Path residents who have taken step III?

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AndyMilonakis said:
Your anonymity is still preserved. Just don't do what I did and tell people where you go to school. You're already kinda f*cked by saying that you're an MSTP (i think).
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Oh great. I'm MSTP and everybody knows where I go to school.

Hopefully I haven't damaged myself too badly. :rolleyes:
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beary said:
Oh great. I'm MSTP and everybody knows where I go to school.

Hopefully I haven't damaged myself too badly. :rolleyes:
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If you're the only MSTP applying to path, then yes you could be screwed. But look, I matched and I acted 10 times as more obnoxious as you do when I was in your shoes a year ago.

Plus, I was so not anonymous that geddy was able to pick me out of the crowd at the Step 2 BS exam! And like you, I was the only MSTP applying to path from my school (well we had another but he matched outside of the match).
 
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beary said:
How does somebody do this? This is sounding really appealing to me right now.
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Probably happens a lot less than it used to. In fact, I think pathology programs are "required" to fill their spots in the match now. The guy I'm talking about wanted to stay due to family reasons (his wife was already a resident in the same program).

I dunno what you can do except for contacting your own program and striking some kind of deal if possible.
 
AndyMilonakis said:
Probably happens a lot less than it used to. In fact, I think pathology programs are "required" to fill their spots in the match now. The guy I'm talking about wanted to stay due to family reasons (his wife was already a resident in the same program).

I dunno what you can do except for contacting your own program and striking some kind of deal if possible.
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My understanding is that if you are a US senior, it's verboten for a program to offer you a spot outside the match.. the gloves come off if you are an IMG or are a prior AMG.
 
AndyMilonakis said:
And like you, I was the only MSTP applying to path from my school (well we had another but he matched outside of the match).
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Is this DW?
 
Harbster said:
Is this DW?
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Umm...DW as in Dave Wu? He's going into optho which is why he's doing an intern year with your dumb ass!

I'm talking about a DSLK. Same first name as DW though.
 
A bunch of us were looking at a CCS simulation today.

Resident A: Okay. *reads off screen* "40 year old man comes into Emerg with right-sided chest pain of sudden onset yadda yadda yadda."
Resident B: This is a weird screen.
A: Where's my physical exam? How do I do a physical exam on this thing?
New pop-up window pops up, with a list of 20 options.
B: Hmm. I think you have to check off what components of the physical exam you want to do.
Flurry of clicking.
A: ...OK so he's cyanotic. He needs an Xray and oxygen. How do I give him oxygen?
B: Click on orders maybe? ...
Types. Pause.
Resident A: Oh man. Where did the order go?
Resident B: This is going to be so bad.
Chief resident (from the couch): He's never going to make it.
 
Eh, you get used to it pretty quickly. It really isn't that bad. The cases I had were definitely doable and fair. You just have to familiarize yourself with the software and the different options that are possible (like, did you know you can order "reassure patient?") :laugh:
 
Goddamn. I forgot that I still have to take this stupid test. I'm forgetting all this clinical mumbo jumbo at an exponential rate. I may actually have to study for this thing. Fock!
 
One difference between practice and real CCS cases.

The computer during the real CCS is SUPER SLOW. You can spend a whole minute waiting for your orders to be executed, which is an eternity when you only get 20 minutes (I think) to do the case (plus 5 minutes post case orders). I got burned (unfairly, I think) on a few cases because of this. Fortunately, I passed with plenty of room to spare anyway.

It is possible that I had a bad computer/connection/testing center. I cant say for sure.
 
sohsie said:
One difference between practice and real CCS cases.

The computer during the real CCS is SUPER SLOW. You can spend a whole minute waiting for your orders to be executed, which is an eternity when you only get 20 minutes (I think) to do the case (plus 5 minutes post case orders). I got burned (unfairly, I think) on a few cases because of this. Fortunately, I passed with plenty of room to spare anyway.

It is possible that I had a bad computer/connection/testing center. I cant say for sure.
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Hmm...this did not happen to me at all. Things went very quickly, I was done with all the cases in under 5 minutes.
 
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Yaah, did you ever get a response to all the complaint letters you wrote? Besides the extension?
 
Pingu said:
Yaah, did you ever get a response to all the complaint letters you wrote? Besides the extension?
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:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Yeah, they sent me a nice fruit basket and letter of apology.

In truth, not a single response other than, "We are graciously allowing you to extend your eligibility period one time only."

If I ever become president of the United States I am cutting all their funding and tax breaks.
 
yaah said:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Yeah, they sent me a nice fruit basket and letter of apology.

In truth, not a single response other than, "We are graciously allowing you to extend your eligibility period one time only."
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Please don't tell me they actually used the word "graciously."

That is so ridiculous. :mad: They're really doing you a big favor I guess by allowing you to pay a ton of money to take their stupid exam.
 
They're really doing you a big favor I guess by allowing you to pay a ton of money to take their stupid exam
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And take a day off of work. I mean, yaah, you don't want your vacation days do you? You want to spend them in the oppressive enviroment of a prometric testing center! Maybe there are more tests you could take just so all your vacation days could be with prometric!

That's just total bs. They at least owed you a 'we are sorry for your inconvience. Here is a coupon for a free mcdonalds soft serve cone' :laugh:
 
Pingu said:
And take a day off of work. I mean, yaah, you don't want your vacation days do you? You want to spend them in the oppressive enviroment of a prometric testing center! Maybe there are more tests you could take just so all your vacation days could be with prometric!

That's just total bs. They at least owed you a 'we are sorry for your inconvience. Here is a coupon for a free mcdonalds soft serve cone' :laugh:
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Well they apologized for the inconvenience at the test center, but other than extending my testing window I wasn't offered anything.

I got my score report back today (a little over 4 weeks after the test). I owned that sucker.
 
yaah said:
I got my score report back today (a little over 4 weeks after the test). I owned that sucker.
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congrats yaah!!! :thumbup:
i plan on taking step3 by november end, while i still remember stuff from step2...i think a few states like CT allow you to take the step3 even if you haven't begun residency.since the interviews are slow in coming, this has to be a more productive way to spend time than just worrying..
what do you think? what did you do to prepare? :confused:
 
I agree about the practice questions. I had many direct hits from the NMS Step III question book. Even had a couple of the same radiographs from the practice book turn up on my test.

DO NOT WORRY about step III! Basically it is a test of reading comprehension. The questions are really long, but once you get to the end of the long preamble, the question is usually pretty straight-forward.

For those worried about needing to remember medication names, I found that almost all the time, just knowing a generic class name was sufficient. The only place you needed an actual name was in the case simulations, but even there if you know the first letter or two, you can scroll thru your options and find the right one.

I took mine in the second half of my first year of residency, as I felt that I was rapidly losing clinical knowledge. I was in fact pleasantly surprised that some path came in handy, like how to follow up a breast lump, how to stage a colon cancer, etc.

The clinical cases were basic stuff, all topics that you might expect a priori. Middle aged men with chest pain, kids with foreign body aspiration, young adults with STDs, etc. No zebras (as far as I could tell anyway...)
 
Dr.Nick Riveria said:
I just checked the FSMB site and it seems like most of the states have a Minimum Postgraduate Training Requirement of 1 year even CT had a 2 year requirement! Am I reading this wrong? :confused:
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yeah, look at the Post graduate training requirements in deschutes' link..
i just applied for step3 under the CT board, and i'm applying for residencies this year.i say anyone who has time should get this out of the way asap.
what you do need is your ECFMG Certification..
 
Gonna sneak around and cut-and-paste this from earlier in the day's postings:

So I've been mucking around with the sample CCSs... a notable one being the patient with an ascending aortic dissection. According to the guide that accompanies the CCSs, I would optimally complete the case management in under 2 "hours" of simulated time.

The first time I did it blind, it took more than 3 "hours". I read the guide and re-ran the simulation according to what they referred to as "optimal" management steps, and still came in at 2 1/2 "hours".

My question is: What controls the simulated time? I do advance to next finding/test result as available - obviously the more investigations you do the longer it's going to take. And apparently nothing is going to rush the vascular surgery consult.
 
Since nobody answered my question... :mad:

Apparently for the CCS all you have to do to repair an ascending aortic dissection is to type in "repair ascending aortic dissection" - and it's done.

A one-(wo)man wrecking ball team!
 
deschutes said:
Since nobody answered my question... :mad:

Apparently for the CCS all you have to do to repair an ascending aortic dissection is to type in "repair ascending aortic dissection" - and it's done.

A one-(wo)man wrecking ball team!
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Nice! I would figure you have to counsel the patient, get consent, give them anesthesia, position them, drape them, count all the surgical instruments, and THEN repair ascending aortic dissection. :smuggrin:
 
deschutes said:
If by "nice" you mean "utterly lacking in realism and practicality", I agree ;)

I am told you can order "reassure patient".
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Im wading into this crap too.....might get it done in a month or two....
 
Input - "Reassure patient."

CCS - "The patient has died."
CCS - "This case has now come to an end."

3 weeks later

Dear examinee,

You suck. You have failed. Thank you. Try again.

Regards,
NBME
 
deschutes said:
Which reminds me - I need to find out how to order a crash cart.
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The materials and consults you have ordered are on the way. In the meantime, the consultants suggest you use any appropriate medical management. The consultants also have no specific suggestions. If you think of any procedures or tests that may be useful, you may feel free to order them.


But yes, if you have a case that needs emergency surgery, just do it. Thoractomy, sternotomy, exploratory laparotomy, whatever.
 
How long did any of you study for this? I realize it's a ridiculous question - I'm just trying to plan ahead, what with the 100 days starting from the time you get your orange slip or whatever it is.
 
I have no idea, really. I went through the Kaplan question book and part of an older NMS book that someone gave me. Plus I reviewed everything on the CD that the step 3 people send you. I don't think I could quantitate how much time I studied but it was a couple of hours a week for about 2 months I guess. Not a ton.
 
yaah said:
I have no idea, really. I went through the Kaplan question book and part of an older NMS book that someone gave me. Plus I reviewed everything on the CD that the step 3 people send you. I don't think I could quantitate how much time I studied but it was a couple of hours a week for about 2 months I guess. Not a ton.
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Yo yaah, I'm thinking of either taking the test in the end of January or early June. How long did the whole application process take between the time you sent in the application and when you scheduled the exam?
 
FSMB says 2 - 4 weeks from the time you apply till the time you get the test permit. The 90-day eligibility period starts from the moment you get the permit.

So end of January is definitely possible if you apply soon.
 
I sent my stuff in 2 weeks ago & have already received my orange permit & my eligibility period is from nov 1, 2005 to february 28, 2006. I guess it must be longer (>105 days) b/c of the holidays
 
deschutes said:
FSMB says 2 - 4 weeks from the time you apply till the time you get the test permit. The 90-day eligibility period starts from the moment you get the permit.

So end of January is definitely possible if you apply soon.
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Well, it took longer than that for me. Partially because you also have to apply to the appropriate state, which was part of the problem. Seemed like it took at least a month for mine.
 
yaah said:
Well, it took longer than that for me. Partially because you also have to apply to the appropriate state, which was part of the problem. Seemed like it took at least a month for mine.
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"Apply to the appropriate state"? As in, Michigan for you? :confused:

I checked CT on the online app since CA wasn't an option.
Is there another dimension to this application process?

on another note, I've trawled the stupid FSMB site and really can't find anything that states what the required documents actually are. I'm assuming a photocopy of my degree, since that's what everybody says. Do I have to notarize this in addition to the form?
 
The only required documents I thought were a notarized form that they provided and another form that they provided stating you were currently in a training program that the PD had to sign. Or maybe they were the same form.
 
Thanks for answering my question.

yaah said:
The only required documents I thought were a notarized form that they provided and another form that they provided stating you were currently in a training program that the PD had to sign. Or maybe they were the same form.
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Yeah, the application is only 3 pages. I'm looking at the PDF file of it right now.

On page 1, item 9, you fill in what residency program you're in and who the PD is and his/her email and phone number. I don't see where you need to actually have the PD's signature.

On page 3, that's where the notary bullsh*t comes in.
 
waitaminute. You're talking about the paper application (vs. online), aren't you? I finished the online app, put in my residency information, and was never asked for my PD's signature (only phone and email).

After I put all that in I was asked for my credit card info.

I finished, and printed the resulting .pdf - one page to be notarized.
 
I did the application online too - I had to have my PD sign something that I printed out, but I think this was for the state of michigan, so maybe it is different for you.

cartman said:
Thanks for answering my question
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Guess I didn't see that one :oops: Well anyway I can't remember my exact timeline, I started getting stuff online in february, but I didn't actually send things in until mid to late april when I sent everything in. And I think I got my permit around the end of may, and the window had already started, which pissed me off, because clearly if I didn't get the permit until May 30th, having my window start on May 23rd wasn't going to help me much.
 
yaah said:
I did the application online too - I had to have my PD sign something that I printed out, but I think this was for the state of michigan, so maybe it is different for you.



Guess I didn't see that one :oops: Well anyway I can't remember my exact timeline, I started getting stuff online in february, but I didn't actually send things in until mid to late april when I sent everything in. And I think I got my permit around the end of may, and the window had already started, which pissed me off, because clearly if I didn't get the permit until May 30th, having my window start on May 23rd wasn't going to help me much.
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You guys did answer my question. I wasn't being sarcastic.
 
I got an email yesterday saying my orange slip would be mailed within 5 days. Not bad turnaround time at all.

The number of practice questions I get right is directly proportional to how well-rested I am. Maybe I should take an extra day off before the stupid exam and sleep :sleep:

Except that I'd probably be too anxious like I always am :rolleyes:
 
So there I'm scrabbling all around the Prometric website trying to figure out how to schedule my Step 3 online, since the option seems to have vanished in a tangle of other drop-down menu options.

Finally I see this wimp of a paragraph that says "At this time, online appointment scheduling for the STEP 3 examination is not available. The STEP 3 exam must be scheduled on two consecutive days, which requires Contact Center staff to ensure that all candidates are appropriately scheduled."

Brilliant, Einstein. Good to know.
 
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