End of Project

I tried to do an update on mu phone, but it wasn’t working well. It’s been a while since I’ve turned on my desktop computer, but I am here to provide a final summary.

I wrote the exam yesterday, and I feel good about it. In terms of studying and preparation, I did fall short of some of my goals. I did not spend as much time as I set aside last week to prepare. To be honest, it’s because I’ve recently started a new relationship, and was spending more time with my new boyfriend. I didn’t take a full practice test, but did some practice questions online with the prep service. It was okay.

I’m going to continue to see how implementing this format for future projects will help me.

Week 2/ 3

Things have been progressing okay, but not as well as I would have liked. that’s totally on my though. I’ve been doing a lot of new wonderful things in my personal life which has distracted from my studies. I was also unable to locate one the my old text books that was specifically for Mental Health and Addictions. I suspect that I had sold it back to the bookstore when I was in school. In any event, I did find a wealth of really good information in my pharmacology text book, and so I will be using that, along with articles, and other sources to study from here on.

I also got my test fully signed up for, and paid for. I am writing on May 10th. I may have posted about that before, I honestly can’t remember.

Next week is going to allow for more time. I have the full week off for vacation, which means that I can focus on my studies and dedicate more time.

Week 2 - Start

• Gather Materials - Research papers, textbooks, reviews of literature, suggested by test providers
• Register for Online Proctoring of exam
• Dedicate minimum 2 hours per day to studying, using topics framework outlined in review course

I have completed my registration for the exam, and paid for my proctoring, which means my date and time is locked in.

Week 1 Review

• Gather Materials - Research papers, textbooks, reviews of literature, suggested by test providers
• Complete online review course (April 13 and 14)
• Register for Online Proctoring of exam

I have finally gotten to formalizing this project using the DK30 website and format, which will help me immensely. Last week I attended a 2 day online seminar about Mental Health and Addictions topics in relation to the certification exam that I am writing. It outlined topics covered on the exam, and was a good refresher about how to answer the questions that they will be asking. It was a reminder that it’s not just what they ask, but how they ask which is important.

I had been slacking on rescheduling the exam, and left it until the start of week 2 (today). I was initially supposed to write this exam in may 2020, but it was postponed to Oct-Nov 2020 because of the pandemic. This fall, I had to reschedule again, as I had undergone major surgery, and wasn’t recovered enough to study and have the stamina required to focus on the exam. After a year of waiting, I am finally in a place where I can go forward and get this done. I just need to buckle down and crack the books.

I will be using the framework outlined in the review course to focus my studying on specific topics. One area that I have struggled with in the past has been the specifics of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, (or what your body does to a drug, and what a drug does to your body). I will create a review schedule to maximize my time for each topic, and allow more time for topics that I do not feel very confident in.