RITE exam

[blondarb]

Anyone have any advice for cramming info in for the rite, coming up in march. this first year (of neuro) is killing me and i am too tired to get through the insane amount of material that i'm supposed to know. including all the non-hospital stuff (neuromuscular, cognitive, genetic, peds, etc). i don't want to get a brilliant score on the test, but i surely don't want to be in the 5th percentile either.

board review books?
cds?
software?
old exam answers?

or should i just wing it?

thanks for any feedback.

FWIW: the RITE (residency in training exam) is the neurology "in service" exam that most/all residents take in order to help prepare themselves for the boards.

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[neurologist]

Anyone have any advice for cramming info in for the rite, coming up in march. this first year (of neuro) is killing me and i am too tired to get through the insane amount of material that i'm supposed to know. including all the non-hospital stuff (neuromuscular, cognitive, genetic, peds, etc). i don't want to get a brilliant score on the test, but i surely don't want to be in the 5th percentile either.

board review books?
cds?
software?
old exam answers?

or should i just wing it?

thanks for any feedback.

FWIW: the RITE (residency in training exam) is the neurology "in service" exam that most/all residents take in order to help prepare themselves for the boards.

This may sound, on the surface, like bad advice, but for what it's worth, don't bother doing much more than reviewing old tests (the "picture books" from old exams are particularly useful, since the same photos tend to be recycled over and over and over). It is especially not useful to kill yourself over this as a PGY2 -- you've got 2 more years ahead of you. Basically, the test should be used as a self-assessment tool for you and as something of a "program assessment" for the program director (i.e., "are we teaching the right stuff."). And keep in mind that virtually everyone who has taken both will tell you that the real board exams are much easier than the RITE. So just go, take the test, look over your score to see if there are any huge gaping holes in your knowledge base (as a PGY2, there probably will be) and just work to fill those in the future.
Nobody in real life (except maybe your residency director) cares about these scores anyway -- if you are worried about fellowship programs down the road, very few even ask for the scores, and the folks who run the RITE exam are quite clear that these are NOT to be used as a "performance evaluation" tool by fellowship programs.

 

[play274]

I would definitely have to agree with neurologist.

Blonarb, you state that "don't want to get a brilliant score on the test, but surely don't want to be in the 5th percentile either." I find that to be reasonable. After all, some program directors do give kudos and sometimes (unjustly) favor those residents who do well on the RITE exam.

The old exams are excellent, and it would serve you well to review that last 3-5 years (senior residents should have these answers and photos and - hopefully - they would share them with you and the other juniors).

However, preparing for the boards (ABPN part 1) is something that - in my opinion - should be reserved for the months before the actual exam. I have seen people do well with the CD's from the Osler neurology board review and the CD's from the Penn Board Review. Also, the Geyer paperback neurology book is a good base to start with, and I would never neglect psychiatry. The key to success is not necessarily your own knowledge base --> it is more often from knowledge of the types of questions the ABPN will ask you. Best advice - practice with neurology (and psychiatry) board review book questions and answers.

*Disclaimer: admittedly, everyone studies in different manners/techniques.*

 

[bustbones26]

www.peakdoctor.org

Website to buy Q&A list put together by former chief resident that bragged that this list earned him a high score on his board exam

Osler institute now sells CD's with audio lectures as well

 

[neurologist]

www.peakdoctor.org

Website to buy Q&A list put together by former chief resident that bragged that this list earned him a high score on his board exam

Well, that's very interesting considering that you aren't given a numerical score for your board exams . . . .

 

[bustbones26]

whoa whoa wait a minute, don't come down on me, just stating what was claimed by the creator of the website and list that I speak of. I apoligize for any my mistake. But I did re-visit the site and here is what the creator claims word for word, mind you his claim, not mine.

I compiled this monster list of questions by way of preparing for my written boards (in part during my chief residency at the University of Kentucky Neurology Residency Program and in part while running a busy neurology practice in Grand Island Nebraska). After successfully passing my written boards (not many authors can claim that they test ran their book or software for their own board exams) I decided to convert what was originally a 4933 monster list of questions and answers into a more nimble and faster and easier to handle software. I created Neurology Boards 1.0 entirely on the Visual Basic 6.0 programming platform.

This is primarily designed for Neurology and Psychiatry residents and physicians preparing to take the neurology boards, but will also be useful for anyone who is planning to take any exam that includes neurology questions.

!

And so you are correct, the man never did state a numerical score, again, I apoligize a second time for my oversite.

Now the only reason I ever replied to this question was because I myself not too far in the past was searching for neurology study aides and minus the Osler Institute, this was the best I could find (cheapest too) So I am suggesting this to the original person that posed the question. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much out there otherwise that I could find, minus getting copies of old RITE exams as suggested by another user.

 

[anitra]

just replied to ellame........go to www.neuroprep.com

 

[soulofmpatel]

bump

Does anyone have any recommendations for other resources. I would be particularly interested in a simple book with questions and answers which I could use for practice.

thank you for your time

-soulofmpatel

 

[soulofmpatel]

I found some books on Amazon:

1) Neurology for the Boards
2) Neurology Board Review: pearls of wisdom
3) Neurology board review: an illustrated study guide
4) Ultimate review for the neurology boards

Are any of these resources particularly valuable based on your experiences for the RITE exam, and would they be appropriate for a PGY2 resident such as myself with limited time and motivation to study.

 

[danielmd06]

As mentioned by neurologist, the best recommendation really is to study old RITE exams and old RITE exam picture books. These will help you study and you'll score much higher (percentage-wise) compared to your peers for your efforts. As noted, many of the questions get recycled.

To specifically address the above poster's question for Q&A books, you might try:

1) McGraw-Hill Specialty Board Review Series by Nizar Souayah (Jun 4, 2004).

This one is a bit dated and had some errors in it...but I found it helpful. There is also a new addition:

2) McGraw-Hill Specialty Board Review Neurology, Second Edition by Nizar Souayah (Apr 22, 2010).

Again, these are exclusively if you like Q&A. You might also just try www.neuroprep.com as mentioned above for a big electronic q-bank.

Your best bets for actually learning something (not necessarily getting the highest score) are actually these two books:

1) Neurology Board Review: An Illustrated Study Guide by Mowzoon Nima and Kelly D. Flemming (Apr 11, 2007)

or

2) Comprehensive Board Review in Neurology by Mark K. Borsody (Jan 2, 2007)

Good luck.

 

[typhoonegator]

The RITE exam is worthy of ridicule. At the risk of sounding like a zealot, any exam that asks you to recall the billing code for a Level III office visit isn't worth the paper it's printed on (99203? Or 99213?). Many of the images are so poor that the CTs look like pneumocephalograms and glia might as well be islet cells. Don't devote a ton of time to it. Do well enough to fly below the radar of your PD, and focus on your clinical education.

Oh, and you might want to do a search of this forum regarding this topic. We have had lively discussions in the past as well. I don't recall anyone, ever, coming to the defense of the RITE exam.

It's a hoop. Jump through it and move on.

 

[soulofmpatel]

It's a hoop. Jump through it and move on.

I have precisely the same attitude, and I'm looking for some advise on leg exercises to improve my hops.

 

[typhoonegator]

Please ignore spam. User will be banned.

 

[pinkes]

In pgy1, We have to give Internal medicine RITE?? Not Neuro RITE?
I know Its silly question but just wanted to confirm? Did u guys take IM board review course in PGY!??

 

[typhoonegator]

I took no inservice exam during internship.

 

[danielmd06]

In pgy1, We have to give Internal medicine RITE?? Not Neuro RITE?
I know Its silly question but just wanted to confirm? Did u guys take IM board review course in PGY!??

Me and the other neurology prelims were offered the chance to take the IM in-service as interns. All three of us declined.

If you do have to take it (highly doubtful), then I wouldn't worry about studying too much for it. Neurology attendings will care much more for your letters/reviews from the intern year than a score on an internal medicine test.

 

[pinkes]

Me and the other neurology prelims were offered the chance to take the IM in-service as interns. All three of us declined.

If you do have to take it (highly doubtful), then I wouldn't worry about studying too much for it. Neurology attendings will care much more for your letters/reviews from the intern year than a score on an internal medicine test.

So no RITE exam for neuro prelim resident in prelim year???

And What book should we read in prelim year??

 

[danielmd06]

So no RITE exam for neuro prelim resident in prelim year???

And What book should we read in prelim year??

Not at my institution no. Not an IM one, and certainly not a neurology one.

My friendly advice is not to concern yourself with neurology AT ALL your intern year but rather to focus on learning as much internal medicine (and its respective sub-branches) as you can! That and have some fun.

 

[bustbones26]

Funny, I replied to this board years ago and have learned a lot since then.

www.neuroprep.com is a good start

There is also a book out there called "Laughing your way to passing the Neurology Boards"

Since this thread was stared a long time ago, I have since taken the real test and can tell you that I passed the real test and I also found these two resources valuable for increasing my RITE scores.

For what its worth, every year, they decide that the passing percentage is (probably based on some fancy statistics, etc). If remember correctly, I think you needed at 75% to pass the year I took it.

 

[pinkes]

Not at my institution no. Not an IM one, and certainly not a neurology one.

My friendly advice is not to concern yourself with neurology AT ALL your intern year but rather to focus on learning as much internal medicine (and its respective sub-branches) as you can! That and have some fun.

Thanks Daniel....Which book do u recommend for the prelim year for IM?? and what electives do u recommend in prelim yr??

 

[danielmd06]

Thanks Daniel....Which book do u recommend for the prelim year for IM?? and what electives do u recommend in prelim yr??

No problem. I liked the Step-Up to Medicine book by Agabegi (there is a new edition out now on Amazon).

Electives are personal. What are you interested in doing? I took neuroradiology and ophthamology my intern year. Neuroradiology would definitely be my first recommendation for almost anybody.

I had personally done alot of neurosurgery/neurocritical care as a fourth year medical student. I think it would be helpful for anyone to do ICU or neurosurgery but am hesitant to recommend something too busy unless you really want/need that experience.

Another potential that might be relaxed with good exposure could be ekg/cardiology.

I would take it easy and have fun. Don't do rotations in neurology for sure...you'll get all you need of that as a PGY-2.

 

[BlackFrancis33]

No problem. I liked the Step-Up to Medicine book by Agabegi (there is a new edition out now on Amazon).

Electives are personal. What are you interested in doing? I took neuroradiology and ophthamology my intern year. Neuroradiology would definitely be my first recommendation for almost anybody.

I had personally done alot of neurosurgery/neurocritical care as a fourth year medical student. I think it would be helpful for anyone to do ICU or neurosurgery but am hesitant to recommend something too busy unless you really want/need that experience.

Another potential that might be relaxed with good exposure could be ekg/cardiology.

I would take it easy and have fun. Don't do rotations in neurology for sure...you'll get all you need of that as a PGY-2.

I swear we are the only specialty that recommends interns not rotate in our specialty as interns. I disagree. Do some neurology or neurosurgery rotations if you can. This will better prepare you for your PGY2 year, and the rest of your career.

 

[danielmd06]

I swear we are the only specialty that recommends interns not rotate in our specialty as interns. I disagree. Do some neurology or neurosurgery rotations if you can. This will better prepare you for your PGY2 year, and the rest of your career.

I understand your point.

I myself loved all the neurosurgery/NICU time I spent and felt that I got alot of miles out of the training. But I was...different than most. Plus, I was wanting to do neurointerventional. If you want to do these rotations, it great...but be prepared to work. They're hard. Ergo, I'm hesitant to recommend them blankly, but would do so for the right person.

I respectfully disagree on the recommendation for doing a straight up inpatient neurology rotation. At my institution, you'd have been bitterly scutted out and worked long hours just to do the same thing for 10 months consecutively as a PGY-2. You wouldn't have learned anything that you weren't going to get in the first month anyway. I concede that different locations are different.

If someone wants to truly, preemptively buff neurology skills, then I would recommend one of the outpatient neuro electives such as epilepsy, headache, stroke, neuromuscular, movment disorders, or neuroimmunology. You'll get the bonus of outpatient hours and a lighter work schedule coupled with much more efficient and high yield usage of your time.

 

[Mattchiavelli]

Thanks Daniel....Which book do u recommend for the prelim year for IM?? and what electives do u recommend in prelim yr??

Just feeding into the digression
I'm about 3 months into my intern year and have done a pulm consult and cards consult month, now in ICU. Let people know what you're going into and usually they will let you follow patients that have comorbid neurological issues, so you can read through Neurology's notes on the patient and learn without violating HIPAA, since you are caring for the patient and it is relevant.

Pulmonology was helpful for understanding some of the airway anatomy pathology behind sleep disorders, also lots of vent exposure. Learning how to work up BOOP...not so interesting.

Cardiology was very helpful for a few things, including evaluating syncope (I swear I saw all the syncope patients at that hospital that month), managing a-fib (clots to the brain), MI (again clots to the brain), arterial disease, etc. Basically there is a reason why the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association are so closely related.

ICU so far has been helpful with things like anoxic brain injury- we are at a point where we are very good with keeping the body alive but the brain not so much. I have already seen some patients who were pretty much dead be revived but with severe ABI. Doing this has gotten me much more accustomed to the intense pathology you'll encounter in this setting.