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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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…?”

8. 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

9. 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

10. FINAL THOUGHTS