BCSE Studying?

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i am preparing for bcsc .zuku is enough to prepare it ? can any one guide me?

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Hello Everyone,
I am planing to take the BCSE exam next year, and I am wondering if someone can help me about the resources that I can study from; I have mosbey pets, equine and ruminants; beside Merck vet manual 8th edition, also I hear that Zuku review could be help also.Are these resources enough?
I wanna start studying Anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and pathology, which resource can I start to study?
 
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Hi Indian_Veterinarian. I'm actually planning to take the BCSE sometime in 2015 depending on how my preparation goes. Most likely around the end of 2015. I think for the first few months I'll read books. From what I can tell the Pasquini series are supposed to be good ones.

Pasquini's Guide to Bovine Clinics
Pasquini's Guide to Equine Clinics
Pasquini and Spurgeon's Anatomy
Tschauner's Guide to Small Animal Clinics
Theresa Fossum's Surgery
Thrall is supposed to be good for Radiology

The last two I don't have, but will try to find. I'm still looking for a good Pathology and Physiology books. Pharmacology I think I'll just rely on my vet school notes.

Thanks for your Radiology website tip...looks very useful. On top of the books, I'll subscribe to ZUKU review: https://zukureview.com/bcse/subscriptions. I don't know if it will be helpful but I can't find anything else out there. Also check out the youtube channel Vetelib. It's got some good lectures and is free.

From the reviews I've read around the web, people say ZUKU is good for BCSE and that VetPrep is good for NAVLE. Both are unfortunately a little bit pricey!

Good luck. I'm sure we'll make it happen!

Are CT and MRI questions asked in BCSE or only radiographs?
any idea?
 
Hi, any idea after sending application to CVMA, how long it takes to get back from them so that can register for BCSE exam.
hello I have the same question. could you help me?
 
Hey there everybody. I love going over these posts, because it gives me a great idea of what to expect. I love hearing about everyone's individual experiences and advice. I am in somewhat of a different situation, and maybe there's someone out there who can benefit from hearing it

So unlike most people here, I am actually an American. I was born in North Carolina, and moved to Brazil in 2014 to study veterinary medicine. I am set to graduate in 2018 (meaning I am as of right now, finishing up my 4th semester), and I cannot wait to move back to my home country and validate my diploma and practice.

Obviously due to my situation, the language isn't really a problem, however, I would be absolutely lying if I said the BCSE and the NAVLE didn't scare the living crap out of me. I'm terrified of getting home and taking that test, only to realize I have wasted everyone's/my own time/money.

I am very curious to hear from people who have already taken the BCSE and/or the NAVLE. I sure would like to know how you felt when you were in my place. I read about these tests all the time, I take practice tests and whatnot, and I get kind of desperate. I of course realize I'm only almost half way through vet school, but that feeling of inadequacy haunts me. Does anyone here feel that, or felt that already? Am I alone in this? Do you ever feel like you're drowning in a sea of diseases you couldn't possibly ever know enough about?
 
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Hello everybody!
I took my test last June the 30th of 2016 and I passed!
I just want to share my experience to help others prepare for the test.
I finished vet school september of 2010 and I moved to the US February 2011. I just have been working in an Equine only practice so I was kind of rusty on the small animal medicine, pigs and poultry side.
I just did ZUKU review for BSCE preparation and I did study some of the answers I didn't remember, or the endocrinology part on my own.
I completed 100% on study mode and 85% on test mode. I studied probably for 3 months but studying an average of 6 h a day.
Everybody is different and I must say that I moved away due to my husband having another job so I am not working now, so I can focus on getting my license!
I know I have been blessed on that aspect but I just want to encourage everybody! You CAN do it!
To me the type of questions asked were really similar to the ones I did on Zuku, maybe not the question itself but yes the type of questions, so it helps you know how to study!
I have been reading and I bought VetPrep for the NAVLE just to complement my study!

Good luck!
 
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Log8, I feel this all the time, don't worry. As soon as I think I'm set with large animal diseases, up pops a surgery question that gets me stumped and makes me feel like I don't anything. It's just a whole lotta material to cover about a whole lotta species, but in the end something sticks and the rest will be common sense (I hope! I'm still studying for the BCSE as well). Good luck...

Also, thanks for the encouragement and taking the time to come back and share here after you did your exam Imma85 :)
 
Hello Devil Jatt86, how have you been doing? I am looking for study partners thru Skype. Maybe we could help each other and the other reviewees? I am studying BCSE, just started and planning to take the exams mid sept. Cheers!
Hi zoey
I have just passed the BCSE and I'm studying for the NAVLE since they are basically the same thing I'm looking for study parteners wither they are studying for the BCSE or the NAVLE
My Skype username is (wahied.), there is a dot after the d.
 
I
Hello

Anybody know the scale of passing score in BCSE , I know it has been set at 580 out of 900, but what about the number of questions should be answerd to pass the exam (out of 200 questions)?
Thanks
I'm not really sure if there is a specific number, as far as I understand they use some kind of equations to calculate your score, in other words not all questions have the same score
I have sent an email asking the same question but the reply was the same as the score descrption on the website which was not very clear
 
Hi Zoey12,please leave me your email id
Hi bkrvet
I have just passed the BCSE and I'm studying for the NAVLE since they are basically the same thing I'm looking for study parteners wither they are studying for the BCSE or the NAVLE
My Skype username is (wahied.), there is a dot after the d.
 
I have passed the BCSE and studying for the NAVLE
They are basically the same thing, I'm looking for study parteners through skype
My username is (wahied.) there is a dot after the d
 
Are CT and MRI questions asked in BCSE or only radiographs?
MRI, CT and ultrasound are included
They can ask you to pinpoint some anatomical landmarks on the radiograph as well like the stomach pylors for example
 
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Hey there everybody. I love going over these posts, because it gives me a great idea of what to expect. I love hearing about everyone's individual experiences and advice. I am in somewhat of a different situation, and maybe there's someone out there who can benefit from hearing it

So unlike most people here, I am actually an American. I was born in North Carolina, and moved to Brazil in 2014 to study veterinary medicine. I am set to graduate in 2018 (meaning I am as of right now, finishing up my 4th semester), and I cannot wait to move back to my home country and validate my diploma and practice.

Obviously due to my situation, the language isn't really a problem, however, I would be absolutely lying if I said the BCSE and the NAVLE didn't scare the living crap out of me. I'm terrified of getting home and taking that test, only to realize I have wasted everyone's/my own time/money.

I am very curious to hear from people who have already taken the BCSE and/or the NAVLE. I sure would like to know how you felt when you were in my place. I read about these tests all the time, I take practice tests and whatnot, and I get kind of desperate. I of course realize I'm only almost half way through vet school, but that feeling of inadequacy haunts me. Does anyone here feel that, or felt that already? Am I alone in this? Do you ever feel like you're drowning in a sea of diseases you couldn't possibly ever know enough about?
I have the same feeling all the time
My advice don't think about it too much and just start studying as much as you can because most probably no matter how much you study there will always be new stuff to read so don't worry about not being able to grasb it all because you never will :)
Just try to be smart and focus on the most important and most frequent topics and basic skills needed
 
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Hello everybody!
I took my test last June the 30th of 2016 and I passed!
I just want to share my experience to help others prepare for the test.
I finished vet school september of 2010 and I moved to the US February 2011. I just have been working in an Equine only practice so I was kind of rusty on the small animal medicine, pigs and poultry side.
I just did ZUKU review for BSCE preparation and I did study some of the answers I didn't remember, or the endocrinology part on my own.
I completed 100% on study mode and 85% on test mode. I studied probably for 3 months but studying an average of 6 h a day.
Everybody is different and I must say that I moved away due to my husband having another job so I am not working now, so I can focus on getting my license!
I know I have been blessed on that aspect but I just want to encourage everybody! You CAN do it!
To me the type of questions asked were really similar to the ones I did on Zuku, maybe not the question itself but yes the type of questions, so it helps you know how to study!
I have been reading and I bought VetPrep for the NAVLE just to complement my study!

Good luck!
That is typically what happened with me excepet for the Equine part as I'm actually working as a drug rep
I have also bought vetprep for the NAVLE and it looks better than the ZUKU
 
I m BCSE exam retaker, I failed twice, last time appeared in nov 2015, will again appear in October 2016, I scored 440 and 420, please contact me at [email protected] if u need study partner, any BCSE exam retaker here ??
 
Hello everybody!
I took my test last June the 30th of 2016 and I passed!
I just want to share my experience to help others prepare for the test.
I finished vet school september of 2010 and I moved to the US February 2011. I just have been working in an Equine only practice so I was kind of rusty on the small animal medicine, pigs and poultry side.
I just did ZUKU review for BSCE preparation and I did study some of the answers I didn't remember, or the endocrinology part on my own.
I completed 100% on study mode and 85% on test mode. I studied probably for 3 months but studying an average of 6 h a day.
Everybody is different and I must say that I moved away due to my husband having another job so I am not working now, so I can focus on getting my license!
I know I have been blessed on that aspect but I just want to encourage everybody! You CAN do it!
To me the type of questions asked were really similar to the ones I did on Zuku, maybe not the question itself but yes the type of questions, so it helps you know how to study!
I have been reading and I bought VetPrep for the NAVLE just to complement my study!

Good luck!
Any advise for BCSE exam retakers ?
 
Hello to everyone. I already took the BCSE a little over a month ago and passed.
When I perused these forums before taking the exam I was always thankful for advice from someone who had completed the process (although it's rare that someone would give feedback).

I am here to give some feedback regarding the BCSE preparation.
I used the ZUKU review for BCSE (as oppose to the NAVLE program they offer). Before doing all this I actually called the Zuku review, and it's true what they say.... Dr. Zuku himself (Dr. Steve McLaughlin) answered the phone. He was VERY kind and helpful, and gave me lots of encouraging wisdom.

I decided to go with Zuku. I studied off-and-on for about 3 months. I did all of the study-mode questions, and about half of the test-mode questions. I wrote down everything that I did not know. I also made 1-page summaries of ALL the zuku flash notes for each species. I didn't use many other resources. Mostly Zuku Review.
By the end of my studying, I was constantly getting an average of 56/60 on the test-mode tests (it didn't start that way, so don't wory if you are rusty at first). I was a good student in vet school and graduated valedictorian, so my background was relatively solid. However, when I started to study for the BCSE it had been well over a year since I last saw any veterinary terminology... so my mind was mostly blank. It took a while to get back in shape.

On test day, I walked in with lots of confidence, and then quickly got the crap scared out of me with the first couple of questions. They were quite different to what I was used to!... DUH... The Zuku Review is NOT going to give you identical questions. It serves as a pattern of the major topics for you to be aware of. It is a sort of guide for you to have a defined study path. I was very nervous for the first 10 questions or so (I think they put some tough ones at the beginning to throw you off guard!)
However, I then relaxed and worked my way through the exam, and finished with about 45 minutes of extra time to go back and review some questions.

I left the test center unsure of how I did. I honestly couldn't tell if I had passed or failed. Plus, I don't even know how the scoring system works.
They say it takes about 4 weeks to get results, but I got mine in less than 2 weeks. All it says is PASS. They don't give you a score report.

REMEMBER: You are not expected to know everything... how could you? You are expected to know the same as a competent veterinary graduate in the USA... so that's not so hard. Everyone here had a good veterinary education, otherwise why would you be here? Just think of it that way, stay calm, study major topics and the major DDX for different cases.

I think that Zuku alone was good enough for someone with a good academic background.
Now, for the NAVLE I am trying out VetPrep just to diversify, and I like it a lot thus far. They are both great programs.
I hope this helps some of you! Stay calm and study.
 
Hello guys,

I'm starting to get ready to study for the BCSE and planing to take it around July this year. Did you guys came with a study plan? I am planing to sign up the zuku website however I feel that I need to organize myself and create a study plan of some kind. Anyone willing to share experiences? I'm in Toronto area.

Thanks :)
 
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Hey guys, I'm about to start the process soon, and I want to take the BSCE in 2017.
I want to start studying, but I'm completely lost. Where to start?? What books should I look for? I see many of you have used the Merck veterinary manual and the NVMS books, but that doesn't cover all the content, does it?
And about Zuku review, is it worth the subscription price?

Thank you very much!
 
I wish I could help more!
I did not have a group study, but it sure would have been nice! I think that's a great idea, as long as you are with people who are at the same level or higher than you, although you also learn a lot from teaching others.
I did it all alone. I don't think there are other people in Lima, Peru going through the same process at the moment.

Definitely don't follow my study pattern if it doesn't suit you. DO study groups, READ books, and do everything that you can to maximize your studying in an organized manner.

Hi Dr.NWS! I'm a peruvian veterinarian too! Can't believe I finally meet someone from Perú that took the BCSE. Now I'm studying with zuku review for the exam. I Hope I can talk to you about your experience. Thank you! :)
 
Hi folks! I live in upstate NY and planning to take BCSE in the near future. Would be awesome to find someone in the area for a study group. Even a e-mail group would be motivating i think. [email protected]
 
Hi Dr.NWS! I'm a peruvian veterinarian too! Can't believe I finally meet someone from Perú that took the BCSE. Now I'm studying with zuku review for the exam. I Hope I can talk to you about your experience. Thank you! :)

Hi @VetPerú,
I already completed the ECFVG (in October 2016) and then got my license (colegiatura) in California. If you'd like to meet up to talk about the exams, I'd be more than happy. I am leaving Peru in 3 weeks for my internship in Tennessee, so any time before June 12 would be fine for me. Just send me a private message and if you live in Lima we can coordinate a meeting in Magdalena del Mar.
 
Hey there everybody. I love going over these posts, because it gives me a great idea of what to expect. I love hearing about everyone's individual experiences and advice. I am in somewhat of a different situation, and maybe there's someone out there who can benefit from hearing it

So unlike most people here, I am actually an American. I was born in North Carolina, and moved to Brazil in 2014 to study veterinary medicine. I am set to graduate in 2018 (meaning I am as of right now, finishing up my 4th semester), and I cannot wait to move back to my home country and validate my diploma and practice.

Obviously due to my situation, the language isn't really a problem, however, I would be absolutely lying if I said the BCSE and the NAVLE didn't scare the living crap out of me. I'm terrified of getting home and taking that test, only to realize I have wasted everyone's/my own time/money.

I am very curious to hear from people who have already taken the BCSE and/or the NAVLE. I sure would like to know how you felt when you were in my place. I read about these tests all the time, I take practice tests and whatnot, and I get kind of desperate. I of course realize I'm only almost half way through vet school, but that feeling of inadequacy haunts me. Does anyone here feel that, or felt that already? Am I alone in this? Do you ever feel like you're drowning in a sea of diseases you couldn't possibly ever know enough about?


Hey there. I am also American (from California) and studied in Peru. I completed the ECFVG last year. So your situation is not all that unique! Actually, during the CPE I met several Americans taking the exam who had studied abroad; granted, mostly in Caribbean schools. But I did meet a few people who had studied in other countries, much like us.

Like I said, I went through the whole process and passed each step on my first try. It is daunting when it's in front of you, but looking back, you'll realize you were quite well prepared. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
 
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