The speaker went over the steps of what to do before taking the exam
Said we should set up an account at www.nbcot.org (its free), read the handbook, keep up with NBCOT on facebook, twitter and linkedin.
The exam is about $500 !! which seems crazy and I feel like I will have to take out a loan just to take the exam!
It's all on the computer, multiple choice. There are practice exams available online as well as a self-assessment so you can see what areas you need to focus most of your attention when preparing for the real exam.
They also went over how the NBCOT is created- which is by a large scale survey of entry-level practitioners and a practice analysis that is completed ever 5 years which you can apparently download a blueprint of on the NBCOT website.
There are 4 Domains covered on the exam:
1. Evaluation- assessment tools for different populations, setting up treatment environments, theories, models of practice...
2. Interpreting information- form conclusions regarding clients needs and priorities, i.e. appropriate short term goals
3. Selection/Implementing Evidence Based Practice- A majority of the questions come from this domain
4. Standards- documentations, ethics, supervision, scope of practice
They also went over some myths of the exam:
- Exam is based on all info in OT programs
- Exam is mostly pediatrics
- NBCOT changes the blueprint annually (this is changed every 5 years)
- You have the right to request a paper copy
- If you skip the tutorials at the beginning, you will have more time to take the exam (the 4 hour time limit begins when you reach the first question)
- If I pass the Clinical Simulation questions, I'm likely to pass the exam
- Clinical Simulation questions are much harder than the multiple choice
- Its better to select all choices in the clinical simulation questions because you are bound to get the right answer
Next they discussed the Clinical Simulation questions
these are designed to simulate various types of focused experience that an OTR encounters in daily practice. They are like mini case studies and measure clinical reasoning across continuum of care
The problems consist of an opening screen and then there are 4-5 sections in which you choose an action to take and the one you choose determines the next screen/question.
Answers in each screen (actions) are categorized into 3 types:
1. Positive: correct answers -optimal route- adds points to your score
2. Neutral- may be helpful but not necessary- no points added or deducted
3. Negative- hinder/distract appropriate therapy- points are deducted from score
Multiple Choice Questions have 4 answer choices.
Be sure to understand what the question is asking, identify key words (best, initial, first, next)
you are able to mark questions and review them at the end of the exam if time allows
After the NBCOT sessions, I attended a Mental Health info session that talked about using Sensory Integration techniques in the acute mental health setting which I thought was SO interesting since I completed my Level 1 placement in a State Mental Hospital.
Then we went to explore Providence a little bit on our lunch break!
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| my attempt at a panorama on my iphone |
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| the ones from my class who went :) |
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| If we had gone all the up this hill we would have ran into Brown University |
We may have skipped a session that we probably shouldn't have but we were just wandering around the city! oops. We made it back for the Policy and Advocacy session which I know is SO important but it was terribly boring so I will spare you. If you want to know all about this- check out AOTPAC.
For the last session, I went to Rehabilitation, Disability and Participation which I thought was going to be great since it was supposed to focus on SCI/TBI but it was the worst session. The lady just stood there are read her powerpoint slide verbatim. it was so boring and i mean, i could have just gotten up there and read words from a power point! She didn't even put her paper down to tell us what an OT's role for someone with SCI/TBI is...which i mean she should be able to just explain that without reading a list from her slide. Needless to say, I didn't take many notes in that session. I was wishing I could leave the whole time and go to another one but I felt bad, even though lots of people walked out after the first few slides of her just reading them.
That night we went to a local bar/restaurant for dinner/drinks and then a few of us went to a pub that turned into a dance club haha we didn't stay out too late since we had to be up early for our flight back to Charlotte.
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annnd that, my friends, concludes my Conclave recap :)
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