u/AdvertisingFrosty697

First of all, I can’t believe I can finally write this 😭 I passed my retake today!!!
I came out of that exam crying my eyes out because I was so convinced I had failed again. Everyone kept telling me not to be so sure, but in my head, I just knew. This attempt felt much harder to me, especially because the vignettes were longer, which made my anxiety even worse.

What I did differently this time:
Remediated all of my missed topics.
I went back through the areas I struggled with and made sure I actually understood them instead of just memorizing answers.

I basically made ChatGPT my tutor.
Anytime I got a question wrong, I would tell ChatGPT what my thought process was and why I chose the answer I did. Then it would break down what I missed in the vignette, where my reasoning went wrong, and how I should approach a similar question next time.
It also helped me create a system for approaching questions: What is the diagnosis first? What exactly are they asking me? Is the patient stable or unstable? Are they in the ER or outpatient clinic? What demographics or risk factors matter? Etc.
I also spoke with a few other students on here who were using a similar approach, which reassured me that I was moving in the right direction.

Resources I used:
I used UWorld again, mainly focusing on my marked and missed questions. I also bought the PANCE Prep Pearls 600 Question Book from Amazon and really liked it because the questions felt very PANCE-directed.
I bought Blueprint as well, but for me personally, it ended up being a waste because I only completed about 300 out of the 3,000+ questions.
I also used NCCPA Practice Exams A, B, and C, and of course PPP.

Stats:
I’m actually not going to share my stats, and there’s a reason for that. The first time I was preparing, I spent way too much time on Reddit comparing my scores to everyone else’s. This time, whenever I saw someone post their stats, I wished them well and kept scrolling.
Their stats were not going to change my score.
If you’re currently studying for a retake or PANCE in general, please don’t let somebody else’s percentages convince you that you’re going to pass or fail. Focus on identifying why you’re missing questions and fixing your thought process.
I’m still in disbelief, but I’m so grateful this chapter is finally over. 😭

Has anyone submitted an NCCPA Exception to Policy request to retake the PANCE before the 90-day waiting period? If so, how did you receive your decision? I was told they mailed me certified correspondence, and I was hoping an approval would come by email, so I’m curious about others’ experiences.

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Questions:

1. How would you rate this offer overall?
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I failed my PANCE a week ago with a 344, and honestly, I was in complete shock. I walked out of the exam thinking, "That actually wasn't too bad." Most of my vignettes were short, with only a few longer ones. Now I can't stop thinking that I may have missed my best opportunity of passing. My biggest fear is that my retake will be one of those exams everyone describes as having much longer and more difficult vignettes.

I'm planning to retake in about 2.5 weeks

So far, this is my study plan:

• Reviewing the 80 topics listed on my score report with one-line summaries for each diagnosis (Hallmark, Etiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and PANCE Trap).
• Reviewing the 48 topics I remembered immediately after the exam
• Completing 30–60 previously missed/marked/undone UWorld questions daily. Initial Uworld was 75% complete with 65% average
• Reviewing my notebook every day to reinforce these topics.

My confidence isn't what it used to be. I'm worried about getting the same score or even scoring lower.

For those of you who passed on a retake, I have a few questions:

1. Did you see similar topics from your first exam on your retake?
2. Did you change your study strategy, or did you mostly continue reviewing the same resources?
3. In those last few weeks what did you do that you believe made the biggest difference?

I'd really appreciate any advice or encouragement. Right now, I'm trying to stay focused, but it's hard not to let the fear of failing again creep in.

I just got scheduled for a neurosurgery interview, and I’m looking for all the tips, tricks, and common questions to prepare for. I’m a new grad, and I’ve had about 20 screening calls that didn’t progress to interviews except this one, so I really want to prepare well.
For background, I have prior surgical technology experience, which I think helped me stand out. I also scrubbed neuro cases as a scrub tech, so I do have OR exposure and some familiarity with neurosurgical procedures/workflow.

I just got scheduled for a neurosurgery interview, and I’m looking for all the tips, tricks, and common questions to prepare for. I’m a new grad, and I’ve had about 20 screening calls that didn’t progress to interviews except this one, so I really want to prepare well.
For background, I have prior surgical technology experience, which I think helped me stand out. I also scrubbed neuro cases as a scrub tech, so I do have OR exposure and some familiarity with neurosurgical procedures/workflow.