ABIM SEP Module I - Internal Medicine

Well, I finished the first module ("Internal Medicine") of the ABIM SEP process, and wanted to present DIODE with some stats, since "If no one else cares, DIODE won't either™".

I had the CD version and copied it (about 70MB total) to my hard drive and ran it from there. It uses Internet Explorer, and I found it somewhat annoying to have to hit the "Next" button 36 times if I wanted to resume at question 37, although I just now discovered that if you hit the "Review" button, you can start at any question you like. Oh well.

It took me a little more than 5 hours, about 1/2 to 1 hour at a time, over the course of 2 1/2 weeks, to do the module. I did the 'research' for the questions entirely on the internet, switching back and forth between IE and Firefox. A few of the questions are actually verbatim on forums out there - though the answers submitted by users tended to vary and some were quite wrong. I did get a lot of the info from eMedicine. Info for the question about vent settings was hard to find on the net, and I guess I could have just cracked open my "ICU Book" or IM'd our resident podcaster, but I found it eventually.

Out of the 60 questions, there were about 17 that I "marked" as not being completely sure about ... passing grade was 70% which means you can get up to 18 wrong, so I just submitted when I was done and wound up with only 6 wrong (most of which I didn't mark). Anyhow as it turns out, you can submit as many times as you want without charge, until you get it right.

All in all, I do think I learned something - if anything, just how to think clinically again since I've been out of the game for so long. I'll certainly be prepared to tell scombroid reaction from ciguatera if that ever arises here at home in the next few weeks (before I forget again.)

I went ahead and ordered the other 4 IM modules, which cost $392. (Sadly, I don't have an employer that will pick up the tab). Hopefully I can get them done by 12/2, since I'll be leaving for Japan then and will be gone for most of December.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, here is an absolutely enormous photograph of Henri Delbeau that I found: http://www.wipac.org/images/Comp2005_Henri%20Delbeau.jpg

Go White Sox! (I can't stand the Angels. "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim"? Whatever!!!!)