Just given PANRE.. waiting for results some advise .....

[rchop12]

Hai guys, I just given my PANRE on tuesday so i thought let me come back to site and give some advice if it can help any one..

 

here little about me, i graduated 2007 and worked for one year in pediatrics and then switch to nephrology. i passed my pance first attempt with good scores. But this time it is not a easy ride to get to exam table.. because of family and 2 little kids and full time work and studying for PANRE was huge task and very distressing .. but finally the day came i given my exam and waiting for results now.

 

 

i was so new to this site and start buying things who ever says its good.. so i have most of the stuff like AAPA books and Bought PANCE MASTER and KAPLAN and i bought PAEASY.. and finally big mistake also spend almost 400 for HELPCME some site.. same like umdnj but no lectures u read the slides... any way

on the top of of all this i went to 5 days CME first time.

 

 

EXAM:

 

my exam have so many lenthy questions.. and it is kind of mix of all systems....one thing i can say sure if u dont read and prepared all the topics NCCPA blue print there is no way u will get through this exam. because they are touching some how all the topics. there is lot of drug drug interactions which i did not expect this many will be there.

 

i was start reading 3 months ago.. but seriously studied two months at least 3-4 days a week 12-15 hrs a day. because i need to work 3 12 hrs so can't spend more than this.

 

this is what i did:

 

starting i was reading here and there.... it was so hard for me to sit and read all topics from AAPA book then.. change my reading style.

 

one day i was checking you tube and found good nice lectures from Dr. Conrad Fisher kaplan, he have nice lecture on cardiology and GI (BEST BEST BEST).. and neurology and optho and hemotology.

i wish he teach more stuff than those.. its free some people have it i subscibe on you tube.. listen one time his lectures u kind of have good idea on basic stuff because he is teaching usmle and step students... not for PA's but it helped so much can't explain.. really good lectures.

 

 

2. i was doing PAEASY questions then people start saying they are not good, so i closed it. i bought KAPLAN... the best thing i did it in 3 months. i took for 99 dollars for month .. their questions are so long but believe me in the exam 4 hours some thing helped me is KAPLAN question bank. they are lengthy but once u read question and u read 5 answers even u do 100 ques a day more than enough to learn . so detailed.... i know it is frustating to read big big questions but.. my bad luck in exam i had so many big questions and x rays ... just becasue i was doing from two months kaplan i was able to run fast... during the test.

 

3. PANCE MAster also very good i did may be 600 questions they are cheap 55 dollars 1200 questions u get until ur exam date .. they are simple pointed questions. it is good couple of the days before exam u do all those questions u kind of have grip on the topics example: Primary billiary cirrhosis .. antimitochondiral antibodies.. like just given u clues .. it helped me lot. before one day exam i did around 5 hours with timed PANCE MAster .. just to review all.

 

4. Is it CME 5 days course help me... i dont have answer. i took month ago. it was hectic 5 days 7 to 5.30 every day classes and night they give u 120 questions by the time u do and sleep and come morning again classes. i wish i have taken the course and next day going to exam will be the best IDEA.

but their lectures are good.. but if ur hospital paying for it good, if u are giving pance and has to spend money for course and room and boarding.. i will suggest go for kaplan q bank and their lectures online it will be cheaper for u over all.

 

5. next i bought PA LOUNGE book but as i said it was not easy for me to sit and read book do questions. so i just did their cd kind of end to test my self one time i did very well.. on that cd because i was use to doing kaplan questions all day... and LOUNGE cd questions were short so able to run through.. fast.

 

 

 

sorry i am not good in writing like this little messed. main points:

 

 

best advise from me:

 

1.kaplan question bank

2. pance master.

3. Packrats.. are good just simple precise questions. good to review. i have some let me know any one need.

3. dr conrad fisher lectures, Dr. paul bolin lectures, dr. sakla ob/gyn lectures. these lectures i was listening during my ride to work and most of the time just repeatly. if i am doing questions i am tired i just stop and play one of their lectures for 45 min to hours and get back to questions.

 

 

Dr. Paul Bolin lectures he have very good HIV summarized lectures and psych meds which i was looking for some one to listen.

dr sakla kaplan ob lectures were nice short precize the best.. especially for ob.

 

i was almost planned to buy hippo every one saying i tried for 4 hours trial i was very weak in ortho... i did 4 hours two days before theirs it was nice.. but i already spend on 400 for waste helpcme... i dont want buy one more. so other wise they are good.

 

by system wise good ones:

 

cardiology: dr. conard fisher lectures

pulmonary: i read from CME binder. and did listened lectues from (HELP4PA CHANNEL)

GI: DR. Conrad fisher lectures

ortho: from CME binder.. they are precize and enough for this exam...

OB GYN: dr sakla lectures were good.

DERM: derm clinic .net very good pics and explanations.

nephrology: dr. conrad fisher lectures on you tube.

psych: i did dr paul bolin lectures and read from AAPA book.

pediatrics: very good i liked from CME binder.

ID : dr conrad fisher lectures

hemotology: Dr conrad Fisher lectures online

endocrine: just did his deck of cards.... which was enough for me in the exam.

 

 

may be if u are good in sit and reading GOOD AAPA book was fine for this exam... but some one like me listen and learn .. these online stuff nice.

 

 

on the top of all this i bought for 35 dollars : Kaplan Medical USMLE Diagnostic Test Flashcards: The 200 Diagnostic Test Questions You Need to Know for the Exam for Steps 2 & 3 [Cards]

 

 

 

i thought i spend anyway for NCCPA exams 35 each which did not give us any details at the end.. thought spending $35 here for above cards. they are so good just review everyday one two systems...very good. u will not disspoint on these cards...

 

 

lot of my friends given panre said .. exam was not lengthy but mine was long questions like kaplan . and know ur EKG's and make sure know all meds and their interactions. they are not asking how u treat mostly asking what is drug drug interactions... hope nccpa not want us be Pharmacy.. specialists.. but its there be ready.

 

 

 

hope this help some one out there... and i am just holding my breath and waiting for my results. let u guys knows soon.... hope i pass so my kids dont need to suffer from my last library stays... praying praying praying!!!!!!!!!!!!. so stressed out from 3 months... hope all end soon.

[rchop12]

if u have time.. and able to spend time .. go listen these lectures nice though.. HELP4PA CHANNEL . i did not really like cardiology otherwise all good. go and check oncology review nice for all cancers in 3 hour lecture.

[late_bloomer]

Thank you for posting your tips for the PANRE, would you be willing to share the packrats? 

 

I think I will get pancemaster and kaplan pance review

[mainiac]

FYI

 

HELP4PA CHANNEL HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE

[Iain1028]

I just want to say studying for the PANRE is a real buzz kill and it sucks.  

 

Thanks for listening…….

[johnN]

Just took the panre yesterday.  It was much harder than I've anticipated.  Spend about ~ one month study off and on 1-2 hrs/night for it but vigorously the past  5 days [cram].  I think you need to 'know the stuff'.  I've taken the general adult med exams but I find many questions were on pediatrics, think it was unfair.  Many valvular issues /cardiology [never seen so much valves issues my whole life].  My background is in IM/Urgent care, very little peds but I did suffer a great deal on the exams - the colleagues prior did not recommend to spend time on peds and I did not do this.

 

The cases are much tougher than previous, much lengthly than before, much more analysis, lots of labs and very little one sentence questions, I only have 5 mins left of each sessions after each exams to 'review', in 2002 and 2008 I could go over the test at least 2x before time runs out.  the answers are horrendous, you end up w/ two choices at each questions but don't know which one is superior.  The ACLS also suck, they've used the outdated versions and all the meds are messed up IMHO.  You need to know the valves, rhythms, what to do [but sometimes you don't know the best answers since all of them make sense during the exams and you get really confused].  I hope they really CURVE this yr or we'll be in troubles.  You'll see bunch of ortho and surgical probls even though it's 'intended for primary care'/ very little preventative medicine.  I truely believe at least ~ 10-20% of the questions the test writers read some weird cases from journals and you'll never see and put it on the exams, I believe it's very unfair.

 

The dermatology sections is also very bad wording, difficult to 'see the image'.

 

IMHO it's much tougher than the previous two exams I've taken [PANCE and PANRE in 2008]. 

 

You have to study at least 6 wks prior and I would say spend ~ 2 hrs each day INTENSIVELY for the exams.

 

I just hope to get 380 pts to pass and keep my license.  I truely believe every time they would 'curve it'. 

 

I think the exam is 'smarter' so if you get the right quesitons they may give you tougher questions next???  unclear but this is my guess. 

 

I would go over bunch of test questions either from kaplan or some other sources.  I've used the AAPA SPONSOR REVIEW BOOK

[bradtPA]

Even the adult exams will have some peds. The "specialty" exams are about 50% focused and 50% general. I tend to do more adult med, but I figured if I gotta review peds, I might as well just take the general exam.....

[evonin]

Thank you for your advice about PANRE. Can you share the Packrats?