Hi Everyone !
Thank you Maksara for detailed post,and Congratulations!
I hope it will encourage more people to come back to the forum after the exam and share the experience!
This is my CPE story:
I took CPE in November( Mississippi) for the first time and 3 weeks after got the results- passed it all ! (sorry for being late but I needed some time off of the vet stuff
)
Well, I can not name many events in my life that were stressful like this,and that stress is the major challenge that this exam brings. Knowing yourself and mechanisms of dealing with your emotions in days like these will do half of a job. The other half is the exam itself and information you have to organize in your head-it is not that hard as it looks like
ABOUT the EXAM:
Do not let people scare you off
Everyone's experience is different and stick to what you know and present it the best you can. Don't hate yourself because you couldn't see the obvious or couldn't remember the important thing- it will happen. It is normal to be nervous. It is impossible not to be...and they know that
They are teachers working with the students every day,so, just people, not aliens, as I was imagining them
)))
MSU is a nice place to see
They have capacity of 10 candidates so it is not crowded. It is well organized and the staff is very nice. You provide the hotel and transportation. They provide meals and everything else. I was there about 10 hours every day, so...find a way to sleep over night no matter what!
The examiners were as nice as they can. Some were so cold I wanted to escape the section, and some of them are so nice that I wish I could hug them(like everyone at radiography section or the guys at bovine techniques) and I was desperate to feel that human touch there
but there is no any feedback during your talking so focus on the most important things and watch the time. Speak loud and clear and move on!
TIME and PREP:
Took me 4-5 months all together. I worked as a vet tech so I had an idea of small animal medicine and procedures.
First 2-3 MONTHS I was reading diseases from the list -The most common diagnoses and making my own notebook with major symptoms and differentials and most common therapy, nothing fancy. Just know the common drugs you can use, and tests you can ask for. I think I wasted too much time on all diseases and details, now I would focus onto most COMMON ones, things that jump on me when I think of the species. Also I tried to go through some general advises to the potential owner, like what will I tell them about nutrition,housing,stress etc. in a specific case.
ONE MONTH I devoted to anesthesia and surgery.
The REST of the time I was going through the manual and learning techniques. Also I wrote everything down, every procedure. It helps if you keep it in order and memorize it.
FOOD ANIMALS:
MATERIALS I USED: NVMS book.Merck. Mr. Google...Cattle site for diseases is fine. Penn Videos and materials are a must! Youtube for techniques. One afternoon of a training at Lat36. That was helpful enough. I didn't even know to put the halter on a cow before that. A big thanks to nice farmers in Virginia
It is encouraging to put the hands on the cow after a long time. Also for techniques- Large animal technique book has all you need. Google pictures of instruments that you will need. Also someone told me he went from farm to farm where ever there is a vet around and asked for few days of training and found it. So don't give up in looking for what you need.
Goats,Sheep- I downloaded a book from internet with most common diseases, Studied for a week. I found a great one on
slideshare.net.
PROBLEM with this section-Times flies when doing techniques! Start talking right away and start with the easiest one.I wanted to be so detailed with CMT that I spend half of a time on that. Wrong
EQUINE:
MY MATERIALS:
The BEST book I know of is "
Manual of equine practice" by Rose and Hodgson, but it is expensive and I didn't have it so I used NVMS, Merck and
Equine site mostly, but lots of other websites as well. Atlanta Equine Clinic website has a great educational library for most common conditions with a good explanation of therapies. So internet for diseases and therapies. Lat36 for experience
Dr G. is wonderful teacher and since I have never been around horses a lot( being in a group at the lab in vet school is nothing) I really needed this to get familiar with routine stuff. And at that point, we all need a little bit of her encouraging energy that she shares, she could charge for that only
))) So, my point is, stay enthusiastic and positive before and during the test
ON THE EXAM-Move on quickly in techniques! With lameness -trot the horse till you are sure which leg it is, don't assume. Ask everything you can think of in history. Ask for all diagnostic tests.
SMALL ANIMALS-
MATERIALS- Merck, NVMS,
Nerd book is also cute and very useful.Bunch of good websites.Some technician book for techniques. Youtube and VETeLib.
EXAM That is the longest day,at the end of it when I was scheduled to do the case and s.o.a.p. I didn't know where I am any more
The medical management case is nerve wrecking since s.o.a.p. takes a bunch of time so focus on the most important things. You can not write everything in the record, be selective.
RADIOLOGY-Super super nice examiner, I wish I can thank her for giving us that human touch on a stressful day. She made it a little easier
Sources you used for studying for BCSE might help for settings and machine, if you need it, but if you passed NAVLE and done x-rays before, this shouldn't be a problem.
NECROPSY- I studied from the manual from UGA , has good pictures but probably not the best source out there, no videos. I also downloaded a Necropsy book pdf. And youtube is helpful for the heart details.If you are at the clinic or shelter, ask to do some necropsies. Finding tiny things might be tricky, such as thyroid,adrenal,thymus etc. when you get lost in all that tissue
SURGERY- Well...interesting. I've already said everything I knew about potential trainings before...Choices are poor for us in the US, but, as Maksara said, shelters are worth of trying. I asked few in the area and it didn't work, so I gave up on finding it in US...because the time was passing by and I had to plan everything else I took a trip to a clinic in Romania and I enjoyed it. They were wonderful,patient and provided plenty of patients per day.It is quite expensive to fly but,without other options at that point, it worked for me(Good side is that you can stop by home if you are from Europe somewhere
)
EXAM-It helped me to go through every little step in my head that I am going to do, right before entering a surgery room. That applies to anesthesia as well. Once you go in,your adrenalin kicks you so hard that you are not your very self
Most of us had to do gloving and gowning few times because of being nervous and messing something up...that is fine,correct your mistake on time
ANESTHESIA :
MATERIALS: I studied from the book Anesthesia and analgesia for vet techs and went through it into details. Also consulted different vets about drugs and protocols and went to seminars about it. Also youtube.
EXAM This is a section where your stress can kick you out. To me, the most nervous moments were at the very beginning when gathering equipment and placing catheter, but after initial stress somehow I managed to act like I am in my normal clinic environment just chitchatting with other technician and all these people are there for someone else, I am just doing my job to take care of that sweet dog.I had complications but as long as you know how to fix them, you are good.Try to imagine it is just a regular day. You know the machine,she knows you
Learn all effect of potential anesthetics you are going to use, all complications and what to do when it happens. When it happens it is good to know why it happened
That's all, Folks !
Wish you all the best!
Good luck!