Steve,
Could you share that study guide with me. I'd like to pass it along to the
Fellowship Committee. The Fellowship Committee has been trying to put together
a study guide and note card for the CRA exam. Unfortunately the BOC cannot
publish any study guides because we have signed non-disclosure agreements
because we have direct knowledge of what's on the test. We also cannot lecture
on anything that is on the test (CRA or OCT) either.
If anyone would like to share their study guides/note cards with the Fellowship
Committee please contact me or any OPS Fellow to share this valuable
information.
Tim Steffens, CRA, OCT-C, FOPS
Chair, OPS Board of Certification
[OPS_logo_stacked_tag]
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On ;
Behalf Of Steve Lusk
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 3:02 PM
To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
Hi Andre,
My best advice, as Tim said, is to treat the CRA Program Guide Content outline
as an essay exam. Take each bullet point and answer or explain each item they
suggest. Once you have completed this for the entire program guide, and be sure
you write or type everything up, you will have the ultimate study guide. It
worked for me. My Study guide ended up being about 30 pages in M.S. Word.
Prepping this way actually made the written test rather enjoyable. I advise
using Word or something comparable as you can easily insert representative
images of what you are covering for that bullet point. This form of study
allows you to reference multiple sources and combine them into one concise
study guide. Sounds like a lot of work, but in my opinion it's a great way to
approach it.
Hope this helps,
Steve
Steve Lusk, CRA
Vistar Eye Center Retina Consultants
phone (540)342-3400 ext. 4731
cell (540)420-2232
slusk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:slusk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
retina@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:retina@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
________________________________
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf
of Estanislau, Andre
<Andre.Estanislau@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:Andre.Estanislau@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 2:53:55 PM
To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
Where can I find Steve Lusk's advice on the CRA content online?
________________________________________
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] on behalf of Bennett, Timothy
[tbennett1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 2:42 PM
To: 'optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
Yes, some of the material on both sites is the same but it's updated and
expanded quite a bit on eye-pix (I authored both sites).
Steve Lusk gave some great advice about taking the CRA content outline and
using that as a framework for preparing. The exams are built on that exact
framework. That's exactly how I studied way back when I took the exam.
Feel free to contact me off Optimal and I'd be happy to offer some additional
advice if you want.
Best,
Tim
Timothy J. Bennett, CRA, FOPS, OCT-C
Penn State Hershey Eye Center
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
500 University Drive, Suite 800 UPC
Hershey, PA 17033
Office: 717 531-5516
Cell: 717 381-5595
tbennett1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tbennett1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----Original Message-----
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Estanislau, Andre
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 2:11 PM
To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
Looks very similar to the OPS website as far as information. Its well done yes
but I think what I was not able to do is prepare myself for the structure of
the exam. Like as far as the types of questions and wording that was used. Not
so much on the material. I came into the test very confident that I knew quite
a lot of the subject material. Like I said I had 8 yrs of experience in
Ophthalmic Photography prior to taking the exam. I studied very diligently for
6 months but once I took the exam, the way the questions were asked and the
structure of it surprised me. So now that the exam is completely revised I feel
like I am starting from scratch.
________________________________________
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] on behalf of Bennett, Timothy
[tbennett1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 2:01 PM
To: 'optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
Hi Andre,
Shameless self-promotion alert!
Check out www.eye-pix.com<http://www.eye-pix.com> Under the Knowledge Center
menu, check out the sections on Fundus Imaging, FA, Digital Imaging. There's a
lot of practical information in those sections that may help when preparing for
your exam. Best of all, it's free!
Good luck,
Tim
Timothy J. Bennett, CRA, FOPS, OCT-C
Penn State Hershey Eye Center
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
500 University Drive, Suite 800 UPC
Hershey, PA 17033
Office: 717 531-5516
Cell: 717 381-5595
tbennett1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tbennett1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----Original Message-----
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Estanislau, Andre
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 1:29 PM
To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
My advisor was nice don't get me wrong just not very helpful. There were long
delays before I would get a response for questions that I had but she was very
nice. The real issue is that there aren't a lot of resource study materials out
there aside from blue and orange Ophthalmic Photography book from Patrick Saine
and Marshall Tyler ( which really didn't help at all for the actual exam ). The
OPS website was somewhat helpful but was very difficult to read and absorb the
information. Unlike the COA/ COT there are no CRA Exam study guides or practice
exams that imitate what you will actually see on the exam. I just felt like I
really studied so hard for the CRA exam and felt like I was well prepared. Then
when I actually took the exam- it was completely different from what I expected
to see. Now there are additional 25 questions and its been completely revised.
My job is dependent on me passing the exam so needless to say the pressure is
on for me big time.
________________________________
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] on behalf of JamesStrong [jamesdstrong@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 1:20 PM
To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [optimal] Re: Ophthalmic Imaging Specialist Open at University of
North Carolina
HI Andre
If your advisor isn't working out, you should definitely circle back around to
the Advisor Coordinator
(advisor@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:advisor@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:advisor@xxxxxxxxxx%3cmailto:advisor@xxxxxxxxxx>>).
You can discuss if there's another CRA who could help, as well as determine
what the issues are so we can improve the program.
If you've already done this, thanks for helping us improve the process! Good
Luck and be persistent...you'll get there!
Jim S
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