What Happens Now? | BCPS 2013 Exam

Seriously, I feel as though I am living in a perpetual repeat of 2012.  Sixty days of waiting.  I hear it will be electronic correspondence which would match leaving scantron for computerized, but how long does it take to really tabulate the results if all computerized? Secondly, I have the suspicion the tests were not all the same from pharmacist to pharmacist.  This is just speculation, but how do you control for the chance that someone taking the BCPS exam in September did not share the questions with someone taking it in October? I am happy to be finished, but I am still a bit perplexed as the final score and how I did this time.  It was a different test though I thought I could expect the same questions (at least 80%).  The one microorganism that finds its way there did appear again, for me at least.  And, I was able to recall just about 125 questions/200 questions almost word-for-word.  That in itself does lend Rain Man status (as a friend mentioned in an email) but maybe it also helps me build my hope a bit that I was more invested in each and every question.  I did find wearing earplugs did me wonders.  I think hearing everyone in the room click the mouse on the calculator, proceeding to the next question, and flagging may have added some additional noise in my head.  I slept about 4 hours-5 hours the night before holed up in a hotel room with notebooks, notes, and books spread all over the place.  I bought a 5-hour energy drink, but never used it.

I am not really sure where to go from here as far as the next goal if I don't have to retake it in 2014, but for some weird and strange reason, I wouldn't be devastated if I did not pass again.  It would be a hit to my pride, but I am to the point where if others' opinions (namely coworkers) have influence over my passing and failing, then I am again doing it for the wrong reasons.

I was a little surprised that the survey at the end of the test did not include my reasoning for taking the BCPS exam.  I will not enjoy a pay raise for passing.  I will not have a different schedule or a different role.  What has happened is that I am more personally invested in my patients' care.  I am not just looking at a report and adjusting a drug dose or schedule based solely on one number.  I answered the why with this:  I did it to be a better pharmacist.  Yes, there are no jobs locally.  Yes, there is no monetary reward at work for doing it.  No, we are not encouraged to take the BCPS.  Yes, I AM a better pharmacist and hopefully will be what the test labeled those that have this designation as a pharmacotherapy specialist.

The exam:  Stats, regulations, pharmacoeconomics, study design, IRB (for me at least), but no mention of pseudomonas for this year.  It seemed the test had the usual questions of things that made me think, "what does this have to do with pharmacy???"  I have had some personal emails with the same feedback.  I am not sure after taking it twice that I really think this test measures what I would think needs to be measured to be labeled a pharmacotherapy specialist.  Maybe?  I still think that the complicated cases of patients with comorbidities and others issues would be the way to go.

Anyway, to all my readers who were in the same boat in the past few weeks and now waiting... I hope that the wait is swift though not too swift to miss fall.