While I do appreciate that I have had some success in my academic life, I take very little for granted;  I am not the type who could do very well without a lot of hard work.   While I was never the top student, I was an eager student.

Today was the first ever recert of my initial board certificate (I have two).  The initial one was ten years ago.  It’s really been that long!  For the first time in my academic life, I went into a major exam unprepared.  The first time that I took the exam was after my residency and I studied the review materials for about six months (give or take).  I determined at that point that this was too long.  Sufficient study and preparation could be done in less time.  This time, I had decided to study for about three and a half months.  It didn’t really happen that way.  

We all have our mantras in life; Little sayings or truisms that bring a little smile to our face because we thought of them (or wish we had).  One that really claims a top spot in my personal belief system is that “There are good excuses and bad ones, but they’re all still excuses”.  I can’t tell you how many times that I have spewed that piece of philosophy onto some poor intern.   I suppose that today was really my comeuppance.  

Those of you who read me regularly know that in 2008, my father has been ill and hospitalized as has my business partner.  I now have two kids that didn’t exist when I took the original exam (and thus weren’t begging for my attention).  I simply did not have the time or energy to devote to this.

There are many people who feel that the issue of recertification isn’t really about ensuring that doctors stay up to date.  Rather, it becomes a revenue stream for the different medical boards to extract thousands of dollars from you for each exam.  I like the idea of quality assurance but I think that board exams aren’t necessary to do that.  After all, there are “continuing medical education” credits that are required from state to state.   There are governing medical boards to address behavioral issues (when they feel like it).

In any case, I amazed myself with the amount of esoterica that I was able to cram into my head and regurgitate for the exam.  The problem is that most of what I was worried about not knowing wasn’t even on the damned test!

The original exam was two days long and involved scan sheets for multiple choice answers.  This was administered in a ballroom at a hotel in the region.   Today, I went to an office building and sat down at a computer bank (after being photographed and fingerprinted) where I toiled answering questions while trying to ignore the hum of the fluorescent light above.   I came out to find it drizzling and somber.   I (like many people, I’m sure) tend to recall mostly the questions that gave me trouble.  I don’t spend a lot of time recalling the ones that I didn’t have to pause on.   I guess that’s human nature.   Just don’t be afraid to fall.

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