I prepared myself for months for the boards. I've read the sweatbook a total of 5 times! The memory master for a total of 2! I felt ready and prepared to take the exam and I did take it yesterday. Did I have anxiety? Sure. Some, but not a whole lot. That right there told me deep inside that I was ready. But I wasn't prepared for the HARD questions that hit me during the course of the exam.
The first couple of questions were OK. I obviously missed a simple question that I should've known the answer to (it was a calculation question). A brief moment of brain fart I thought to myself. But, I was OK with it and moved on.
The questions got tougher and thougher I thought. The fact that, I was trying to answer some of them through process of elimination (you know, like well A and B are totally wrong, so its between C and D...).
Then, as the test progressed....just like the energizer bunny...it kept going and going and.....
Past question 93 and I was still at it. My heart sank and my confidence got knocked out of me. I started to panic a bit. "How much time have I lost...do I have enough time to finish?". I stopped and took a deep breath. I told myself to GET A GRIP and FOCUS.
The questions..."Where in the world did these questions come from?" From what I recall through the exam...most of the questions I was asked involved plenty of anatomy & physiology. Sure, I did get an easy question here and there, like the simple flow volume loop diagram. But, as soon as I breezed through a question or two like it, the hard questions came. And there were a lot of em! Now, I tried to rationalize...telling myself that, "Well, if most of the questions were hard....then I must've been doing OK. At least the computer was "adapting" to my capacity to answer these HARD questions. And if I was doing really badly, then my questions would've been easier and easier...OR it could've easily stopped at 90 something. CAN IT STOP AT ANY NUMBER ABOVE 90? Does anyone know?
So, I answered ALL 160 questions and tried my very best yesterday. I was emotionally run down and drained of all emotions. I was a zombie, trying to drive back to my house which was an hour away. Thoughts of failure came to my mind. People that were counting on me to pass...HUMILITY that may come after I get my results.
But, after waking up this morning from a BAD HANGOVER, I realised that nothing can really prepare you for an exam such as this one that is so unpredictable. Sure, the sweatbook helped. But in my opinion, the memory master didn't. I would advise those who will be taking this exam in the future to supplement your readings outside of the sweatbook and memory master. Sure, I tried supplementing my studies by reading M&M, but not thoroughly. That is my own fault. I take full responsibility for my successes and failures. And if I fail this one, then IT IS JUST A SETBACK. If I get knocked off this horse, then I'll just get up and get on it again. That's why they call it "School of Hard Knocks".
It's out of my hands now. The waiting begins. Between now and the day the fed ex man comes, I will hit the books and start reading once again. This time, I'll start with Morgan & Mikhail.
Goodluck to all who have and will take the board exam.