The Boards

[GreatSaphenous]

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Can someone please tell me what is the best way to pass the boards: What materials/references I need? What has worked for those who passed? Or what good courses are out there?
Thank you so much!

I went through much of Sesap 12 & 13 and took detailed notes (it is true that Sesap is more detailed than the test), but I was looking more for the concepts that were frequently repeated. Fiser is a good broad review.

As for a course, I was greatly unimpressed with Osler. A few of the lecturers were great, but others were hard to understand, one stated at the outset that he did not know nor care what the board answer was to any particular question, and one just told stories. From what I saw of the New York Board review DVDs, it seems pretty strong.

I strongly feel one of the best reviews is to find people to share information with.

Good luck, now go back to your grilled portabellas.
I am the (board qualified, but not yet ceritified) Great Saphenous!!!!!!!

 

[blue2000]

I read SESAP 13 cover to cover, taking pretty detailed notes (that's my typical study pattern dating back to college). I did all the questions that you can buy from Osler (it's called Osler self study or something like that -- 500 VERY Detailed questions. Way more detail oriented than the test itself, but I found it helpful). I read selected chapters of Cameron for stuff I felt weak on (breast, gb cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, can't remember what else). I used some of the questions you get online if you buy Greenfields.

SESAP 13, Osler review questions and Cameron were where I would focus if I had to do it again.

 

[mochadoc]

Can someone please tell me what is the best way to pass the boards: What materials/references I need? What has worked for those who passed? Or what good courses are out there?
Thank you so much!

I did Sesap 12 and 13. Read every explanation. If I missed any questions, I would pull out Sabiston and read over the concept. I did not read Sabiston from cover to cover as some attendings in my program suggested😱

Also did the John Hopkins Absite Question Book - Some pretty basic questions but covers some good stuff. Also did all the Schwartz questions.

I did not take a review course this year. But three years ago I went to the New York General Surgery Board Review. It helped me on ABSITE but I can't really tell if it helped on my boards. I did review their high yield notes a couple of weeks before the boards.

Not sure how well I did on the boards, but heck. I don't even care at this point. The PASS is ALL I needed to see. 😉

I'm living proof that you don't have to knock the ABSITE out the ballpark every year to pass your boards. I would stress that you take the ABSITE serious and study for it like you would do for the boards because the same concepts will appear.

 

[DocJockey]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the advice and support. See you guys on the other side!

 

[Guile]

Not sure how well I did on the boards, but heck. I don't even care at this point. The PASS is ALL I needed to see. 😉

Do you get a score or percentile on the boards or just a "P" or "F"?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Do you get a score or percentile on the boards or just a "P" or "F"?

Scored just like Absite - ie, percentile.

 

[Guile]

Scored just like Absite - ie, percentile.

What percentile is passing? Just curious.

 

[Winged Scapula]

What percentile is passing? Just curious.

I don't remember - somewhere in the 70s? My stuff is at the office, so can't look it up for you.

It changes every year: here is their vague description of the scoring.

 

[Guile]

I don't remember - somewhere in the 70s? My stuff is at the office, so can't look it up for you.

It changes every year: here is their vague description of the scoring.

So only 30% of test takers pass the boards each year? Wow, that's a pretty big deal.

 

[Smurfette]

Per the ABS website, pass rates are normally in the mid-70s. Therefore, being above the 25-30th percentile range is needed to pass.

Haven't gotten a score report yet, so I can't comment on percent right to pass (not sure if it even will say a cut-off).

 

[Winged Scapula]

So only 30% of test takers pass the boards each year? Wow, that's a pretty big deal.

Sorry...as Smurfette says, between 20 and 30% fail. There is a cut off score and I recalled it being in the 70s. Thus, perhaps it is not a percentile but percentage correct.

I have a friend (really ) who failed it and I remember looking at his score report and seeing that he was only 2 points below passing and that his score was in the low 70s.

 

[JackADeli]

...I have a friend ....who failed it and ...was only 2 points below passing and that his score was in the low 70s.

Yep, some chiefs in the classes before me failed by less then 10 questions! Our PD emphasized this point. The Osler course people will also emphasize this.... those few uro and ortho questions can have a big impact. Numerous individuals will often fail by just a small margin.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Found the score report; here is how it is scored:

"Total Group Scores:"
Passing Score: Scaled Score = 75; Percent Correct = 69.4%, Percentile = 22
Average Performance for Total Group: Scale = 79.6; Percent Correct = 73.6%

Then of course, they give you your scaled score and percent correct, percentile ranking. Obviously each administration of the exam will vary, but it appears that a Scale Score in the mid 70s, and Percent Correct around 70% tends to be where the test generally requires a minimum standard.

 

[splapchole]

Is anyone interested in having a study partner to practice mock orals? please let me know. I need some help practicing as that seems to be the best way to prepare for the orals.

 

[GreatSaphenous]

since sharing facts for the written boards helped me out last year, I thought I would bump this thread up. Good luck to this year's test takers.

All for now, go back to your kosher hot dogs,
I am the Great Saphenous!!!!

 

[droliver]

don't shave biopsy a skin cancer.... it may be melanoma and you need full thickness depth biopsy which is lost if you start with a shave.

There was a pretty convincing paper presented at the Amer. college of Surgeons last year suggesting that the conventional wisdom of excision or punch being preferable to shave biopsy just didn't appear to make a clinical difference. You can read the summary of the discussion here:
http://www.facs.org/surgerynews/update/shavebio...

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw quotes in the discussion from my former chairman at the U. of Louisville, Dr Hiram Polk, who was/is internationally infamous and truly the last of the great old school chiefs of surgery, start saying how great a thing shave biopsies are now. This from a man (who a well known melanoma expert) who threatened to (and would have) fired you if you EVER did a shave biopsy of a pigmented lesion. Hell has frozen over!

 

[balaguru]

There was a pretty convincing paper presented at the Amer. college of Surgeons last year suggesting that the conventional wisdom of excision or punch being preferable to shave biopsy just didn't appear to make a clinical difference. You can read the summary of the discussion here:
http://www.facs.org/surgerynews/update/shavebio...

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw quotes in the discussion from my former chairman at the U. of Louisville, Dr Hiram Polk, who was/is internationally infamous and truly the last of the great old school chiefs of surgery, start saying how great a thing shave biopsies are now. This from a man (who a well known melanoma expert) who threatened to (and would have) fired you if you EVER did a shave biopsy of a pigmented lesion. Hell has frozen over!

If I remember correctly that paper looked only at T2 and smaller lesions. Not sure why.

 

[Chest Cutter]

Interesting factoids:

EKG is the best test to rule out blunt cardiac injury.(not ECHO)

hmmm not sure I agree with that. I would still get an Echo even if the ECG (EKG) was normal.

1) Ensure there's no haemopericardium
2) Significant blunt myocardial injury --> regional wall motion abnormality.

ECG is the best initial test but Echo is more sensitive.

 

[SLUser11]

hmmm not sure I agree with that. I would still get an Echo even if the ECG (EKG) was normal.

1) Ensure there's no haemopericardium
2) Significant blunt myocardial injury --> regional wall motion abnormality.

ECG is the best initial test but Echo is more sensitive.

You can rule out hemopericardium with FAST.

splapchole's point is that if the EKG is normal, then the chance of significant blunt injury is very very low. How many times have you seen new regional wall motion abnormality in blunt cardiac injury with normal EKG?

Here are the EAST guidelines. They do a good job of summarizing.

I think the reason this is a sensitive topic is that across the US, residents and staff alike have been ordering unnecessary serial cardiac enzymes on patients with minimal risk for significant injury.

Here is a link to some more EAST guidelines.

 

[Chest Cutter]

You can rule out hemopericardium with FAST.

splapchole's point is that if the EKG is normal, then the chance of significant blunt injury is very very low. How many times have you seen new regional wall motion abnormality in blunt cardiac injury with normal EKG?

Here are the EAST guidelines. They do a good job of summarizing.

I think the reason this is a sensitive topic is that across the US, residents and staff alike have been ordering unnecessary serial cardiac enzymes on patients with minimal risk for significant injury.

Here is a link to some more EAST guidelines.

Interesting read. Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled working in a cardiothoracic centre. Cardiology do beside echos for us pretty much whenever we ask. But I guess it's different in a standard ER. A patient with a cardiac history (most of the patients we see) may have an "abnormal ECG" which is normal for them, so we are easily swayed towards echo.

 

[SLUser11]

Being a brand new fellow, I'm having a hard time finding time to study for the boards. I will go a week at a time without opening a book.

I have a better understanding now of the plight of all new surgical fellows....spending July trying to balance the new job with the ridiculously important impending QE.

My current plan is to go through SESAP 13 and 14, and skim through Fiser's book. I don't plan on reading much Sabiston or Cameron. We'll see how that works out.

 

[tjmDO]

I feel your pain. Just started my vascular fellowship and I also am not having any success in cracking books. Too Busy! Going to take a week of vacation for the osler review and do some questions as well. Hope that works. Good Luck..

 

[SLUser11]

I feel your pain. Just started my vascular fellowship and I also am not having any success in cracking books. Too Busy! Going to take a week of vacation for the osler review and do some questions as well. Hope that works. Good Luck..

I'm not too surprised that this is a national phenomenon. There's really no solution, though, because the farther away we get from our residency training, the harder it would be to pass this test.

On a side note, I just read this pdf on the ABS website that puts the SESAP debate to rest. On the first page, bottom right-hand corner, they mention that it's the same content outline as the recertification exam.

 

[SLUser11]

Questions for those who have already taken the QE:

Is there any basic science at all? Should I brush over it (GI hormones, coagulation pathways, etc), or completely ignore it? According to the content outline, the test is 19% Physiology/Critical Care, but I can't tell exactly what that means.

Does anyone know how to locate the Osler questions, and if they are available and affordable without taking the course?

I'm off today, and I keep trying to study, but my mind keeps wandering off on colorectal-related tangents, then I read about pouchitis for 30 minutes.

It's nice to hear from some of you that the QE is "easier than the ABSITE," but it's hard for me to bank on it when it's such an important test. I'm nervous that I'll under-study.

 

[Smurfette]

Yes, there is a handful of basic science questions, but nothing that requires a lot of time to remember, as you've done 5 years of the ABSITE and know the common topics. Skim those chapters in Fiser and you'll be set; don't waste a lot of time on this.

You can go to the Osler website and link to try to find the practice questions. You can order them or the notes without taking the course here. $39 to download, $75 for printed materials. Truthfully, I've not heard as much useful stuff about their written exam materials as compared to the oral boards review stuff (I recommend taking that course, if you can). However, if you want just to have more practice questions to go through, it can't hurt.

 

[SLUser11]

One of my new UT friends took the QE in 2009, and he was very happy with the Pass Machine course, which was discussed briefly here.

I just glanced through his syllabus from the course, and it looks absolutely worthless. There is an awful lot of information in there that I can promise won't be on the QE. I couldn't imagine paying for the course, then sitting through those lectures (e.g. 60 slides on different airway devices, airway scoring, etc).

Then, there are occasionally multiple choice questions worked into the lectures, many of which have half-wrong or outdated answers. One lecture point (bolded and underlined, then made into a MC question) was that any bowel obstructions that occur after laparoscopy mandate an immediate open exploration. Wow.

More gems:
30 slides on pediatric liver transplantation, and multiple different techniques for biliary and arterial reconstruction.

I'm not saying that these things aren't good to know....I think several of the lectures would probably make good Grand Rounds topics....but they're definitely not high yield for the boards....it's mostly clinical info (e.g. here's how we like to start tube feeds) rather than answers to multiple choice questions.

I didn't take the course, but based on the syllabus, I give the Pass Machine an F plus.





....BTW, how long until Surgisphere comes out with a QE prep? I bet it would get a cluster of good reviews....

 

[ESU_MD]

I suspect that when the time comes you will "know" internally that its time to buckle down and study. I am a firm believer that your mind knows just exactly what it will take to pass these kinds of tests and starting to prepare before you hit that internal milestone is useless.

now, some people dont start to retain knowledge till a month before, a week before, and others take longer. I think we all have our zones


.........i'm sure this was a useless comment

 

[SLUser11]

I suspect that when the time comes you will "know" internally that its time to buckle down and study. I am a firm believer that your mind knows just exactly what it will take to pass these kinds of tests and starting to prepare before you hit that internal milestone is useless.

I've known internally that I need to study for quite some time now, but I keep getting distracted by work, etc.

I tried to sit down and read SESAP today, but ultimately I'm giving up now....have a birthday party to attend. Family trumps studying.

I'm hoping that my diligent studying during residency pays off, and I can pass the boards using my existing foundation of knowledge. However, I have to admit that with the test 5 days away, I'm starting to get a little nervous about my level of preparation.

 

[Guile]

I've known internally that I need to study for quite some time now, but I keep getting distracted by work, etc.

I tried to sit down and read SESAP today, but ultimately I'm giving up now....have a birthday party to attend. Family trumps studying.

I'm hoping that my diligent studying during residency pays off, and I can pass the boards using my existing foundation of knowledge. However, I have to admit that with the test 5 days away, I'm starting to get a little nervous about my level of preparation.

I think you'll be great. If you aren't prepared SLUser, then who in the country would be?

 

[traumachick]

uggg...crunch time. What is everyone else doing in this last few days? My plan is just more questions (even though I'm not sure how helpful they are), and maybe skim through Fiser.

I also plan to take Wednesday completely off both studying and fellowship (long term tradition, can't concentrate the day before anyhow...)

Good luck!

 

[SLUser11]

uggg...crunch time. What is everyone else doing in this last few days? My plan is just more questions (even though I'm not sure how helpful they are), and maybe skim through Fiser.

I also plan to take Wednesday completely off both studying and fellowship (long term tradition, can't concentrate the day before anyhow...)

Good luck!

Thank you, Guile, for the vote of confidence.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow. I'm confident that the years of us arguing on SDN about WAMC threads and discussing which programs belong in the mythical "Top Ten" list will lead to our success.

 

[ajlmd]

I took it a few years ago and thought it was a lot like the ABSITE. Mostly clinical-based questions, some very straightforward but others were strangely worded and confusing. I did have a few questions about nutrition that I thought were obsolete that stick out in my memory. I had high hopes of reading a text in July to prepare but was very busy in fellowship so I didn't even come close to completing that goal.

I didn't walk away from it feeling great but realized that there was nothing I could do about it at that point so I went out and got a margarita. Good decision. The last week of August the scores came back (a little less than 3 weeks)- I passed then went on to take the orals in October which I also passed.

I wasn't overwhelmingly impressed with any one review source for the writtens but highly recommend the Osler course and Safe Answers for the Orals. I was so busy by October I knew I would struggle to find time to study if I tried to do so at home so 4 days away to take Osler immediately before the Orals was a great decision. I had 13 scenarios in 3 rooms; 11/13 were nearly verbatim from the course and book.

Good luck tomorrow!

 

[45408]

I think you'll be great. If you aren't prepared SLUser, then who in the country would be?

No kidding.

 

[SLUser11]

I'm all done. The test was a lot shorter than I thought it would be....took about 3.5 hours. I will write a more in depth review when I get to a computer.

 

[daisygirl]

It has been awhile since I posted 🙂

Anyhow, I felt that the boards were somewhat easier than the absite. I don't really know why though...maybe I studied more? I never performed that stellar on the absite.

I used SESAP 13, the newest edition of RUSH and I did a substantial portion Surgical Illustrated Review (older review book for those that are not familiar). The review sources were much harder than the questions. I felt that there was a evenly proportioned number of easy questions, middle of the road and those that I just did not know the answer too.

I also took the Osler review course earlier in the year. Complete waste of time, other than getting out of residency for a week. I would not recommend taking it, however, I will probably take it for the orals given that I think it would be helpful...maybe I never learn 😳

 

[SLUser11]

I'm all done. The test was a lot shorter than I thought it would be....took about 3.5 hours. I will write a more in depth review when I get to a computer.

Well, overall I feel that the test was reasonable. It was 5 blocks, each 90 minutes and consisting of 64 questions. You were given a 10 minute break between the blocks, and a 40 minute break for lunch after the 3rd block (no other option).

The blocks didn't take anywhere near 90 minutes, but the lunchtime was set, so I was forced to eat a sandwich at 10am. I definitely had some fatigue during the 5th block, so I'd recommend a cup of coffee or something similar. I also think it's important to stand up and stretch with each break, as it allows your brain to reload. If I hadn't done that, I definitely would have lost focus.

The content can't be discussed in detail, but I think the breakdown on the ABS website is pretty accurate. There was very little basic science, but you can't forget the Fiser book material. The question format was very similar to the ABSITE, and there were plenty of short questions (1-2 sentences), not just bulky clinical scenarios.

I think the Pearson testing sites block this day out specifically for the exam, which is nice because everyone is there for the same reason, and there's no typing exams going on nearby.

I can't really give study advice until I get my score back. As long as I get good news in a few weeks, I'll come back and fill in the blanks.

I wish I could say that I'm going to go out drinking and celebrating, but it's actually pretty anti-climactic. I'm thinking about taking a nap. We'll see...

 

[daisygirl]

For those who took the QE on 8/11, the ABS has listed on their website that you have passed/failed the exam. I didn't think we would know so soon given they reported a 9/9 posting.

Anyhow, I can happily report I passed. My recommendations to those in training: read as much and learn as much as you can in residency given this is where the majority of your learning takes place. In terms of reviewing for the QE exam- I used SESAP 13 since I was too cheap to splurge on SESAP 14, the new Rush as well as the previous edition and a good chunk of Surgical Illustrated (older question book no longer in print). I also read a good chunk of Fiser's absite review.

Spent a total of a month to review all of those resources. I am not in a fellowship currently and I have taken some time off due to relocating, pregnancy, husband's fellowship... So, I had a lot of time to study in that month.

I also took the Osler course a couple of months ago. I do not recommend it for the boards. I never looked at the syllabus after taking the course so I essentially went to the lectures and that was it- big fat waste of money. I will probably take Osler for the CE though due to my being out of residency and working per diem. Not sure if I'll regret that too 🙁

 

[sleeping]

Took the QE also. Since many people were helpful as to what to study and it helped-Yay. I'll add my 2 cents.
1. Definitely Sesap 13 or 14.
2. Fiser (the black thick book), had many of the questions asked, underlined or starred.
3. ACS course, didn't really help so much.

 

[SLUser11]

Well, I passed. No score was given yet. Thanks again for the vote of confidence.

I can't type much because I actually have finger fatigue from the world's most aggressive bedside disimpaction, which is a new experience. I can barely move my index finger.

I do think it's safe to say that SESAP is the road to success.

 

[blue2000]

Took it a year ago and passed; felt like SESAP was the key to passing the writtens. Not only is it a good, literature supported question book, the same people who write SESAP write the boards.

As to the certifying exam, I took the Osler course and think it helped, more for the fact that my mind wasn't 100% on studying in the weeks leading up to the test, and the course let me focus on the test for 5 days without any other distractions (we were moving, I was a pretty busy uni attending, I have a two year old, etc) so I would recommend it for that reason.

 

[SLUser11]

I got my score in the mail today. I think it's tacky to share scores, but I'll give some more anonymous details.

You are given an examination score, which is scaled (not percent correct), and adjusted so that scores are comparable from year to year. You are also given a percentile score.

You are also given the average performance for the group, and the passing score/percentile.

Passing score=75, passing percentile=20th

Average score for the August 2011 group: 80.1

My percentile score roughly correlated with my previous ABSITE scores.

My approach to studying:

I studied less than I had planned, mostly because fellowship is busy. I would recommend getting a jump start on studying prior to residency graduation to avoid similar anxiety.

1. I read SESAP 13 and 14 once, and took notes on the stuff I didn't know.

2. I read Fiser's ABSITE review book once. To be honest, though, I have most of the Fiser one-liners memorized after 5 years of ABSITE, and I have an older version, so it wasn't super helpful.

3. I read ABSITE killer once.

4. I read the Vascular chapters from Cameron's 9th edition. I think this was a good idea.

5. Outside of the vascular chapters, I didn't do any other textbook reading.

6. I started to go through the syllabus for "The Pass Machine," but I thought it sucked and I stopped.

7. The day prior to the test, I just skimmed my personal notes.


I firmly believe that SESAP is the single most important study tool for the QE. It would be foolish not to read it.

I also believe that the test is very reasonable, and designed to be passable. You will know the majority of the answers from your 5 years of residency, and not from your 1 month of preparation.

 

[doc05]

i have to agree. SESAP is a must.

 

[SLUser11]

Some advice from a 2013 thread on the topic:

Found out I passed the written (QE) board exam. Results seemed to come quickly (< 3 weeks). I thought it was a more clinically relevant and fair exam than the ABSITE. The ABS content outline on the test's composition (weight given to various topics) does seem accurate. I would say the test is 80% senior ABSITE and 20% SESAP knowledge. To break it down another way, a quarter of it seemed easy, another quarter unfairly controversial 'we do this in practice, but the book says...', another 25% 'that's a fair question, and I don't know a great answer', and the final quarter was 'WTF'?

My two main pieces of advice are to establish a disciplined foundation of knowledge throughout residency and then do SESAP twice, with the repeat session very near test time.

For building a foundation, my program was too cheap to buy the SCORE curriculum (it looks good, though). The last few ABSITEs, I did the Schwartz and DeVirglio ABSITE question books before each exam, and I thought they were great practice. I did read most of Greenfield's my first two years and Cameron in the last three. I think the latest edition of Cameron's (10th edition, blue cover), however, is crap compared to the 9th edition. In retrospect, I would toss any basic surgical text (Greenfield, Sabiston, or Schwartz). UpToDate is now scarily good on many surgical topics, and it is my first go to for any real life clinical questions. For books, I think ACS Surgery and Cameron's are the way to go for exams and treating patients. Selected Readings in General Surgery and journals are gravy.

While consistent studying rather than cramming is old advice, I would expect to have scant time to cram for the QE. Time is spent moving and decompressing from residency. A few of my colleagues started fellowships with >80 hour work weeks in a new hospital system. I worked till the end of June and then moved overseas. Most are stressed. The ABS is inflexible- you get one shot in early August.

I obtained an Osler syllabus- it sucked. The audio CD lectures I heard were decent but not game changing. I would rather spend time doing question books (Osler's website has one- it's old but good).

The big kicker: *SESAP * was overkill for the ABSITE, but it's a powerful tool for the board exam. SESAP really frustrated me, and I did poorly on the questions (~30-50% correct). But then I got to listen to the SESAP Audio Companion, and I was really surprised at how the speakers 'humanized' the knowledge. They discussed the material's nuances and ambiguity, reemphasizing certain info that wasn't discussed in textbooks or day-to-day clinical activity. Much more digestable, but doesn't cover SESAP's full extent. It's also horribly expensive, but a pool of residents could reasonably split the costs.

Toward exam time, I think it's important to look at what ABS categories have little weight (e.g. <5%) and deemphasize those categories' minutiae (e.g. pediatrics or transplant).

Study SESAP twice before stressing over cellular biology.

As a guy who was an ABSITE "geek" and just found out I passed the QE I completely agree with the above poster. Basic science text for the first 2 years, Cameron for the last 3 years. SESAP 14 is overkill for the ABSITE but if you want to score high then do it. After building a strong fund of knowledge the QE is exam is relatively straightforward.

Likewise, I also found out I passed the QE just yesterday. My preparation was not nearly as much as I would have liked to do. I am currently a Colorectal Fellow. The content followed the outline given on the board of surgery website, and mirrored in my mind the senior ABSITE for the majority of the exam. I feel that the OPs 25% breakdowns of Easy/Controversial Two Answers are good/Im not sure of the answer/Im hoping this question is thrown out. Test was Aug 8, and pass/fail report was on Aug 20. The true score report has not quite yet come in as of yet in the mail.

Since 70% of us are doing fellowships after residency, I imagine a lot of you will be in the same boat as myself. Recently moved to a new city, starting a new fellowship, trying to make a good impression, reading for your fellowship, you likely will not be happy with the amount of time that you have to study for this thing. Of course, study habits will vary widely from person to person, and I wouldn't necessarily condone my study habits, as I have an unhealthy xbox and PC gaming habit which has followed me ever since high school.

During residency, we kept up reading Schwartz/Cameron each week, so we went thru the textbook over the course of the year each time.

Around ABSITE, I would scan through Fiser's review over the course of two weeks, plus going through SESAP once.

I started seriously reviewing for boards the first week of July, but was still within the absolute chaos mode of fellowship, so really it was the second week of July when I hunkered down.

I had Sesap audio plugged into my iphone, and listened to the whole thing once while doing my 42 mile each way commute to work (Southwest Houston all the way up to The Woodlands, yay).

I went through SESAP 14 once through, spending lots of time reading the explanations and taking notes as necessary. I then repeated only the questions that I had gotten incorrect, and re-read the explanations for those. I spent 100-110 hours in total on SESAP, much more so the last week leading up to the test.

I also purchased the Surgery Board Weapon QE question data bank for 99 bucks for a one month subscription and got through 33% of it with the iphone app version of it, during downtime in clinic, or between cases. I thought the content material covered was reasonable, but definitely had some questionable material that id not read before, so I can't say it was as high yield as SESAP.

The night before I re-memorized all the GI hormones, coag pathways, Resp Quotients, TPN, and all that other crap that has a memory retention t(1/2) of one hour or less. and skimmed Head and Neck and the Urology/Gyn/orthopedics the day before that.

Good luck to you future test takers.

 

[SLUser11]

Bump for those about to take the QE on 7/18.

Good luck!

 

[AFMC]

The 2016 ABS GS QE was on the 19th July.
But,the results are'nt released yet.
It only took 8 days and 13 days for the two previous years.
The wait is daunting!!!

 

[AFMC]

New System for Reporting of Exam Results
JULY 22, 2016 MEDIA CONTACT: CHRISTINE SHIFFER, 215-568-4000 EXT. 137

ABS moving to new system of scaled scores for reporting of exam results

Beginning with the 2016 General Surgery Qualifying Examination, the American Board of Surgery (ABS) is moving to a clearer, more consistent system for the reporting of results of all written summative examinations (i.e., written qualifying, certifying and MOC examinations). Results will now be reported to examinees as scaled scores, rather than raw scores.* Raw exam scores will be converted to a scale of 100 to 900, with a consistent passing scaled score of 400 for all exams.

Because examinations can vary slightly in difficulty across administrations, the ABS uses the psychometric process of equating to ensure the passing standard remains consistent. Although the passing standard itself does not change from year to year, reporting exam results as raw percent correct scores, as previously done, can make results difficult to interpret due to minor variations in question difficulty from one exam to the next. The new fixed scaled score, by comparison, better reflects the consistent standard that must be achieved on an exam and will allow examinees to directly compare how they performed across exams.

Scaled scores can be interpreted as standard deviation units from the passing score. For example, an examinee with a score of 500 scored one standard deviation above the passing score, giving further insight into an individual's exam performance.

The move to scaled scores for the reporting of exam results in no way impacts how the ABS equates across exams or determines and applies its passing standards. For each exam, individuals have the same chance of passing regardless of examination year, changes in exam difficulty, or the ability of the overall examinee group. Theoretically, all examinees can pass (or fail) each year; there is no pre-designated failure rate for any ABS exam. The new scaled scores are intended to provide greater clarity to the ABS examination process, and more useful information to examinees as they seek to achieve or maintain their certification.

• *One exception has been the the General Surgery Qualifying Examination (QE), which previously used a scaled score with a passing score of 75. QE scores will now also be reported on the 100 to 900 scale, with a passing score of 400.

 

[dmal]

So I'm not alone. Other than logging on to the ABS website 3 times a day since exactly 8 days after the test, I'm trying not to think about it 🙂
I don't think anyone is even aware of this change to the score reporting. Its interesting how they decided to the break this news 3 days after the test. There was an email they had sent out shortly before the QE encouraging folks to go ahead and sign up for Orals for a new September date, with the promise they would refund any fees if you didn't pass because test results won't be out till mid- late August... so, who knows...

 

[AFMC]

e-mailed the ABS co-od regarding the delay and (s)he replied..."Dr. xxx - I anticipate the results will be posted soon, but I have not been advised as to a specific date. Please note there will be an announcement on our website's homepage once available."