Tuesday, September 23, 2008

First exam of 4th semester...check!

We got the results back from behavioral today and I am very happy to report that I got a 96%! The class average on the exam was very high though also (87%, i think). Although I have done better on other exams before, this one took the least amount of effort. My advice for doing well in behavioral...study exactly what she puts on the slides. Examples on the exam were very similar to the examples given in class, if not exactly the same. If she gives you a list of examples of primary prevention, for example, know that list.

Also, most of the questions are very subjective, which I'm not at all a fan of. But, this trick is to put the answer that you know she wants, not what you think is right. For example, if she tells you that a patient comes in and says that he doesn't feel he has anything to live for, the best thing to ask him would be if he's considered killing himself. This seems awfully blunt to me, and is not what I'd probably say. But, since I mostly paid attention in lecture, I knew that's what she'd want me to say! There's also a small chunk of the test that is common sense and you'd probably be able to figure out without even taking the class. Finally, it's very important to listen to what the patient tells you and not assume anything. If a patient is afraid of a mammogram because they're afraid it might hurt, the best way to treat her would be to give her pain medicine prior to the exam. The questions does not talk about unresolved guilt, blatant refusal to take the exam, or anything else, so nothing else would be the right answer.

1 comment:

Trixie the Pixie said...

Ahahahaha... good old behavioral science... I swear, she was out to get our class that semester... our averages were in the 70s! Always! Best of luck w/4th... you're almost done!

Also, fall is well on its way here in Baltimore... it's 62 degrees outside right now!