Exam Process NRC 2013 Andrew Hall MD FRCPC Department of Emergency Medicine Queen’s University

How it all went down… Written Exam Oral Exam Studying Tips Final Thoughts

WRITTEN EXAM 2 consecutive days; 3 hours each Usually in a conference room – Ex. Kingston Public Library ~25-28 questions per paper Written with other specialties

WRITTEN EXAM Question starts with stem describing clinical scenario Will ask questions relating to stem: – What is the most likely diagnosis – What is the next most important step – List 6 causes of this presentation – List 6 therapies that should be initiated immediately – List 4 complications of this problem

WRITTEN EXAM Usually STRAIGHTFORWARD Rosen’s Tables and Lists are $$ Looking for lists, few words, definitions May have visual stimuli Answers are WEIGHTED as indicated proportional to difficulty/importance YOU WILL NOT KNOW EVERYTHING Expect to blank on 1-2 questions per paper No panicking allowed

ORAL EXAM Everyone in Ottawa – University far from downtown Either AM or PM group – Sequestered for ~1-2 hrs before or after 6 exam stations and 2-3 rest stations Mass start, rotate around hallway, bell rings, OSCE-style

ORAL EXAM IN THE ROOM: – One examiner – 2 cases per room (total 12 cases) – 10 min per case (20 min total) – Examiner keeps time – not your job – Examiner will be stone-faced – They want you to pass “Is there anything else you would…?”

ORAL EXAM Question Format: – Clinical stem – describe initial management, diagnostic steps, DDx, definitive management – May have visual stimuli Question Content – Predictable, bread and butter Difficult airway – many different scenarios Trauma resuscitation Crashing neonate/child Child abuse Ethics / CANMEDS / Communication Procedures

STUDYING TIPS Talk to your recent grads – it worked for them Notes, cue-cards, questions, ppt slides, etc Make practice questions Meet with a partner or group Rosen’s + Minor Supplementation AHA Guidelines + PALS Robert’s and Hedges – Procedures in EM Mattu - ECGs for Emergency Physicians Up-to-Date Goldfrank’s Tox Handbook Knoop – Atlas of Emergency Medicine Toronto Notes (no joke) Something for Ethics and Clin Epi Top 10 list papers Do lots of practice orals

FINAL THOUGHTS