The AEGD-2 Hawaii dental residents are receiving good news in the New Year! They all survived their Mock Board Exam in December! This is a significant accomplishment. The Mock Board Exam is conducted every 6 months for the 2 years of their residency. It consists of 3 parts conducted on 3 different days. The first part is a complex case that they must write a treatment plan for within 4 hours. This is the most challenging part of the exam and most residents don’t pass until the 3rd or 4th attempt – that is why we practice 4 times before graduation!! The exam also entails 4 hours in which the residents rotate from room to room every 30 minutes and are questioned by a different mentor (different discipline: ie, perio, pros, endo, ortho, pedo, restorative, oral surgery, oral pathology) for the duration. This is extremely stressful! The residents usually start to get comfortable with this by the 3rd or 4th attempt as well. The final part of the exam is a 200 question (mc, T/F, etc) exam. They are used to this testing format but the questions are not easy. So, as usual, I am very proud of them. We’re currently in the process of reviewing their strengths and weaknesses with them and they will get to try again in May 2010! The motivation is in part due to additional pay that they receive if they pass the real exam after graduation. Not a bad motivator. And, of course, the process makes us all better clinicians which is the most important motivator of all.

MAJ Chan, 2nd year resident, answering questions about restorative dentistry from COL Lavin, Director.

Above, CPT Le, 2nd year resident; below, MAJ Jo, 1st year resident, CPT Spence, 1st year resident, CPT King, 1st year resident, completing the “Write for Life”!