Next would be the Barrow Downs, and then Bree. But somehow, I thought of Weathertop, and when I searched for an image, this came up:
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| Lego Weathertop |
Can somebody tell me what Darth Vader is doing in Middle Earth? Turns out, there are all kinds of lego Lord of the Rings models. Everything from Moria to Minas Tirith.
This stage of the journey involves finding a way to study for the exam. Preferably one that won't put me in debtor's prison.
First, I need to figure out what I need to know. The ABPN site does provide a detailed list of topics covered in the 2015 exam. Note that for each topic tested:
I guess I better brush up on my psychiatric genetics. I wouldn't want to disappoint the NIMH, now would I.
So now I'm searching around for a review course that will help me learn the useless information I need for the exam. I think what I really need is a question bank. But here goes.
I got an email from MGHAcademy, and the subject line was, "Superior Study Tools for Psychiatry Exams". There's a Board Exam Mastery Course, intended for passing the boards the first time around, a Child and Adolescent Update and Study Course, which is not relevant for me, and the Mass General Hospital Review and Update Book.
I ordered a sample of this book on Kindle, just to see. A quick perusal of the contents revealed, "Chapter 3 The DSM-IV: A Multi-Axial System for Psychiatric Diagnosis. The rest of my perusal revealed nothing about DSM-5. So I guess this one won't be helpful, because as we know, DSM-IV diagnoses that have different names in DSM-5, or have been split into multiple diagnoses in DSM-5, or have been lumped together in DSM-5, will be tested. And DSM-IV diagnoses that are obsolete in DSM-5 will not be tested.
There's a whole section on "The Psychotherapies", and it includes everything from brief therapy to group therapy to hypnosis, but no psychodynamic psychotherapy. I guess I better brush up on my hypnosis.
I found an in-person course in (Yay!) NYC on the Kaufman Courses site (of the Neurology for Psychiatrists Kaufmans). The course took place back in January (Boo!). Maybe they're planning another one for this coming January, but there's no evidence to support that theory on the site. And I couldn't check to see how much it cost, which may or may not be a good thing.
Another site I found with a course that already took place is CMEinfo. It was a 5 day class for $1195, and it took place in Atlanta.
Honestly, for these kinds of prices, they could update their sites.
The Osler Institute offers an audio course for $220, as well as a recertification syllabus for $55. There's also a question book, Psychiatry: 1200 Questions to help you pass the boards for $68. This seems to be the least expensive option.
So far, the best option I've come across is the one I mentioned in my last post, Beat The Boards. They seem to have a large question bank, with explanations and testing strategies, and the cost is $1097 for the online course. They claim to "teach to the test"-bad for elementary school, great for MOC. That probably says everything you need to know about MOC.
There's also something called the Pass Machine for $500, which claims it's optimized for iPad use, and includes a new iPad. but there's no description of what the content is. I already own an iPad, and the online course can be accessed through one, so I don't know what the difference is. They also claim to have some free resources, including a Medquick Guide, geared to the boards. But when I tried to enter my information to receive it, I got an error.
The only good news in this whole situation, so far, is that according to the ABPN MOC Statistics page, as of December 31 2013, there's a 99% pass rate.
And here's something to make you smile:
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| Lego Rivendell |
