pshypyre Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 OK so I need some serious help/guidance/support ... I've taken my PANCE exam 3 times and have still NOT passed it. My score the first two times were not great in the least b/c honestly I read a lot but didnt focus on questions. The third time around I focussed on questions moreso from the AAPA book/CD & KAPLAN book which left me 64 points from passing. I am not a good test taker and I honestly thought I was ready to hit it out of the ballpark this time but that didn't happen and left me very disappointed. My confidence, right now, is shattered and I know I need to pick myself up quickly so I can get back on the bike and pedal a little harder to get it done for good this time. I recently came across some USMLE 2 test questions and was wondering if that has helped those of you who've used them. Also, what is DataChem??? Is it good and does it give results??? Any amount of help/guidance would be greatly appreciated. I've read a few posts and can see how positive they are in trying to help those who are struggling. Please feel free to give me any advice. At this point I'm ready to do anything and everything to get it all over with. Should you choose not to post and would prefer emailing me my address is: pshypyre@yahoo.com Thank you!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcdavis Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Can you take the PANCE more than 3 times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtg1111 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 You can take it a total of 5 times I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marilynpac Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 What happens after the 5th time? Do they make you go back to school? They did for the RN exam...we had three times to pass the exam, if you failed the first time in only one or two areas you could go back and retake only where you failed. If you failed again, one more chance and then you went back to school for that area/s that you failed in. Once you proved you went back to school you were allowed to take the exam in that area again. I don't know what the protocol is now...it seems with both pance and panre, 5 is the final number... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshypyre Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 Limitations on Eligibility: The Six-Years-Six-Attempts Rule "Individuals who have never been certified and who graduated from an ARC-PA accredited physician assistant program on or after January 1, 2003, will be eligible to take PANCE for up to six years after completing the requirements for graduation from that program. During that six-year period, PANCE may be taken a total of six times. When either the six attempts or six years are exhausted, whichever occurs sooner, the individual loses eligibility to take PANCE. The only way to establish new eligibility is to complete an unabridged ARC-PA accredited physician assistant educational program again." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm123 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I can empathize with your plight on test taking. It seems much of the time the ability to take the questions by process of elimination is better than actual knowledge of the subject. Sometimes we read to many variables into a question as well. I have in the past taken review courses designed for the PANCE and PANRE exams that are very good. The AAPA has a list http://web.aapa.org/AAPA_Widgets/default.aspx?eventtype=rev_crs. Ihave taken the course from http://www.certifiedmedicaleducators.com/ and found it a great help. The guy that put the class together is a PA and quite knowledgeable. He has doctors ans PAs with work experience giving rapid fire info. You don't see people surfing on their web phone or reading a magazine. Everyone knows this is good stuff and taping notes. You come home with plenty of pertinent study material and a good feeling. The confidence factor going into the exam after one of these classes is worth a bunch. If worst comes to worst, I have heard you do not need the blessings of the NCCPA to work for the VA. In fact, this would be a great place to work. Don't think bad about yourself. These kinds of tests, I feel don't reflect on your ability to be a PA. but your ability to take the PA exam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemegroup Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Do questions after questions after questions. I used the AAPA book's online questions, the Kaplan online questions, and Datachem and passed very well. I really liked the Kaplan questions because it gives full explanations for all the answers, whether right or wrong. Live and breathe questions. Wake up, shower, questions. Eat, questions. Rest, questions. 3 hours of questions before bed. Questions questions questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshypyre Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 What is "Van Rhee" book all about??? Is it any good??? Its been mentioned a few times in the Forum. The only books I have are the AAPA/Kaplan/Appleton & Lange Q&A book (which I'm not too crazy about) --- used more of the first 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm123 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Something else I remember you probably already know but thought I would mention. Most all the test questions are at least three years old. They have to be reviewed, most likely put on the test as a trial but not counted in your score, reviewed some more, and then get to the thousand or more possible exam questions that are counted. Any recent changes in standard and acceptable practice should be considered it that light. For example, a change in CPR is to 15 chest compressions. The test writers, hopefully have already kicked out a question such as this but you can't assume a question with 5 compressionsis wrong. Name changes seem to be all the rage as well. IHSS (Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis) is now called HOCM (Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy). My point is to be aware of old standards if the new ones are not that old. That sounds kind of confusing so hope it makes sense. As an aside, I hate this type of change. It seems to be the assumed right of those with little to do to make life more complicated than it needs to be. HOCM doesn't even make an acceptable acronym (I hate acronyms too). It should be HOC like in bull-HOC. Maybe my pet-peeve will help you to remember IHSS or HOCM as it seems to be a common question asked on exams such as this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzz Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Wrong......6 attempts in 6 years, whichever comes first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtg1111 Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 The key to any standardized test is to practice taking the test. That means emulating the testing conditions as closely as possible while using old tests or test questions. Training yourself to function under those conditions(such as time constraints) will eliminate a lot of the stress during the real thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm123 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I'm not sure about the following. Others please chime in. I don't think the VA requires a PA to have the "C" if they graduated from a certified program. They don't need to be licensed by the State Board in which they work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kd4029 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I'm not sure about the following. Others please chime in. I don't think the VA requires a PA to have the "C" if they graduated from a certified program. They don't need to be licensed by the State Board in which they work. I heard the same thing. A PA employed by the federal gov't (prison, va etc) doesn't get licensed by the state so no need for the C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyJ Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I'm not sure about the following. Others please chime in. I don't think the VA requires a PA to have the "C" if they graduated from a certified program. They don't need to be licensed by the State Board in which they work. Last I looked, the VA required state licensure. It didn't matter what state you had a license in, just as long as you have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshypyre Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 Yeh but in order to get a state license, you have to pass the boards - am I right??? I graduated last year so I'm not familiar w/any of it, but if that is the case I'm curious to know more!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpc511 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 To the OP, have you looked into the Emory University home board review? Check out the link below. It's all on DVD. I believe the program also comes with a couple of weeks of ExamMaster access, which will give you just about all the study questions you'll ever want to see. http://www.emorypa.org/pa_board_review.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elisor Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Practice the Questions of Lange Yellow PA book, Van Rhee..Data chem or that Kaplan Q's are way beyond whats on Pance. Remember the essentials for every disease listed on the blue book on AAPA. Key terms, Pathognomonics. Good Luck!!Relax and believe in yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradtPA Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 IMHO, you seriously need a review course. 1 year post graduation, plus scores that are sub 300, it can only help to go to a course such as the one with CME resources. And one last suggestion: get tested for ADD/ learning disabilities. My best friend in my class was found to have ADD after failing the PANCE twice.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkc18 Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Just left the VA. You have to stay certified but do not need a state license as you are on federal property when practicing. It does pose a problem for some PAs signing forms because they may ask for the medical license number which they do not have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledown10 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I don't know how much poking around you have done on this forum, but I left a study plan under "Smoked the PANRE" and every PA that I work with that has followed that and taken the test as done amazingly well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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