Let's Dance YOU & I

(So OF COURSE this wasn't my board pt. but REALLY...I kind of can't help but smile and chuckle at this. Sick, sick, sick.)

Here you are: the morning of your WREB clinical exam. You are completely ready to go. Arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to the "clinic entrance" time on your sheet. The clinic entrance time is the time YOU & YOUR PT can enter the clinic for check in. You can take the BP and HHX 1 hour prior to your start time...SO DO! Have your pt. sign all required forms and about 3 minutes after you enter the clinic you sign up with the Chief Examiner for check in. NO need to set up now... you will have plenty of time while you wait. You set up and get the ultrasonic (you rent for $45... ouch!) ready to go.

Now comes the gut wrenching part: PT QUALIFICATION & ACCEPTANCE. This year they went to a new computerized system. My clinic entrance was 7 am. I checked in with the CHIEF at 7:04 I believe...and I was second! Acceptance took well over an hour. Apparently they were having technical difficulties.

But then, here comes my pt....yes, no, yes, no???? YES!!! My first submission was accepted! And away we went. You are given 2 1/2 hours to scale, probe, do an extra & intra exam, and complete all required paper work. This sounds like a lot of time..but trust me...IT FLIES!

As you and your pt sprint to the finish line with 1 minute to spare, you think to yourself...it is done! You have done all you can do. You now go and break down your unit, turn in your packet to the Chief Examiner, and exit the clinic.

Here is my advise for the clinical exam:

1. QUALIFY YOUR OWN PATIENT! The instructors may look at your pt. and give you their opinion. BUT it is ULTIMATELY your responsibility if your pt does or does not qualify. The instructors are doing you a huge favor to give you their professional opinion. But part of the exam is to see if you can qualify a pt on your own.



2. Alternate submission for sure. There is no penalty for submitting an alternate...only if they use it. I suggest adding additional teeth in your first submission. At least 2 and in your alternate 4. We had some pt qualification difficulties, and I think more is better. However, there is a fine line of enough qualifying surfaces, and too much work for you.
   


3. Make sure your x-rays are perfect. Take them well in advance, and make sure every contact in your quad is open in at least one film.


4. Look at occlusion prior to the exam day if possible. Occlusion classifications can be tricky and it is one of the first things you learn in 1st year (and 1st forgotten too). Exam day is no time to be deciding, "is that the width of a pre-molar?"


5. Sleep well and eat well the day prior and be sure to get a good breakfast.


6. Bring your CANDIDATE GUIDE with you into the exam. You are allowed to reference it. You just can't write any notes that would give you an advantage (like probe depths, recession, etc.).


7. Work together as a class to have as many back ups as possible. You will most likely need to pay these pt a small amount to get them there and wait. Have the HHX and x-rays ready to go.
8. Have some classmates not taking the clinical exam "babysit" the back up patients. They will be in charge of paying the pt. after we are sure all of WSU students are qualified and on their way, the x-rays, and health histories. There will be other students from other schools at our site taking the boards as well. It is a possibility that their pt will not qualify. And they will want to use one of our back-ups. We had this happen this year. As devastating as it is for them to come all this way and not have a pt qualify, we need to make sure all of US WEBER people are taken care of first. We did let her use one of the back-ups...because we are just that nice.
   


9. And last the best of all the game...and I can't stress this one enough...CHANGE YOUR CHAIR POSITION! This is so huge. Be SURE to go from 8 o'clock all the way over to 1. Rememberinng surfaces away and toward in each position. Seriously people...this could be a pass or fail decision! Also, give yourself enough time to thoroughly explore your quad.
   

There is no clinic fee for that quad ($7) But it is a nice gesture to bring your pt a small token of your appreciation. It isn't "illegal" to pay your pt. most people do. Just be sure to keep that between you and your pt. as not to cause any troubles.