gizzy999 Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I am an ER PA with 16 years experience in Emergency Medicine, 1 year experience in Dermatology, and 1 year as a Clinical Coordinator in a PA program where I taught Introduction to EKG as well as doing the lecture for the Dermatology Section in a Board Review Course for George Washington University. I studied for my PANRE last month by going through 800 questions from 5 tests that were from a recent Board Review Course and taking meticulous notes and memorizing all the crazy things I thought they may ask me in the PANRE. My experience with PANRE last week was that because of the review I had done with the 800 questions I was able to answer about 10 questions I probably would not have gotten if I had not studied. I felt like there were about 20 questions that I knew and felt pretty confident about. There were maybe 10 questions that I had boiled down to 2 answers. The remaining 200 questions were so bizarre and out of left field that I was wildly guessing on them with no clue what the answer was. I walked out of that test so angry and frustrated. Who are the crazy people that make up these test questions? Why do we put up with this? Can I start a movement here to get this changed? It is INSANE!!! By the way this has been my experience with these tests ever since I took the original one and have re-certified . Crazy questions, impossible to study for, out of left field, not related to what I know and use in my day to day practice or would ever want to know. Just learned today that I passed but I have no idea how and I still despise this whole demeaning process. If we got as many signatures on a petition as there are replies to some threads on this website we could maybe create some changes!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 7, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 7, 2013 I have taken panre a few times. the first time I studied for maybe 3-4 hrs and did fine. the next time I studied for maybe an hr and did better...I take it again soon and am considering just taking it totally cold as I have heard no amt of studying will help. either you know it or you don't. I took the caq cold last yr and passed so my theme I guess is "life time learning" vs cramming for the test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d2305 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 You will do fine, but I did study when I heard about seasoned PAs failing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andersenpa Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I have been criticizing panre for a while now. The exam has been an awful measure of competency. I am taking the surgery focus this yr to see if it is more applicable, but I have my doubts. We need specialty specific exams for each major field, with content edited/approved by the specialty societies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprillh Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 A lot of those 'left field' questions are thrown out. Why they want to put them in in the first place is beyond me. I think there is so much apathy to address the NCCPA because everyone knows nothing will change. They are a monopoly and answer to no one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizzy999 Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 OK. Not too much hope - got it, but the way that test was, I feel like there is NO WAY to reasonably study for this exam - if I take it again I will not study for sure. I guess to correct this problem I may have to learn what other practitioners/MD's NP's etc have to go through to keep up their CME and stay certified. But an opthamologist told me that he was able to study from a huge bank of questions for his Boards and the test questions that came up were exactly the ones he had been studying. I think that could be one approach. Another would be to bring back the take home exam -- why did they throw it out in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 10, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 10, 2013 the taken home exam was even worse and required a higher score as it was open book. many questions could not be answered by md specialists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discogenic Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 OK. Not too much hope - got it, but the way that test was, I feel like there is NO WAY to reasonably study for this exam - if I take it again I will not study for sure. I guess to correct this problem I may have to learn what other practitioners/MD's NP's etc have to go through to keep up their CME and stay certified. But an opthamologist told me that he was able to study from a huge bank of questions for his Boards and the test questions that came up were exactly the ones he had been studying. I think that could be one approach. Another would be to bring back the take home exam -- why did they throw it out in the first place? I would guess this is very common but I wouldn't look for it to become officially sanctioned. Quite the opposite. Radiologists took heat for this recently: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/13/health/prescription-for-cheating/index.html "For years, doctors around the country taking an exam to become board certified in radiology have cheated by memorizing test questions, creating sophisticated banks of what are known as "recalls," a CNN investigation has found." Internal Medicine: http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/06/21/prsa0621.htm "At the Arora Board Review courses, [the manager] was not only bragging that he had ABIM questions but soliciting people who remembered questions to report them back to him," Dr. Cassel said." Dermatology: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/03/health/doctor-cheating-dermatology/index.html "Doctors studying to become dermatologists have, for years, shared exam questions by memorizing and writing them down after the test to become board certified, CNN has confirmed." "The American Board of Medical Specialties said on its website that, "It should be made abundantly clear that recalling and sharing questions from exams violates exam security, professional ethics and patient trust in the medical profession. When it happens, the practice should be addressed swiftly and decisively. Whether someone is providing or using test questions, ABMS Member Boards enforce sanctions that may include permanent barring from certification, and/or prosecution for copyright violation." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mph625 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I have been practicing over 20 years and lost my job (not to gain sympathy). I think others have been in the same situation and as stated repeatedly NCCPA can do anything they want to do. Wish we had a voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mph625 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I have been practicing over 20 years and lost my job (not to gain sympathy). I think others have been in the same situation and as stated repeatedly NCCPA can do anything they want to do. Wish we had a voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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