Physics/Radbio

[fettucine]

Glad to be done!
Physics similar to old raphex (I thought), even had some repeat questions. Finished exactly on time, but didn't have time to review some off the wall questions I had flagged.
Radbio-mirrored ASTRO radbio questions, but much, much easier than the ASTRO questions. More than enough time alotted. Plenty left to review some flagged questions.

Between radbio and physics, the difficulty was much higher for physics, but looking independently physics was not that bad. I think curve on the Radbio will be extremely high.

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[nod]

thanks for sharing the info for the benefit of more junior residents.

 

[deleted4401]

Agree with physics being comparable to Raphex and recalls, but I thought radbio was harder, some mirroring the ASTRO, but other stuff just seemed out of nowhere. I studied much more for physics, though. Who knows??
S

 

[medgator]

I felt the opposite of SimulD. I thought Radbio was pretty doable with the ASTRO study guides, but some of the stuff on physics was out of left field (not in RAPHEX).

 

[fettucine]

Interesting to hear all the opinions. From what I heard about last year on physics, the overwhelming theme was open ended questions on electrons, I didn't see so much of that this year. In terms of Radbio, I think the theme was hypoxia, I think every couple questions there was a hypoxia question (maybe I just didn't study that part enough). I think the take home message for radiobio for the future residents would be to know the figures (and tables) from Hall very well, and definately pay attention to chapter summaries, (looking back at Hall, I could pick out many questions that were directly off of the summaries). They are also shying away from detailed molecular questions, I think I spent way too much time memorizing all the regulatory proteins in S/G2 and G2/M phase. My recommendation would be to know the figure from Hall regarding the basic CDK/Cyclin stuff.

Also a side comment on Sallii, going back and trying the Qbank for physics, it may have helped doing it through the year enforcing the key points. I don't think it matches the questioning style of the ABR, but the concept the question bank enforces on each set is actually pretty close to what they asked. Hope this helps people for next year. I think ABR was successful in making the exam more clinically oriented in physics, there were surprisingly low number of calculations to do.. I think the trend is more clinical and conceptual, and phasing out the basic physics stuff.

 

[medgator]

I think I spent way too much time memorizing all the regulatory proteins in S/G2 and G2/M phase.

I felt like they asked a ton of stuff on DNA repair mol. bio.

 

[kimplera]

i was surprised by having to know plank's constant (also c, speed of light) and not just how to use them in equations.
Otherwise, pretty straightforward with some odd questions that even our physics staff couldn't answer yesterday.

 

[user_name]

Sorry I am late to the party, but I am adding this for possible guidance of future examinees.

I come from a program with GREAT physics curriculum. I have averaged over 90th percentile on inservice physics. Besides reviewing our course notes, I retook 3 inservices, reviewed a national review course's notes, used notecards for months, and took 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009 RAPHEX exams. Despite all of this I ran out of time on the physics portion. I felt the question were NOTHING like the old Raphex exams. I thought many of the questions were confusing leading to the long exam time.

Radbio felt completely different. In contrast to physics, we have a poor radbio curriculum. I studied Hall's pertinent conclusions with notecards without reading entire book, retook inservices, reviewed a national review course's notes, and looked at most of the 2009 ARRO review notes. This exam was surprisingly easy. Much easier than ARRO review test, but that did buy me a couple of free questions.

This isn't meant to scare anyone, but I was led to believe RAPHEX was the key to the physics exam, and I don't want anyone else to falsely believe this and feel the way I did on July 9. Good luck next year: hope we aren't seated next to one another.

 

[fettucine]

phew passed! was having nightmares.

 

[Ursus Martimus]

phew passed! was having nightmares.

Me too, but as far as the exam goes, a pathetic measure of success at best. I think that the tests in the future should be more related to everyday practice instead of ridiculous things that people can look up (or for that matter physicist) like TG protocols or questions people amass from recalls. Honestly, as a progressive discipline I think we have a right to ask more from our credentialing body than that exam.

 

[deleted4401]

I wrote this right after the test, but didn't want to post until I was certain I had passed.

The ABR exams are not very well written. It is not at all like a USMLE exam (except for IICS, the biggest waste of time/money in medical education) in which there is mostly clinically relevant questions rather than definition questions.

Without violating the disclosure agreement of the test, I can confirm that there was a question that was a direct conversion question. Not like convert Bq to Ci, but more like: "100 cm is __ m." Those weren't the numbers or the labels, but that was the gist of the question. Having studied for 12 years since college, and having to pay $1000s for this test, it was ridiculous to see that. On radiobiology there was a question that asked if the induction of DSBs were the most likely mechanism of cell killing for RT. Not in a round-about way, or using pictures or FISH pics or whatever. Directly. Seriously, if someone misses that question, they should have to leave the test and clean out their office immediately. That's not testing competence. Conversely, as others have mentioned, there was stuff out of left field and stuff that was irrelevant to clinical practice.

I have been told that the biology and physics sections are written by PhDs. Perhaps a physician should be involved in the writing of the test?

I have no idea if I passed, we'll see in a few weeks...

The point of this post is, in retrospect, I felt that the Sallii questions were relevant to the test - mostly definitions and fact questions - and I wish I had completed the set, because I ran out of Raphex questions and the style was just different enough to be worth it.

S

 

[user_name]

I am writing again for the benefit of next year's testers.

I did pass the physics portion of the exam. You don't get an overall quartile, but based on the subsection scores, I was likely in the top quartile overall. I write this not to glorify myself, but to point out how poorly this exam was written. I don't think I should have been truly afraid of not passing and end up well above 50th percentile if an exam is well written. I don't know what advice to give in preparation for the exam. Just know that if you feel like you may have to retake the exam, you are probably safe and may be above average. My classmate didn't get to read double digit questions but did record an answer and passed. Again, a poor exam.

Radbio scores were as expected given the relative ease of the exam.

Good luck class of '11.

 

[radonc]

on 7/24 you write:
I come from a program with GREAT physics curriculum. I have averaged over 90th percentile on inservice physics. Despite all of this I ran out of time on the physics portion. I felt the question were NOTHING like the old Raphex exams. I thought many of the questions were confusing leading to the long exam time.


on 8/25, you write:
I was likely in the top quartile overall


based on what you wrote, the inservice correlates to how one does on the board exam; and how you feel coming out of a test shouldnt make you think you are going to fail. if you do well over the course of the 3 years, you will pass the test.

your conclusions from both posts are faulty and misleading.

I am writing again for the benefit of next year's testers.

I did pass the physics portion of the exam. You don't get an overall quartile, but based on the subsection scores, I was likely in the top quartile overall. I write this not to glorify myself, but to point out how poorly this exam was written. I don't think I should have been truly afraid of not passing and end up well above 50th percentile if an exam is well written. I don't know what advice to give in preparation for the exam. Just know that if you feel like you may have to retake the exam, you are probably safe and may be above average. My classmate didn't get to read double digit questions but did record an answer and passed. Again, a poor exam.

Radbio scores were as expected given the relative ease of the exam.

Good luck class of '11.

 

[user_name]

radonc (or do you prefer Spock?),

I apologize for the confusion that I have caused in attempting to be helpful. I tried to achieve brevity in my previous posts, which may have led to the problem.

I hoped to convey that I did do well on inservice physics. I always finished those exams with 30 minutes to an hour to spare. Remember, recent exams were mixed so that one could not focus on certain sections such as physics. I always felt the clinical portions of that exam took me the most time and were the most difficult, yet I finished early. I usually breezed through the physics questions on that exam and never felt fearful over my physics performance. I expected after my dedicated studying AND taking an exam which allowed me to focus on physics only that I would finish with a ridiculous amount of spare time and that I would feel confident in my performance. Neither of these expectations were met.

I also wanted to convey to future examinees that RAPHEX was not as useful as I had hoped. I stand by this even if others disagree.

I agree with the premise that if one does well for 3 years he or she should pass the exam. I used this logic (Is it okay if I use this term given my history?) to bolster my hope and massage my ego until the results came.

This leads to the final point that I feel one who has performed well over years and knows the material should be able to leave a well written exam with a sense of how he or she performed. I don't know how to separate the feelings of confusion and running out of time from a fear of failing as you suggest (oh, to have your Vulcan logic and lack weak human emotion).

I hope this clarifies my previous attempts. If not, please just disregard all future posts by me.

Live long and prosper.

 

[medgator]

I also wanted to convey to future examinees that RAPHEX was not as useful as I had hoped. I stand by this even if others disagree.

I would second that, but honestly, there isn't any better way to prepare (as far as I know).

 

[Gfunk6]

A friendly bump for those who are about to take their Physic/Bio exams this week.

 

[stlo]

Thanks Gfunk. Unfortunately at this point, it does little to calm one's nerves

 

[iradi8u]

Best wishes to everyone taking them!