Which anesthesia oral board review course?

[jmj01]

I am looking for a good anesthesia oral board review course. Considering either Dr. Ho's course or the Ultimate Board Prep. Any advice?

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[inmyslumber]

I am looking for a good anesthesia oral board review course. Considering either Dr. Ho's course or the Ultimate Board Prep. Any advice?

It doesn't matter which one you take. Just take one and be sure to do practice exams with a few colleagues or other exam candidates. I took Michael Ho's weekend class and extra 2 day. The weekend course would have been enough since I already had a study partners lined up. I gave MANY exams and took many as well. The more practice, the more confident you will feel on the oral exam day. Good luck.

 

[kazuma]

I've heard that both those courses are good. FWIW, I have have one attending that took both and she says in hindsight she would have only done ultimate board prep if she did it over again.

 

[jmj01]

I've heard that both those courses are good. FWIW, I have have one attending that took both and she says in hindsight she would have only done ultimate board prep if she did it over again.

Thanks for the information. Has anyone personally attended both courses who could add any additional advice or thoughts?

 

[deleted171991]

Have you searched the forum?

 

[jmj01]

Have you searched the forum?

Yes, didn't see much that specifically compared the two courses. Leaning towards the Ultimate Board Prep based on a friend's recommendation but wanted to see what others thought.

 

[shift_roro]

Anyone who has taken the UBP@Home online course - can you comment on whether it was worth it? Do you wish you had taken the live course instead?

 

[Sonny Crocket]

I didn't take a course. Just practiced a lot and did several exams with one of my attendings at the time who is a board examiner.

What I've heard about courses is that if anything, they force you to practice. But are not necessary. But seriously, do a search on this.

 

[deleted171991]

No course here either. Just a good grasp of the necessary theory and about 15 mock exams, out of which 5 were with (ex-) board examiners.

 

[Impromptu]

There were several old threads on this. I took Jensen's course for the written boards. I had been studying Big Blue for a long time. For orals I decided I needed a change of pace, so I will take Ho's course. Thus far I really like the textbook.

Study, time, and effort are important, but they mean nothing if the time you spend studying is unfocused, drifting here and there. I spent the money on a course because it will give me focus. I don't have any oral board examiners available to me.

 

[dr anesthesia]

I am looking for a good anesthesia oral board review course. Considering either Dr. Ho's course or the Ultimate Board Prep. Any advice?

I cannot speak about the Ho course, but I can testify to the Ultimate Board Prep as being a fantastic comprehensive course. I took the Ultimate Board Prep course in February based on some recommendations by friends, and I passed the oral boards on my first try in April. I loved the format. I felt like I had a good grasp on the medical knowledge, and so I needed something to help me express that knowledge quickly in an organized fashion. The course gave me plenty of opportunities to practice talking by doing private exams and public exams (if I volunteered). Most importantly, I think the course helped me learn to prioritize my thoughts and weigh risks of various anesthetic decisions to avoid digging a hole! People tend to get bogged down in material and forget to practice communicating. This was the most valuable part of the course for me: PRACTICE TALKING OVER AND OVER in challenging scenarios with excellent feedback!

 

[anesthesia doc]

ULTIMATE BOARD PREP!!! I have never been to a Ho course so I cannot truly compare the two. However, I did take the Ultimate Board Prep Course when I was preparing. I also bought all the practice books. I have no regrets in regards to my preparation process. Ultimate Board Prep was definitely worth it. It is a great course that will completely prepare you for the real examination. One thing that I feel sets it above other courses, is the emphasis on not only knowing the medical knowledge, but truly communicating that knowledge in a way that sounds intelligent and eloquent. You will learn and get to practice strategies that help you organize your answer to maximize your chances of getting a lot of information verbalized quickly (before the real examiner cuts you off!). You will also get private exams with valuable feedback. Not only do I feel it helped prepare me for the exam, it helped prepare me for private practice! If I had to do it all over again, my decision would be the same. Good luck!!!

 

[Trisomy13]

Didn't take Ho course, or attend a live UBP course, but I purchased the UBP mock books and they were very helpful to read and memorize, and provided an excellent framework for someone to give you a mock exam.

Also consider the Skype exams available at justoralboards.com. I am in no way affiliated with them, other than having used them in my own prep, but I found them to be very helpful. Rather than sit in a large room and watch someone flail through an exam, spend your time taking your own private one-on-one exams with people simulating a hostile exam environment. I did about 15 of those and went into the orals knowing I wouldn't be rattled. Well worth the expense. I've posted about this topic before. Search if you want more info.

 

[pgg]

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