Oral Results?

[CambieMD]

Yeah, the first time I studied but did not practice. Second time I studied, practiced, and took an April course. I should have booked one closer to the exam to maintain the mindset and tempo. I'll have to take a course closer to the exam and hook up with some actual examiners. My partners are going to make me pay for this. I am apparently ****ty at talking about anesthesia in an exam setting. Writtens were a breeze compared to the Oral exam (for me). This sucks.

I too passed the written easily but was smacked down and laughed at on my first attempt at the orals. I cleared the exam on my second attempt last spring.

There is nothing magical about doing mocks with actual board examiners. The docs with whom u work should understand the characteristics of a strong examinee. Find individuals who understand the exam. You are wasting your time if someone who doesn't give you helpful feed back gives you mock exams.

I like to think of the oral exam like a soap opera. An ob stem will cover preeclampsia, airway,failed regional and neonatal resuscitation

A head trauma case will cover airway management in a neck injury patient,secondary injuries,mannitol,hyponatremia and maybe air or fat embolism.

Tonsils will bleed. CABG patients will develop tamponade.

What would happen if Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan spent a night together on the town and they drove. They would be seen in several clubs into the wee hours of the morning. There would be plenty of alcohol,drugs, sleezy people and paparazzi. The icing on the cake would be an incident involving the car. Because both of them have on going cases if they hit something or someone they would leave the scene. They would point to each other as the driver.

This how I viewed the orals on my second attempt. This approach takes the mystery out of the test.

I think that the Ho book is way too much. I took Ho's course twice on my first attempt. Y would you waste your time reading a thick book to prepare for a test where you have to speak. you need answers for all of the scenerios that will arise during the exam. I dislike Yao because it is too much.

Film yourself answering questions asked by a spouse or friend. Review the dvd and see how y look. Observe smooth speakers. Watch the mannerisms of effective speakers.

Failing the orals on my first attempt was one the best things that ever happened to me becaue it made me a better communicator and in some ways a better physician. I knew that I passed the orals on my second attempt because gave CRISP answers. My answers were C-complete, R-reasonable,I- intelligent,S-supported by a discussion and P-professionally presented.

This is a long post but the oral boards were my obsession for a year.

Cambie

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[Jorge Smith]

I've checked the website a good 10 times or so. Each time I enter my name it comes up certified till 2020. I'm beginning to think it might not be a mistake so maybe I can relax a little bit (not too much though). If it's still there by Monday I'll accept it as official and start to throw out my study materials.

I am really confused Doesn't the ABA post pass/fail results to your personal account?

 

[gaspasser2004]

I too passed the written easily but was smacked down and laughed at on my first attempt at the orals. I cleared the exam on my second attempt last spring.

There is nothing magical about doing mocks with actual board examiners. The docs with whom u work should understand the characteristics of a strong examinee. Find individuals who understand the exam. You are wasting your time if someone who doesn't give you helpful feed back gives you mock exams.

I like to think of the oral exam like a soap opera. An ob stem will cover preeclampsia, airway,failed regional and neonatal resuscitation

A head trauma case will cover airway management in a neck injury patient,secondary injuries,mannitol,hyponatremia and maybe air or fat embolism.

Tonsils will bleed. CABG patients will develop tamponade.

What would happen if Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan spent a night together on the town and they drove. They would be seen in several clubs into the wee hours of the morning. There would be plenty of alcohol,drugs, sleezy people and paparazzi. The icing on the cake would be an incident involving the car. Because both of them have on going cases if they hit something or someone they would leave the scene. They would point to each other as the driver.

This how I viewed the orals on my second attempt. This approach takes the mystery out of the test.

I think that the Ho book is way too much. I took Ho's course twice on my first attempt. Y would you waste your time reading a thick book to prepare for a test where you have to speak. you need answers for all of the scenerios that will arise during the exam. I dislike Yao because it is too much.

Film yourself answering questions asked by a spouse or friend. Review the dvd and see how y look. Observe smooth speakers. Watch the mannerisms of effective speakers.

Failing the orals on my first attempt was one the best things that ever happened to me becaue it made me a better communicator and in some ways a better physician. I knew that I passed the orals on my second attempt because gave CRISP answers. My answers were C-complete, R-reasonable,I- intelligent,S-supported by a discussion and P-professionally presented.

This a long post but the oral boards were my obsession for a year.

Cambie

I agree with most of what Cambie said with the exception of the Ho book being a waste of time. When you are doing the "question" part of the chapters, hide the answer and try to answer the question yourself out loud. I found this method allowed me to reinforce the material and practice formulating answers. Your answers won't be exactly the same as Ho's (nor should they be), but your explanation to the questions should have the same content.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

I am really confused Doesn't the ABA post pass/fail results to your personal account?

I think that he is saying that he checked the website multiple times just to be a little OCD (it also is a good feeling to see yourself listed as "certified"). With all the angst over waiting and the website going up and down I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few have logged in multiple times just to double and triple check (and savor the victory).

 

[Arch Guillotti]

I agree with most of what Cambie said with the exception of the Ho book being a waste of time. When you are doing the "question" part of the chapters, hide the answer and try to answer the question yourself out loud. I found this method allowed me to reinforce the material and practice formulating answers. Your answers won't be exactly the same as Ho's (nor should they be), but your explanation to the questions should have the same content.

I thought the Ho book was WAY too detailed, although it seemed to contain pretty good information.

 

[inmyslumber]

I PASSED!

Have a good friend who did not pass. In that case, I think it was due to luck of the draw with examiners/cases. Makes the victory less-jubilant for me.

Congrats to all those who passed and good luck to those who have to go through this process again!

-IMS

 

[michigangirl]

I am really confused Doesn't the ABA post pass/fail results to your personal account?

Certification status is public information. On the homepage of the ABA, accessible to EVERYONE, all you do is enter anyone's name and it tells you if they are "Certified until _____" or a "Candidate in the examination system"-- yes, the results are posted to your personal account as "PASS" or "FAIL" but anyone who knew you took the exam could enter your name on the main site. This public info was updated simultaneously with when we got our results.

In fact, I went out to celebrate my birthday Friday night (the day results were supposed to come out and didn't until late evening) and did not take my blackberry so i wouldn't be obsessively checking to see if the site was back up after it crashed. I came home to five texts from friends that said "Congrats, we did it!" before I even had a chance to go online and look it up myself. No privacy here ;-)

 

[Narcotized]

I think that he is saying that he checked the website multiple times just to be a little OCD.

I check my actual account about once every never, so I don't remember how to access it. I was going to find my ID and password and check today so that my plans last night wouldn't have been potentially ruined. Then when I read on here late Friday that it was public info, I figured I'd want to know before others texted good or bad news. The multiple checking was that little bit of George Bush in me; don't quite trust the internets yet.

 

[docmojo]

Thanks to all for the advice and constructive criticism. I have to admit my answers were not crisp. I'm quite sure I sounded like a nervous examinee instead of a consultant. In retrospect, I let myself be led off a cliff or two. I was visibly nervous and actually thought I might vomit at one point. I did not sleep the night before secondary to anxiety. I know; basket case. I have always performed poorly on oral exams. I need to get together with some actual examiners to get my act together. I'll be lucky if my group doesn't fire me. They won't take this well. There are no repeaters among them. It is what it is.

Congratulations to those who passed! You've earned it.

 

[CambieMD]

Thanks to all for the advice and constructive criticism. I have to admit my answers were not crisp. I'm quite sure I sounded like a nervous examinee instead of a consultant. In retrospect, I let myself be led off a cliff or two. I was visibly nervous and actually thought I might vomit at one point. I did not sleep the night before secondary to anxiety. I know; basket case. I have always performed poorly on oral exams. I need to get together with some actual examiners to get my act together. I'll be lucky if my group doesn't fire me. They won't take this well. There are no repeaters among them. It is what it is.

Congratulations to those who passed! You've earned it.

I really think that intensive practice is the key to passing the oral boards if you have had difficulty in the past. One of my examiners during my first attempt developed what I thought was a twitch. She was trying unsucessfully to supress laughing in my face. A grin crossed her face for a split second. The joke was on me. You need to be agressively examined several times. This will prepare you better for the real thing. The guy who helped me pass used a lot of oh yea why, really, how and lets move on.

I prepared for the orals like an athlete prepares for a game or a meet. I changed my diet and got more exercise leading up to the exam.

Cambie