Author: Amanda Xi

How to study for the ABA [American Board of Anesthesiology] ADVANCED exam

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane image of the day:

My usual study setup – I cannot study at home for the life of me [having food, a couch, a bed and a television in close proximity makes it impossible for me to focus].

[Updated 9/2022 with updated TrueLearn discount ($25 off!)]

Introduction

For those of you at the beginning of your residency trying to plan for future exams, please start with my guide to studying for the ITE and my entry on studying for the ABA BASIC exam, first. Then make your way back here when you’re a CA3.

If you’re a CA3 or a graduate about to take the ABA ADVANCED exam, you’re in the right place.

Some basics about the ADVANCED exam

After graduating from residency, you’ll take the ADVANCED Exam. It focuses on clinical aspects of anesthetic practice and emphasizes subspecialty-based practice and advanced clinical issues. We’ll assign you an exam date after you register and can only change your assignment for religious observance, military commitments and medical accommodations.

https://theaba.org/staged%20exams.html
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How to interview like a boss

Amanda Xi
The photo I took on my interview day at Massachusetts General Hospital, circa 2014. I’m still in awe that I work at this incredible institution!

In life, career advancement is typically tied to being able to compile a resume, personal statement or letter of intent, and an interview. For many medical trainees, residency interviews are the first real “job” interview. While medical school also employs an interview process, it is a very different flavor of interview. The tips offered below can be readily applied to almost any kind of interview… but they’re most applicable to residency.

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Tips for applying to residency

Amanda Xi
My ERAS photo circa 2014. Oh to be young and naive again!

Hello, friends! It has been a while since I’ve posted here. While I could make all kinds of excuses about graduating residency, starting critical care fellowship immediately after, and managing a couple of leadership positions in national organizations… you don’t want to hear about that. What likely brought you to this page was the title – and the fact that you are a medical student aspiring to be successful in the residency match.

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How to study for the ABA [American Board of Anesthesiology] BASIC exam

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane image of the day:

Caption: Legit all of the resources I used to study for the BASIC. Admittedly, I didn’t finish all of the things here, but I only advocate/recommend products I’ve purchased and used myself.

[Updated 9/2022 with TrueLearn discount for $25 off!]

Introduction

First and foremost, check out my original article on all of the resources for the in-training exam (ITE) and BASIC exam. If you opened that entry and immediately thought, TL;DR… or you only care about how to study for the BASIC exam, this is the entry for you.

Some basics about the BASIC

From the ABA:

The BASIC Examination, the first in the series of exams, will be offered to residents at the end of their CA-1 year. It focuses on the scientific basis of clinical anesthetic practice and will concentrate on content areas such as pharmacology, physiology, anatomy, anesthesia equipment and monitoring.

https://theaba.org/staged%20exams.html
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Behind the drape [reflections on starting anesthesia training & tips for success]

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane image of the day:

As my Transitional Year internship progressed, my anxiety about starting my first year in clinical anesthesia increased exponentially. By June, I was frantically searching the depths of the internet for resources [e.g. how does one DO anesthesia!? what IS anesthesia?] to prepare for the mysteries that lie behind the drapes. At the end of my internship, I felt comfortable entering senna/colace orders, the periodic ABG [arterial blood gas] stick, and pontificating about my differential diagnosis in a SOAP [subjective, objective, assessment, plan] note, but the thought of being able to safely anesthetize a patient for surgery made me nauseous. I also started second-guessing my decision to pursue anesthesiology; during my TY year, I thoroughly enjoyed my inpatient medicine months and was prepared to switch to medicine if I didn’t end up liking anesthesia. Looking back, I can see now that I would have been happy doing a medicine residency, but I’m definitely happier and overall more satisfied in the field of anesthesiology.

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7 tips for strong letters of recommendation [college, premedical, residency & fellowship]

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane image of the day:

I’ve seen this view a few too many times in the last 4 months with my ACGME TYRC & AMWA commitments overlapping with the fellowship interview trail!

The last four months have been extraordinarily draining. I think the combination of being in the ICU in January [which is a bittersweet experience for me; on one hand, I love taking care of critically ill patients but on the other hand, the hours were long and the daylight hours were short], using all of my off days for either ACGME commitments, fellowship interviews, or AMWA103 planning made it difficult to stay balanced.

Cue the burnout.

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How to study for the ITE, BASIC, and anesthesia

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane image of the day:

My bookshelf. Just kidding. This is our MGH Anesthesia Library bookshelf. Note how clean the Harrison’s binding is…
An updated, detailed version of many things in this post in VIDEO form! And I share my ITE scores, too…

[Entry Last Updated 9/2022 w/new TrueLearn discount code for $25 off!]

It’s that time of year when new residents are roaming hospitals across the country. As a result, I’ve received an influx of emails, texts and in-person requests for advice on how to study as an anesthesia resident. There are plenty of posts on the SDN Anesthesia forum as well as blog entries from my esteemed colleagues [e.g. Rishi Kumar, AnesthesiaHub]. However, this time last year when I was looking for real advice and guidance on how to study for daily clinical practice knowledge, the ITE and BASIC, I didn’t find anything satisfying online. Scrolling through SDN and asking my colleagues led me to recognize that like the USMLE Step 1, there are a plethora of resources but only a fraction of the amount of time necessary to really digest it all. Eventually, I just committed to a plan and sort of stuck with it – this entry attempts to explain that plan and some resources I thought were helpful.

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Lessons learned from intern year – part 1

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane images of the day:

IMG_5036
Ogawa Coffee is my new favorite study spot. Mmm, green tea matcha.

IMG_4992
I went home for the July 4th weekend to celebrate the wedding of a college friend – it was a delightful, heart-warming event!

IMG_4938
Gloomy, albeit still breathtaking view from the roof deck of my apartment complex. Hello, Boston!

Detroit view at night from Ford
There are definitely still moments when I long for the familiarity of home, Detroit and Henry Ford. So why not throw in a view of Detroit at night?

How have 9 months already passed since my last entry? I still remember the excitement I felt to finally have a chance to write an entry during my Emergency Medicine rotation – in fact, I wrote that mammoth of an entry in almost one sitting [it seems that much of my best work has been written during one sitting – when inspiration for an entry comes to me, it hits hard!]. Either way, the burning question on your minds has probably been, “What’s been going on since you started your Anesthesiology training in Boston?”

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Specialty series: emergency medicine

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane image of the day:

Specialty Series: Emergency Medicine
Getting ready for another overnight shift in the emergency room.

One of the advantages of being in a transitional year program is the opportunity to rotate through a variety of specialties and experience them as a resident. Sometimes I wonder if all of us question our specialty choice from time to time – how can we be sure we made the right decision? [I still don’t actually think we can be – but we can make the best of it or make the switch if it becomes unbearable.] Anyway, I am currently in the midst of my emergency medicine rotation and decided to start a medical specialty series with some of my thoughts on what I liked and didn’t like. Warning: this is an exceptionally long entry!

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4 gifts to love

Amanda Xi

Today’s inane images of the day will be scattered throughout the post.

With the holiday season in full swing [a claustrophobic experience I endured when I was coerced to “pick something up” for my family on Black Friday], I thought I’d share some of the gifts I’ve come to appreciate and some personal anecdotes to go along with each.

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