ABOS - Pearls and Pitfalls Safdar N. Khan, MD

Transcription

1 ABOS - Pearls and Pitfalls Safdar N. Khan, MD Benjamin R. and Helen Slack Wiltberger Memorial Chair in Orthopaedic Spine Surgery Associate Professor and Chief, Division of Spine Surgery Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

2 2 No disclosures pertinent to this talk

3 The Checklist. 1 Pass Part I. 2 Be continuously and actively engaged in orthopaedic surgery in one location for a least 20 consecutive months. 3 Electronically submit a completed application, application fee, a Scribe case list, and names of your peer reviewers by October 31. (Late deadline is November 15.) Available on website beginning April 1. 4 Receive letters of notification to examination in April on abos.org. 5 Receive examination assignments and admission cards in June. View the orientation videos. 6 Take Part II examination at Palmer House in Chicago in July. 7 Examination results are posted online in late August. 3

4 4 The Statistics

5 Pearls and Pitfalls - At the Start. Read and re-read the checklist. Be aware of all deadlines, fees and requirements (changed since I took the Boards!) Start in your fellowship! Ask mentors and junior attendings their methods Intern year and first year in practice arguably the most stressful (move, family, new environment - on addition to clinical responsibilities!) 5

6 Pearls and Pitfalls - At the Start Get settled. Identify a institutional mentor and a non-institutional mentor Be very organized! Recruit your staff and family! Spend some time organizing yourself as you enter your Board collection period. Understand that the Board wants to see your clinical competence 6

7 Pearls and Pitfalls - During the collection Remember that you have been trained well. Don t lose confidence if the cases you see are difficult. Asking for help is a sign of intelligence - E. Goldberg, MD Even the simple cases can be challenging and not without risk Do not waste time (energy) trying to out-guess what a Board examiner might think of your cases 7

8 Pearls and Pitfalls - During the collection Have a reason for everything you do. Document it. Don t be afraid of complications. They will happen. It s how you deal with them. And document them. Indications should stay the same in and outside the Board collection period Once cases selected - what to do!? 8

9 Pearls and Pitfalls - During the collection Be organized. Make an excel sheet and track all data points. Demographics Indications (what imaging showed, what influenced your decisions) Operative indices Post-op care Complications Function of this is to have ALL your data on your fingertips. Make sure you know your 12 cases inside out! Talk to your mentors and co-fellows. Consider a Board review course 9

10 Pearls and Pitfalls - During the collection Case Evaluation: Global Evaluation: Data Gathering Diagnosis and Interpretive Skills Treatment Plan Technical Skill Outcomes Applied Knowledge Surgical Indications Surgical Complications Ethics and Professionalism 10

11 Pearls and Pitfalls - At the Boards Arrive early. Travel smartly. Once there - do what makes you relax (some may hit the books, some may discuss their cases, some may bring spouses) Make sure you have all your materials ready for the morning. 11

12 Pearls and Pitfalls - At the Boards Once assigned and seated, take a deep breath. Examiners trained to be inscrutable - don t take offense or feel dissed By this time, you have rehearsed your talks many many times. The presentation of your case should be flawless. Answer the questions (based on the evaluation rubric) the best way you can. If you don t know, say so and move on. Do NOT argue. 12

13 Pearls and Pitfalls - At the Boards Of 12 cases, 6 will go great, 4 will be so so and 2 you will suck at. Everyone has the same experience. No one comes out of the oral Boards saying, I nailed it! Depending on your personality, some may discuss cases after the exam; MOST will drink copiously. Congratulations - biggest step of your professional life is over! 13

14 THANK YOU THANK YOU! 14