Okap prep course

[DrZeke]

Any comments on which course is your favorite for okaps prep? Or which ones did certain parts well over others?

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[backrow]

The san antonio course is hard to beat in my opinion.

Ophthoquestions for online question review.

 

[DrZeke]

The san antonio course is hard to beat in my opinion.

Ophthoquestions for online question review.

Planning on buying ophtho questions. In the meantime - are any of those AAO assessments on one-network helpful or are they too easy? Also are the questions at the back of BCSC high yield?

 

[Slide]

Planning on buying ophtho questions. In the meantime - are any of those AAO assessments on one-network helpful or are they too easy? Also are the questions at the back of BCSC high yield?

The AAO assessments are good for general knowledge for the OKAP, but the questions themselves are too easy or require too much minutae. The questions at the back of the book can help you get several of the questions, but mostly the easy to medium-difficulty ones. BCSC series has most of the answers but expect the OKAPs to take questions from one or two lines in certain sections you thought would be too irrelevant on the test.

 

[DrZeke]

The AAO assessments are good for general knowledge for the OKAP, but the questions themselves are too easy or require too much minutae. The questions at the back of the book can help you get several of the questions, but mostly the easy to medium-difficulty ones. BCSC series has most of the answers but expect the OKAPs to take questions from one or two lines in certain sections you thought would be too irrelevant on the test.

So pound ophtho questions as much as I can? Is the chern question book or provision still good?

 

[Edema]

Any comments on which course is your favorite for okaps prep? Or which ones did certain parts well over others?

I was in fellowship and only had enough mental juice for OQ.
"All you need to do is read the books" is something I've been hearing since residency.
I'm ashamed to say that two volumes are still shrink wrapped.
I'm not saying to follow in my lazy footsteps but I do know for a fact that I was debating postponing the written boards because i knew i would fail if I took it in fellowship and I'm glad I didn't wait. I did OQ twice over the course of about 3 months.

 

[Slide]

So pound ophtho questions as much as I can? Is the chern question book or provision still good?

Gonna say if you have to pick only one review source with the highest benefit per time spent, OphthoQuestions is the way to go. The Chern book is good as a PGY-2 but after a run-through it's of little use anymore. Of course, BCSC series has all the answers, but seriously, no one truly expects you to read every single line and know it verbatim. A review book like Friedman should do fine. Most people at our program did OQ + Friedman's, and all of us scored > 50% percentile on the OKAPs. Several got over 75% and one person even got a 100%.

 

[DrZeke]

Gonna say if you have to pick only one review source with the highest benefit per time spent, OphthoQuestions is the way to go. The Chern book is good as a PGY-2 but after a run-through it's of little use anymore. Of course, BCSC series has all the answers, but seriously, no one truly expects you to read every single line and know it verbatim. A review book like Friedman should do fine. Most people at our program did OQ + Friedman's, and all of us scored > 50% percentile on the OKAPs. Several got over 75% and one person even got a 100%.

When did you start using Friedman in the year and did you memorize it just like first aid or read it a few times?

 

[AnteriorSgment]

Reading the entire BCBS is by far your best (although time consuming) shot in getting the best score.

Like previous posters, also recommend OQ after reading the books.

 

[DrZeke]

Reading the entire BCBS is by far your best (although time consuming) shot in getting the best score.

Like previous posters, also recommend OQ after reading the books.

So... I can't mindlessly memorize BCSC. My best method of retention is questions or drills. I planned on doing questions all year almost daily with my reading. I would like to push through most of the q bank.

 

[Slide]

When did you start using Friedman in the year and did you memorize it just like first aid or read it a few times?

First year I really didn't use Friedman until 2-3 months prior to the OKAPs. Second time around I perused it occasionally starting 4-5 months prior but really didn't hit it running until 2 months before. Friedman's is like any review book; it's great for review, esp if you make notes in it to remind you of important concepts or OKAP minutae, but you need a foundation. There's no point memorizing Friedman's hardcore because some of the questions from the OKAPs are random and don't come from the review book. I did read the BCSC books through the year on whatever respective rotation I was on, but I wasn't obsessive about it. OQ was really where it was at my second time at the OKAPs however.

 

[JBurns]

ophthoquestions for sure. That is all I needed to pass my boards.

 

[DrZeke]

Thinking about attending San Antonio this year, however the cost of the hotel is steep. How do people manage this? AirBnB? rooming with friends? Any thoughts?

 

[backrow]

Thinking about attending San Antonio this year, however the cost of the hotel is steep. How do people manage this? AirBnB? rooming with friends? Any thoughts?

$105 a night for the conference hotel is steep? I don't think you're going to find a much better deal, but check the other hotels nearby, there are several within walking distance. I'd also recommend getting a double room and splitting the cost with a friend which can make it more manageable if needed.

 

[DrZeke]

$105 a night for the conference hotel is steep? I don't think you're going to find a much better deal, but check the other hotels nearby, there are several within walking distance. I'd also recommend getting a double room and splitting the cost with a friend which can make it more manageable if needed.

Poor resident trying to save money for fellowship. I agree it's not steep in the grand scheme of things but for me it is.

 

[OjoCinco]

Poor resident trying to save money for fellowship. I agree it's not steep in the grand scheme of things but for me it is.

Well, then don't use a course. Lots of us didn't, and still did fine.

 

[DrZeke]

Well, then don't use a course. Lots of us didn't, and still did fine.

Good thought.

 

[trail doc]

I did SAOC as a senior, and the Wills course before I took the WQE, and I think that the Wills course was better quality. However, I'd suggest doing whichever one you have comrades going to. Misery loves company (neither one is fun), but more importantly, it's helpful to discuss concepts between lectures or at the end of the day and expose areas of inadequate understanding.

 

[DrZeke]

I did SAOC as a senior, and the Wills course before I took the WQE, and I think that the Wills course was better quality. However, I'd suggest doing whichever one you have comrades going to. Misery loves company (neither one is fun), but more importantly, it's helpful to discuss concepts between lectures or at the end of the day and expose areas of inadequate understanding.

Thank you.