The single most common question I receive is in regard to what reading material I recommend, if any, in board exam preparation. Here are my two recommendations.
When Interviewing, Let the End Decide the Beginning
December 16th,2011
I concluded another Beat The Boards! course last week and was struck by how subtle is the difference between a great interview and one that misses the mark. Learn this simple concept to avoid becoming examiner road-kill.
The Good and The Bad of Substance Use
December 3rd,2011
At the recent Psychiatry Oral Board Prep Course I was again reminded that it takes some nuance to get patients to open up about the nature of their drug use and the associated consquences of the use. Interestingly, in the interviews I observed, the patients were even less eager to talk about the bad consequences of their drug use than about the amount and type of substances they used. To counter this reticence, here is an interview approach I’d like to share with you.
Define “Fighting”
November 18th,2011
At the last Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Oral Board Prep Course, I heard 12 out of the 21 kids I observed being interviewed talk about fighting. Too often the exam candidate did not enquire as to the meaning of “fighting.” This is why this lack of clarification is a problem.
Notes on Oral Board Note-Taking
August 30th,2011
The way you take notes on your oral board exam makes a large and direct impact on your performance – for both good and bad. If your note-taking works for you, you gain confidence as you proceed through the interview and presentation. If your note-taking does not work well for you, you can become flustered and disorganized. Today I present some tips on taking notes on the live patient interview.
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Neuropsychological Assessments for the Boards
August 15th,2011
Today I introduce you to the categories of neuropsychological and psychological assessments. Once you understand the big picture, you will understand the role of each individual assessment instrument.
Guardians, Conservators, Payees, Powers of Attorney
July 16th,2011
The ABPN Part 2 exam format includes the “4 vignettes in one hour” section. This number of vignettes provides examiners a lot of opportunity to test your knowledge and skills across several very different cases.
One area of knowledge that has become a particular focus is the area of Medical-Legal issues. I kindly received an email from a candidate who took her Part 2 boards recently. On one of her cases the discussion focused on the patient’s possible need of a “conservator.” What the heck is that, you ask? Here’s the answer and more.
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Hot Exam Topic – Drug-Drug Interactions
May 23rd,2011
A crucial ABPN exam focus is drug-drug interactions (DDI’s). This focus is present on many of the exams, including the Psychiatry Part 1 Exam and the new Psychiatry Certification Exam and, to a lesser extent, the Part 2 Oral Exams; as well as on the various subspecialty exams. Here I review the most common DDIs of carbamazepine, which is an exam favorite. I will follow up in upcoming posts with a presentation of other meds that are popular exam topics.
Many Assessments for Violence Risk are Inadequate
April 22nd,2011
Today’s post is a must read. Frequently – including at our last Beat The Boards! Psychiatry Oral Board Prep Course – candidates do not differentiate between the presence of violent thoughts and / or intentions AND the risk of violence. In short, risk of violence requires a much broader assessment than simply querying thoughts, plans, and intentions. Below I clarify our understanding of this crucial psychiatry oral board topic.
Set Your Watch For High Noon
April 14th,2011
Here’s a succinct and very useful tip on tracking time on your oral board exam. You may not realize it but using your watch or timer on your exam incorrectly can be very detrimental to your performance. I explain it all here.
