Preparing for Oral Exams
Tips and Guidelines
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery:
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery was incorporated in 1934. The Board's objective is to administer the certifying examination in orthopaedic surgery and to aid in establishing educational standards for orthopaedic surgery residents.
The certificate of the Board is valid for a ten-year period. Re-certification may be started up to three years prior to the certificate's expiration.
The Board does not confer any rights upon its diplomats and does not direct licensed physicians in the conduct of their professional duties.
Preparing for your Oral Examination:
Know your personal strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths are your least concern, unless humility is not one of them.
Your weaknesses should be the area of concentration. If oral communication is a problem for you, attack it directly by taking a speech and communication class at a local college. Real problems don't go away unless they are solved, so be honest with yourself and deal with them immediately.
If you wish to improve yourself, find an established orthopaedic surgeon in your area and ask him or her to critically evaluate your presence, appearance and demeanor. Be sure this surgeon is a respected and balanced individual who will agree to help you in this self-improvement process and who will evaluate you several times as you seek to correct weak points.
Orthopaedic Knowledge:
You must clearly understand the strengths and weakness of your program and deal with any deficiencies in advance of your examination. Above all, be well grounded in fundamentals; have a good knowledge of the publications and other educational resources available from the AAOS and other sources, and allow sufficient study time to prepare for the exam.
The Board Examiner:
Your Board Examiner is a person much like yourself --- a physician interested in orthopaedics, which gives you much in common. However, there is an age disparity that may signal social and generational subtleties you should use to your favor.
Board examiners are generally in the age range of 45-60 years. Personal codes of conduct developed during their training determine their concept of successful professional and personal behavior. While it is not necessary for you to take on the mores of their generation, you must be aware of them and use them to your advantage. Remember - it is not the examiner who is seeking certification - it is you!
Your goal is Board certification and you should posture yourself to succeed by attention to detail. Your appearance, behavior and manners should all create a positive impression on your examiner to lead you to your goal.
Understand that your examiner wants you to do well. It is as unpleasant and disturbing for an examiner to fail a candidate as it is for the candidate to be failed. Seize this initial attitude of goodwill; be sure your first impression does not offend or cause concern on the part of the examiner.
You can make the examiner comfortable. Be sure your personal appearance, grooming, language and demeanor don't invoke unspoken prejudices. A professional demeanor sends the message that you can be relied upon to present medicine and orthopaedics in a complimentary way and be a credit to your profession.
Dress:
The Night Before...
Know what you are going to wear ahead of time. Don't forget to pack an umbrella or rain gear if you will not be staying in the hotel where the exam will be given. Leave a wake-up message, but have your own alarm clock as well.... Remember Murphy's Law!
You have probably spent the last few months in intensive study. Leave the evening before your examination open to relax and mentally prepare yourself. Be certain that your material is well organized so you will not be fumbling around for X-rays or notes when presenting your cases.
Appropriate Dress:
Be conservative. In these days of "business casual", it is not always easy to determine the appropriate mode of dress for every occasion. Your Board exam however, is quite simple: It is not a casual occasion. It calls for your best business attire.
Getting to the exam site…
If you are not staying at the location where the exam will be held, plan to go to the site the day before you are scheduled. Time your trip and find the correct meeting room so you don't waste time upon your arrival. If you will have luggage or other items you want to check, identify where you will be able to leave them.
Meeting Your Examiner:
Introduce yourself.
Smile! You are not there to be executed. You are in the process of achieving a lifelong ambition. Do not initiate a handshake-if the examiner extends his or her hand, use a firm grip, but don't be a "bone crusher" or a "dead fish."
Use your examiner's name when you speak, as it will help you remember it and will present you in a positive way. Be polite and respectful at all times.
Body Language.
Be relaxed, don't twiddle your fingers or constantly adjust your clothing. Look directly at the examiner. Remember that it's not the wall that asked you a question. Maintain eye contact. An occasional slow nod indicates that you are listening and attentive. If you need glasses, wear them. If you need reading glasses, put them on only when needed; don't peer out over the glasses at the examiner.
Preparation of Cases:
Have a solid knowledge base of all the cases on your list. If you are to select the cases for presentation, select them early. Develop an in-depth knowledge of each of those you select. Know the natural history of the disease process well, and know all of the available treatment options with their attendant indications and complications. Explain the treatment program you chose and the rationale for choosing it. Know all relevant and appropriate lab and x-ray tests; if some were not ordered, be prepared to justify your decision.
If the Board selects the cases for you to present, then be familiar with all the cases in depth.
Do not select a case that is outside of your area of knowledge and interest. Remember that anything you say must be defensible; if you make a remark in passing, you might be asked to back up your comments. For example, in a fracture of the wrist, don't mention that you didn't order an MRI; you might be asked to discuss use of MRI in the wrist. Any topic you bring up is fair game for the examiners.
The Stress Factor:
Some examiners may create a stressful situation during the exam and follow your reaction. This does not mean they are hostile. Silence is the most common method of increasing your stress and causing you to ramble and enter unsafe areas. Once you've answered the question to the best of your ability, remain silent. If the interviewer fails to respond and time drags on, you might ask if there is any element you should elaborate on further.
Answer the question.
If you don't understand the question that's asked, restate it as you understand it and ask if it reflects the examiner's intent. Don't attempt to answer the question until the examiner has finished speaking. Be direct and to the point. State what you know and then stop. If you need a moment to reflect, take it. Maintain eye contact with the examiner while answering. Many people have to practice this, especially in tense situations. Work on this beforehand. Practice speaking into a video camera and see how often your eyes wander while answering imaginary questions.
Say Good-bye.
When leaving, rise and shake your examiner's hand. Say, " Good-bye, Dr. Smith, I appreciate your time," or something pleasant as you leave. Be sure to maintain good eye contact and smile as you depart.
Do not ask for an evaluation of your performance!
Summary:
While many of the items covered in this paper would seem to be obvious to any educated person, taking your Board exam is a stressful situation, preceded by an intense preoccupation with remembering facts and accumulating knowledge. In this state of anxiety many routine activities are put on the back burner. This short review of general items may help put your mind at ease.
