Anes ccm boards

[Slamdunk]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently an Anes ccm fellow and wanted to know if anyone who recently took the board exam can comment on how you studied, what sources you used and overall what you did to help you succeed on the exam. Thanks.

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[bigdan]

I used the SCCM Comprehensive Critical Care: Adult text for the bulk of my reading throughout the fellowship year. I read the guideline from various and sundry societies.

I used a bunch of miscellaneous sources for digging up some minutiae - like specific side effects of specific antibiotics, etc.

I wish I could tell you that made me well prepared, but I felt the test was full of intricate detail that I either knew or didn't. I ended up clicking enough correct bubbles that they issued a certification in my name, but I'm not sure how I passed. I don't feel it was a test whose content assessed my knowledge as a specialty-trained physician.

All that doom and gloom aside, the pass rate for the last few years has been mid-to-upper 80% of test takers, so the stats are on your side!

Good luck with it!

 

[Femtochemistry]

Here's an old post of mine. I passed first time, thankfully. Much like BigDan, I felt the exam was pretty random. Similar questions to Step 2/3. I'd flip through a copy of USMLE First Aid 2 or 3 for a refresher. Good luck.


1. http://www.amazon.com/Evidence-Based-Practice-Critical-Care-Consult/dp/1416054766/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403015314&sr=1-2&keywords=Evidence-Based Critical Care
2. http://www.sccm.org/Education-Center/Adult-Board-Review/Pages/AKAACC.aspx
3. http://www.sccm.org/Education-Center/Adult-Board-Review/Pages/Self-Assessment.aspx
4. http://www.sccm.org/Education-Center/Adult-Board-Review/Pages/Comprehensive.aspx
5. http://www.chestnet.org/Publications/Mobile-Offerings/CHEST-SEEK-App

The evidence-based practice of critical care is an amazing book. Up-to-date as of 2010, easy to read, quick, and down-to-the-point. Get it.

The comprehensive critical care book is also very good. A bit dense, ~1000 pages but the font type is very large w/ lots of pics/tables/graphs. You could read the whole book in <2 weeks.

As far as questions goes (I learn more from Qs then books) I'm mostly using Chest-SEEK app on my iphone/ipad along w/ AKAAC and self-assessment. All 3 I've found very, very helpful.

 

[bigdan]

Femto -

I think your recs are great for solidifying what you learn in an ICU fellowship. But - tell me this - even if you memorized ALL the sources you listed, would that have helped you feel more comfortable on that exam? I think the exam was that far out of left field. Like I told you after the exam - if I had failed, I honestly did not know what I would have done to prepare better/differently.

Oh well - it's out of the way for now!

 

[Femtochemistry]

Not only could I have memorized all those resources, but if it was an open book test, I'd still would have struggled. I can not describe to you all how random this test was....