- Joined
- Mar 12, 2014
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Headshaking
I get why people don't pass...
My problem with the RRA CBPS was that too many of the case studies had too complex of a workup or treatment (i.e. staged) for what the system would allow you to input. That probably doesn't make sense to those who haven't taken it but for everyone who did it yesterday, it should. I'm just hoping it means that they really don't expect much from the test taker in terms of the diagnosis and treatment answers they give...
My problem with everything else was "least" and "best," again in complex pathology that 3 different board certified "foot and ankle surgeons" would give you 3 different answers if you asked.
I wonder why every year every podiatrist complains about every exam that we have to get through and yet they always still seem to be poorly made. I mean, don't some of these people go on to work with these organizations or write the questions or things like that. If everybody sees the flaws, how have they not been addressed? I hope that doesn't come off as talking smack, it just seems like the logical progression would be that some people who had to sit for licensing or certifying exams would go on to be involved in the process, so I'm really trying to understand where the disconnect is...
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I doubt anyone here has been asked to write exam questions...
Haim Feldman went off on some stuff that was a total non issue for anyone who bothered to take a single in training exam or prepared in any way for the CBPS. You shouldn't have had more than 1 of your physical exam selections wasted when they tell you to "be more specific." You knew they were going to if you picked "neuro exam" or "musculoskeletal exam." You also should have scrolled through the exam, imaging, labs, and treatment options days before you sat down for the exam. That way you had an idea of how things were labeled on the real thing. But I get why people are frustrated with the exam. I was.
If my math is even remotely close, the ABFAS gets almost $1 mil in registration fees and exam fees every year from new grads alone. Id be curious to see a breakdown of how that's spent...
I get why people don't pass...
My problem with the RRA CBPS was that too many of the case studies had too complex of a workup or treatment (i.e. staged) for what the system would allow you to input. That probably doesn't make sense to those who haven't taken it but for everyone who did it yesterday, it should. I'm just hoping it means that they really don't expect much from the test taker in terms of the diagnosis and treatment answers they give...
My problem with everything else was "least" and "best," again in complex pathology that 3 different board certified "foot and ankle surgeons" would give you 3 different answers if you asked.
It was a very difficult exam. Especially the forefoot multiple choice portion. I could throw out 1-2 options and then had to flat out guess on a significant amount of questions. I would not be surprised if I failed that portion of the exam. I felt the rearfoot portion was fairly easy when compared to the forefoot portion.
I also studied quite a bit for this exam. I'm better for it but it did not help me at all on exam day. You simply can not study for this exam.
It was a very difficult exam. Especially the forefoot multiple choice portion. I could throw out 1-2 options and then had to flat out guess on a significant amount of questions. I would not be surprised if I failed that portion of the exam. I felt the rearfoot portion was fairly easy when compared to the forefoot portion.
I also studied quite a bit for this exam. I'm better for it but it did not help me at all on exam day. You simply can not study for this exam.
I felt the same way during this "adaptive" test. Inside my head I felt like I must be doing pretty well if I was getting pretty complicated questions but then would feel really bad when I got a really easy question. Then I started thinking I must be sucking really bad to get an easy question like that. The whole day messed with my head.
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But when it comes to diagnosis and treatment, they should just leave those sections as open text boxes that the tester can type in their response. Therefore the tester can demonstrate their clinical reasoning and choice of diagnosis and treatment more clearly than just simply picking certain things off the extensive list. It would be much faster for the tester to demonstrate their answer than searching for it on their extensive list. It will allow for more subjective variation in thinking when it comes to treatment of complex pathology. The only caveat to all these changes is that it would definitely make this portion of the test more complicated to grade and would definitely delay the results of the test probably two fold. ...
The cost to take the exam is absurd. In the "old" days the exam was given one weekend a year in one location. Eligibilty exams (now called qualifying exams) and certification exams were held in a hotel a few minutes from O'Hare airport in Chicago. So in addition to test costs and a weekend away from the office and family, there was the cost of travel to Chicago, hotel costs and food costs.
Now that the exam is given at several locations, is computer based and requires fewer proctors, there is simply no reason for the ridiculous cost.
How many ******* podiatrists are ABFAS certified but couldn't pass the test we just took? A LOT!
I'm just upset because in most professions you just need your license to practice your trade right out of residency. Not podiatry. In my future state of practice if I fail these boards than I can't cut legally. Due to the lobbying power of ABFAS my future state of practice doesn't even recognize the ABPM boards. It's worthless in my state.
Which means I'm stuck and could be in jeopardy of losing my job, etc.
Does a resident from any other profession face the same issues as me? Probably not.
I felt the same way during this "adaptive" test. Inside my head I felt like I must be doing pretty well if I was getting pretty complicated questions but then would feel really bad when I got a really easy question. Then I started thinking I must be sucking really bad to get an easy question like that. The whole day messed with my head.
tick-tock . . tick-tock
I don't think my nerves have settled much since D-day
That's interesting to hear form an established & ABFAS certified doc.I'm board certified by the ABFAS and I think it's ludicrous that now that there are mandatory 3 year residencies, they make obtaining board qualification so difficult. Certification is one thing, but after 3 years of residency, they need to make the exam more relevant and reasonable.
I would also like to know what the pass/failure rate is which they won't disclose.....mmmmm......interesting. What are they trying to hide????I doubt anyone here has been asked to write exam questions...
Haim Feldman went off on some stuff that was a total non issue for anyone who bothered to take a single in training exam or prepared in any way for the CBPS. You shouldn't have had more than 1 of your physical exam selections wasted when they tell you to "be more specific." You knew they were going to if you picked "neuro exam" or "musculoskeletal exam." You also should have scrolled through the exam, imaging, labs, and treatment options days before you sat down for the exam. That way you had an idea of how things were labeled on the real thing. But I get why people are frustrated with the exam. I was.
If my math is even remotely close, the ABFAS gets almost $1 mil in registration fees and exam fees every year from new grads alone. Id be curious to see a breakdown of how that's spent...
I would also like to know what the pass/failure rate is which they won't disclose.....mmmmm......interesting. What are they trying to hide????