Took the exam earlier this week and continue to have nightmares regarding the experience - more specifically, the SOE. With deep self reflection the day prior, I thought I had prepped and practiced adequately enough to overcome even the most aggressive examiners, but alas, they were more aggressive than I anticipated. My first senior examiner already questioned the validity of my explanation after the first question, but it didn’t bother me. I did appreciate the courtesy of warning me from the getgo that they’d interrupt multiple times throughout the exam. I for sure said “I’m unsure” or “I don’t know” about 4-5 times total to get the exam moving along. I started off the long stem strong with confident and what I thought were safe and reasonable plans, but I could feel that I was losing stamina and confidence the more they were probing me, to the point where I was saying dumb things like “I would give acetaminophen and Tylenol.”
I do believe I did fine on the OSCE portion aside from being unable to get a good window for one of the US tasks. It was certainly difficult not to let the negative thoughts from the SOE float through my mind as I went through each station.
Walking out, I initially felt somewhat okay and had fleeting thoughts of “Yeah, I think that was a passable performance.” Then I realized it was really only the joy of the exam being over more so than feeling confident in my answers that I felt okay.
Now that a few days have passed, I’m trying so hard not to reflect on the answers I could have improved on and whether or not I passed. These next 2 weeks are going to be brutal, but I guess I should be happy I don’t have to wait 6-8 weeks like those who took the virtual exam last year.