was like wTH?
Here are the types of questions:
When you get questions based on therapy..you have to make a change in their profile..i.e. (this is not a real question) Patient is on Glyburide for 3 mos and comes back with A1c 9.1...What do you do? So while you're studying its important to know WHEN the patient should come back for reevaluation...That way you can decide: Should you a. increase dose b. change medication c. continue current med
If patient comes back for reevaluation in two weeks after being on Rosiglitazone...well thats not long enough to evaluate therapy-----some q's are SO obvious like this but easily overlooked
So same goes for SSRI's and reevaluating in 4 to 6 wks. etc.Levothyroxine, aricept, etc.
I had A LOT OF questions like this...
Then there's questions based on labs...you have to look at 10 med's and 10 lab values(which ranges are given for), and decide either WHAT CAUSED the side effect, or WHAT SHOULD be CHANGED in the prof based on values..KNOW how drugs will affect lab values and what you would do (increase or decrease the dose)
Then I had around 5 to 10 questions on formulations(some were select all-those were so annoying)...Definitely know for Bipolar/Schizo/Alzheimers/ADHD
Then you get questions asking MECHANISM OF ACTION...its funny b/c they will ask the most basic thing, and have all these selections for LOOK ALIKE SOUND ALIKE drugs...if you dont know your drugs, then you're kinda just screwed..b/c these can be easy questions
Then there's the Math, maybe I had around 30...half fill in blank and half MC...There was also Biostat q's..., just calc RR, ARR, NNT, RRR <---easy points
I also got a handful of questions on types of questionnaires used to diagnose things like ADD and Alzheimers...thats deinitely something overlooked but once again, easy points
If I could go back then I would definitely have taken time to look at top 200 but I just didnt get around to it..If you have pharm experience, most likely you wont need to...but its so easy to knock out answers when you know that they are pulling a drug from out of nowhere. And plus, I would get a profile question with some random brand name I didnt recognize, then I would get a whole sleu of questions on that drug...this happened twice! So I prolly missed 10 q's based on having no clue what the drug was
Anyways I walked out of the exam feeling pretty good but then you never know until u get ur score! I was super nervous and so tired during the exam I almost felll asleep towards the end...I am generally the SLOWEST test taker, but I actually finished early. I know it s a different experience for everyone, but if anyone EVER needs anything please dont hesitate to PM me..this was a nightmare for me so I would reallly like to help easy anyones' nerves.
Good luck all!
and Yeehaw!
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