tips for tomorrow?

[Idiopathic]

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starting to get nervous. exam at noon. fire away.

 

[tkim]

NMS. But good luck. Boards are the suxxors.

 

[Idiopathic]

i figure that means not my scene, but i cant say for sure you arent referring to neuroleptic malignant syndrome, so i plan to review that again before bedtime.

 

[tkim]

i figure that means not my scene, but i cant say for sure you arent referring to neuroleptic malignant syndrome, so i plan to review that again before bedtime.

"Not My Specialty" - it's a Sermo thing.

But I went through oral boards couple months ago and it was white-knuckle bad for me. Actually felt bad for the examiners I shook hands with, since my palms were pretty clammy. I could visibly see some of them controlling the urge to wipe their hands after shaking mine. Good times.

 

[SexPanther]

starting to get nervous. exam at noon. fire away.

Try to stop thinking about it, get some sleep.

You know your ****, you will be fine buddy.

 

[sevoflurane]

Try to stop thinking about it, get some sleep.

You know your ****, you will be fine buddy.

What he said. 👍

 

[Idiopathic]

Try to stop thinking about it, get some sleep.

You know your ****, you will be fine buddy.

you know i dont roll this way

 

[bullard]

You probably know all the basic advice like don't stay in the exam hotel, do what you normally do in practice, etc. Here's something I wish I'd thought of before: don't read the examiners' name tags. You will feel a strong urge to do so, and I'm sure most examinees look. What's the point? You either get more nervous because it's f'in Barash or Fleisher or somebody, or you've never heard of them. Nothing good can come of it.

 

[Idiopathic]

You probably know all the basic advice like don't stay in the exam hotel, do what you normally do in practice, etc. Here's something I wish I'd thought of before: don't read the examiners' name tags. You will feel a strong urge to do so, and I'm sure most examinees look. What's the point? You either get more nervous because it's f'in Barash or Fleisher or somebody, or you've never heard of them. Nothing good can come of it.

too late.

i am staying in my room for the rest of the night, seeing as how i ran into about 20 people in the lobby who are all examiners.

 

[michigangirl]

Best of luck! If you feel like you hit a roadblock just take a deep breath and imagine yourself in the OR-- really in it-- YOUR operating room, the one you work in everyday and that scenario happens to you-- and just walk em through it. Then when it's all over, go celebrate!

 

[Arch Guillotti]

do what you do everyday

 

[doctor712]

Best of luck idiopathic!!!!!!!

 

[bostonblaz]

Go grab a good diner and a beer and watch the second half of the eagles falcons game. Go for a run and have a good breakfast in the morning. You will do well. Blaz

 

[fastosprintini]

talk slow and think fast , worked for me ...
good luck,
fasto

 

[jetproppilot]

too late.

i am staying in my room for the rest of the night, seeing as how i ran into about 20 people in the lobby who are all examiners.

I stayed in the same hotel.

Atlanta, Georgia.

Doesn't matter....whoever came up with that piece of advice is a Designer...

Bring the heat man. You know you've got it.

ROKKSTARR.

 

[pgg]

I stayed in the hotel where the exam was being given. I didn't want to gamble on the .0001% chance that my cab driver the morning of the exam would drive us off a bridge or take me to the wrong place.

Woke up, got my room service breakfast, barely touched that $40 plate of eggs or whatever they gouged me for, and got in the elevator like I was heading to my own execution.

After, went straight to the airport to GTFO of town, gradually convinced myself over the following weeks that they were going to flunk me for that stupid TPN grab bag question.

I've never met you, but from what you've written on SDN, your odds are good.

whoever came up with that piece of advice is a Designer

Is a what?

 

[jetproppilot]

Dude..

"DESIGNER"

MEANS

TIM GUNN.

Questions?

 

[sevoflurane]

.....gradually convinced myself over the following weeks that they were going to flunk me for that stupid TPN grab bag question.

This is not an uncommon phenomenon....

Hopefully you are heading up to the mountains to clear your head a little.

It is right around the corner....😉

 

[CambieMD]

The oral exam is a big performance. You have to put on a good show for the examiners. Content is important but so is presentation. Try to relax and let it flow. Give reasonable answers to what you are asked and there is no way that you can fail. Try to get a handle on your nerves.Work out the night before if that is part of your normal schedule. Just about all of you will pass so don't hurt yourself after the exam. Remember, no one knows everything.

Cambie

 

[panetrain]

Tips:

It is ok to change your answer if you were clearly wrong and suddenly recognize your error.

It is ok to state that you would consult a peer or review a reference text if you don't have the answer, this is much better than spitting out BS.

It is ok to say "I don't know".

75% of the test will be subjects that most well prepped testers will know very well, always stay focused because that other 25% might just present itself towards the end when your more relaxed.

Just assume the second block will be harder, assume one examiner will be much more difficult, assume there will be at least one case scenario you know little or nothing about (when you encounter this speed bump, saying less is more, this will allow the examiner to recognize this absence of knowledge and move through the case quicker. This also allows you to begin the next case, which you will likely be more familiar with).

Basic High Yield Subjects: (review these otherwise you might sound like a CRNA)

1. Official Machine Checkout
2. What are the Standard ASA monitors (don't say "pulse ox, EKG mon., BP cuff, ETCO2, etc..., this is how a CRNA would answer this question).
3. Drawing the most common circuits, drawing the basic machine diagram.
4. Cardiac Clearance based on the most up-to-date guidelines
5. Difficult airway algorithm
6. PFT's
7. PACU discharge criteria
8. Phase II discharge criteria
9. PACU discharge criteria for PT with spinal.
10. ACLS
11. PALS
12. Neonatal resuscitation
13. Extubation criteria
14. LMA indications/CI
15. This is basic stuff that we all know, but the examiner will expect you to verbally communicate this knowledge as if you were a consultant anesthesiologist.

The oral exam is a big performance. You have to put on a good show for the examiners. Content is important but so is presentation. Try to relax and let it flow. Give reasonable answers to what you are asked and there is no way that you can fail. Try to get a handle on your nerves.Work out the night before if that is part of your normal schedule. Just about all of you will pass so don't hurt yourself after the exam. Remember, no one knows everything.

Cambie

 

[Arch Guillotti]

Basic High Yield Subjects: (review these otherwise you might sound like a CRNA)

1. Official Machine Checkout
2. What are the Standard ASA monitors (don't say "pulse ox, EKG mon., BP cuff, ETCO2, etc..., this is how a CRNA would answer this question).
3. Drawing the most common circuits, drawing the basic machine diagram.

I don't think these are high yield at all although the rest of your list seems reasonable.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

starting to get nervous. exam at noon. fire away.

so what happened?

 

[Idiopathic]

oh its no fun, for sure. i said some things i wish i hadnt and didnt say some things i wish i had. my questions were all very reasonable, but it definitely tests you on some things that you arent necessarily prepared for. i think that if they had given me a discount to re-register at this time i would have taken it.

 

[cchoukal]

oh its no fun, for sure. i said some things i wish i hadnt and didnt say some things i wish i had. my questions were all very reasonable, but it definitely tests you on some things that you arent necessarily prepared for. i think that if they had given me a discount to re-register at this time i would have taken it.

I think this sums up pretty much everyone's experience. hang in there.

 

[invitro]

Man if you felt that way idio I can only imagine how I will feel tomorrow. Let's hope for the best.

 

[epidural man]

This is not an uncommon phenomenon....

Hopefully you are heading up to the mountains to clear your head a little.

It is right around the corner....😉

👍

I love the rockies...

Sigh.......😍

 

[geauxg8rs]

I ran into one of Mike Ho's peeps after the exam a few years ago and he asked me the following question:

"would you be surprised if they told you failed? Would you be surprised if they told you passed?"

My answer to both was, No wouldn't be surprised either way.
He said that was what they want you to feel.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

oh its no fun, for sure. i said some things i wish i hadnt and didnt say some things i wish i had. my questions were all very reasonable, but it definitely tests you on some things that you arent necessarily prepared for. i think that if they had given me a discount to re-register at this time i would have taken it.

Translation - pass

 

[MTGas2B]

The worst thing that happened after my boards, I learned you can't order alcohol in Georgia before 10 or 11 am. I had to wait a bit for the bourbon to go with my eggs benedict. I'm sure that part wasn't any better in Salt Lake 🙂

 

[countingdays]

The worst thing that happened after my boards, I learned you can't order alcohol in Georgia before 10 or 11 am. I had to wait a bit for the bourbon to go with my eggs benedict. I'm sure that part wasn't any better in Salt Lake 🙂

I can confirm that. My buddy from fellowship and I tried to drink in salt lake city at 11am. Didn't work. We did however drink as soon as we got to the airport.