R.i.s.e.

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so somatic

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The RISE is upon us again this week. Does anyone know if there is any correlation between your score on the exam and your score on the ABP AP/CP board exam? I seem to remember Betsy Bennett from the ABP said at a CAP Residents Forum meeting once that there is no correlation, as the test makers of the RISE and the test makers of the AP/CP boards have no professional communication regarding content of their respective exams. Is the RISE the equivalent of taking a Kaplan test for the USMLE?
 
It would be hard for me to believe that there is no correlation between the RISE and the boards, given that they are testing the same subjects.

Rumor has it that a score of >500 on the RISE is very reassuring that you will subsequently pass boards. This was based on a small study that compared RISE scores with boards passing rates in a small group of senior residents. I don't know who did this study.

Several of the residents who took boards in my program last spring told me that the RISE has very similar content to the boards, although boards is obviously a much longer and more stressful test and has a glass slide component.
 
RISE is worthless, even worse it can lull one into a false sense of security because the real ABP exam is quite different.

RISE needs to be completely eliminated IMO. You cannot possibly compare scores anymore as well as some programs (UCSF comes to mind) actually had a history of letting residents take it at HOME (lol!) vs. a proctored format.

I remember one guy on my interview trail actually ask what my RISE score was...not only did I not remember, I only took it 2 of 5 years of training. Quite humorous in my opinion that the ASCP or CAP (I forget which) that administers the RISE actually delude themselves in thinking that it has anything to do with actually practicing pathology. Academic types are so funny.
 
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I believe Dr. Betsy Bennett mentioned at the CAP RF Spring meeting that a study was underway to determine the correlation between RISE and boards performance.

I've heard about the >500 remark too.
Word on the street amongst people who have taken the exam seems to be similar to what LADoc00 is saying though.

Not all programs in the country make it mandatory for residents to take the RISE. And even if they do, a significant number still take it at home/unproctored. Also, unlike say the ABSITE (American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam), RISE is administered by a completely different entity (American Society for Clinical Path) from the American Board of Pathology.

So when they give you your results from the current year's RISE with those comparative tabulations showing how well you did, I'd be cautious of what you make of the data.
 
LADoc00 said:
RISE needs to be completely eliminated IMO. You cannot possibly compare scores anymore as well as some programs (UCSF comes to mind) actually had a history of letting residents take it at HOME (lol!) vs. a proctored format.
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You will then love the fact that the RISE is now computerized, and many programs, including ours, tell us to just take it at any point during a two week period. They tell us not to cheat, of course, but how do you know? It's akin to a takehome test and I have NO DOUBT that many residents around the country would cheat if given the chance, even though the score does not matter.
 
what is even worse is some programs get all Nazi on the RISE and have it strictly proctored and even more insane actually will toss people if they dont make a minimum threshold determined by National averages....all the while when you have a big chunk of the testing base taking it open book at home, while googling on the internet!!!!!!! LOL.

This is pure and utter HIJINKS.


I CALL SHENANIGANS ON YOU ASCP!

If it already isnt readily apparent I feel that the entire Path training process, exam criteria and utter lack of any real applicability to actual practice is a total sham. Seriously, 6 months of medical autopsy in residency?!!! Autopsies are a non-revenue generating practice!! You cant charge for them, no one wants to do them anymore and many practices have abandoned them all together...WTF are academics thinking?


Autopsy training is guddd.....(drool drool)....
head-in-sand.jpg
 
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but...

I have been reading previous threads suggesting that Rosai/Ackerman Surgical Pathology and Sternberg Histology are two good books for the RISE exam and the boards (along with many, many other sources for the board exam). Is this true? I was planning on reading these two books throughout the next year, although I don't know how much I will retain. 😱

Thanks for any advice.
 
JustInCASE said:
Why was there not a single question on the RISE dealing with specimen grossing? I've spent half my AP life the the gross room and didn't get a single question on the one thing my program actually makes sure I'm proficient at.
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Cause the test isn't for PAs? I don't know, I'm just asking...
 
I found my old RISE studyguide, PM me if you need a copy for boards:
Monkey_Spanking_for_Dummies.jpg
 
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I couldn't be happier that this thread has bottomed out at the basest of comments about the r.i.s.e. And sara's request for study notes from ladoc is priceless! Thanks for the comments. The exam is truly garbage. :laugh:
 
For some reason, the quesion regarding self-actualization being at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been on the test for 4 years in a row.
 
mrp said:
For some reason, the quesion regarding self-actualization being at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been on the test for 4 years in a row.
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5 Plus if it was on there again.
 
FYI, don't post any questions here. This is a potential copyright violation, etc etc and gets people in trouble. It is more of a problem on the MCAT forum, obviously. The thing that was just posted above is not really a problem though. But be cautious.

Definitely don't do: Did anyone know what to put for the question about the most likely associated finding when they showed the picture of the hemangioblastoma? (note: I made that question up)
 
my bad, I just thought that question was interesting I should have been more vague
 
What I find interesting is that PGY5s did no better than PGY4s. I wonder if that was a factor in the elimination of the 5th credentialing year.
 
...or the PGY-5's realized how the RISE did not add anything to their educational experience and stopped taking it, except for those who wanted a question bank for practice.

(I'm making that up.)

But really, I wouldn't attempt to draw earth-shaking conclusions from the RISE data. Because at this point it's little more than data.
 
yaah said:
Why is there always so much cytopath on the RISE?
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Yeah, I don't understand that either. And there must have been 15 thyroid questions but only 3 skins. Isn't skin much more high-volume than thyroid?
 
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Cyto isn't really that overrepresented. (You just think so, Yaah, because you don't like it.) There is way too much forensics.
 
Sorry, didn't take RISE this year. But in the past forensics was approximately 20% of AP. Cyto is a big percentage but at least it matches the volume on boards. There are only a couple of forensics questions on boards. Perhaps they are actually modifying the content to approximate the boards a little better.
 
Acremonium said:
Sorry, didn't take RISE this year. But in the past forensics was approximately 20% of AP. Cyto is a big percentage but at least it matches the volume on boards. There are only a couple of forensics questions on boards. Perhaps they are actually modifying the content to approximate the boards a little better.
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Good heavens that's too much cytology. Why don't they just have everyone take the cytopath boards also? Is the boards similar such that when in doubt you just say "reactive" and you will more than likely be right?
 
deschutes said:
Yes, 40 questions of 130 on the AP portion were cytology.
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I haven't had cytology yet. 🙁 At first I was really trying to figure out possibilities based on the clinical history but then I gave up.

And I also agree too much forensics. When I got to the autopsy part I was like "yay! something I know!" and then I didn't know any of those stupid forensics questions. 😡
 
Do any of you get your residents together to discuss the year's RISE questions?

beary said:
I haven't had cytology yet. 🙁 At first I was really trying to figure out possibilities based on the clinical history but then I gave up.
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Nothing to frown about. You're a first-year! That's what the remaining 3 years of residency (and possibly a fellowship) is for.

beary said:
And I also agree too much forensics. When I got to the autopsy part I was like "yay! something I know!" and then I didn't know any of those stupid forensics questions. 😡
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There were repeats there too.
 
LADoc00 said:
RISE is worthless, even worse it can lull one into a false sense of security because the real ABP exam is quite different.
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1000% true. Listen to him, kids. He knows of what he speaks. The RISE couldn't be any more different from the AP/CP board exam. I love the rumored 500 score having correlation with passing. What a joke.
 
What do you guys think about the CP part? I thought it was harder than the AP part. I thought some of the Micro questions were really nitpicky.

There is quite a difference between the RISE questions and the Osler board questions. The Osler board questions are ALOT more detailed. I get the feeling that if you know your stuff in some detail that is good enough for the RISE.
 
Well, pathology is a nit picky field. I thought the micro questions were fairly reasonable if you knew things like what plate has what growth media on it and which bugs can be distinguished, etc. I don't know any of this to a significant extent, so it's difficult, but at least it seemed reasonable if you knew a bit.
 
Typical of yaah to think the micro section was "reasonable" ;-). I thought the micro section was a little more detailed oriented than the other disciplines. There was one questions asking what abx to use for this bug I and none of the other residents even heard of.
 
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