Guest guest Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 The California Exam is and has been simply a lottery. That fact was clearly established in the 1980's FBI sting operation. The difficulty of the test - which is in the interest of all, is/has not based upon knowledge base. For example to make a easy test where everyone could pass Case study: Patient with Exterior cold Excess answer Ma Huang Tang Any degree of complexity can be made using the above case study by adding different presentations and specific formula adjustments that clearly would reflect the depth of one's knowledge. No one that I know, either now as a professional, or as a student when I was a student, objects to a difficult test that tests ones knowledge. Everyone objects to a tricky, deceiving, dishonest test. ed Tuesday, March 23, 2004 1:06 AM Digest Number 1938 There are 7 messages in this issue. Topics in this digest: 1. Re: fundamental flaw of CA exam " wsheir " <wsheir 2. Re: moxa and infrared " alon marcus " <alonmarcus 3. functional capacity " " < 4. Re: fundamental flaw of CA exam " " 5. Re: fundamental flaw of CA exam " wsheir " <wsheir 6. Re: fundamental flaw of CA exam " " 7. Doug's difficult situations Julie Chambers <info ______________________ ______________________ Message: 1 Mon, 22 Mar 2004 17:12:21 -0000 " wsheir " <wsheir Re: fundamental flaw of CA exam Doug, I'm surprised at your defensive response. It seems like you are saying that the CA exam is like a hazing process and the ends justify the means. This is the same kind of thinking that excuses all kinds of injustices (including the U.S'recent incursion into Iraq). No one was suggesting that the test should not be difficult, only that it reflect both the education and clinical reality as much as possible. > Harsh? Yes. Fair? Who said life was fair? But that's the political and economic reality.> > so that only those that who " really want to pass " will and to weed out those who can't take the stress of dealing with unfamiliar material (cases)....<I can't think of a single person who was qualified who hasn't passed.> Doug, you teach at Emperor's, don't you? 30 Emperor's students sat for the last exam. Only 13 passed. Are you suggesting that more than half of the Emperor's students either didn't want to pass or were not qualified? >I tell my students, the only ones who don't pass the exam are those who got b's and > c's in school (i.e. struggled with the material) or self-sabatoge themselves with their > study habits or have some crisis, either from a death in the family or get a divorce etc Must be a lot of crises and divorces... Warren - In , " " wrote: > All board exams in California are as hard as possible. It's a historic paranoia about > being overrun with people from around the world. All other board exams from > architecture to law require 1 to a dozen times to pass. Only in acupuncture do we > have this thing where the students think that " I got through school with A's and B's, I > should get a license no problem " . A head of the state board testing division told me > point blank that the purpose of the exam was to create as much anxiety as possible > so that only those that who " really want to pass " will and to weed out those who can't > take the stress of dealing with unfamiliar material (cases). > Harsh? Yes. Fair? Who said life was fair? But that's the political and economic reality. > And for all the griping about it, it works. I can't think of a single person who was > qualified who hasn't passed. And of my school mates who are most successful > financially now are those who had to take it 2 or 3 times. They really did have the > drive. There are alot of well-known teachers and practitioners who had to take it over > (and over). > I tell my students, the only ones who don't pass the exam are those who got b's and > c's in school (i.e. struggled with the material) or self-sabatoge themselves with their > study habits or have some crisis, either from a death in the family or get a divorce etc > (see #2). > As I keep repeating, if there were well paying Jobs at the end of school, we would > have higher standards for admission, a much tougher program, C's and F's for a lot > more students and some people would actually flunk out. The Board would twice as > hard. As it is we are half way between Medicine and the fall-out from 60's Alternative > culture. I'm more the latter and glad that I have a place to fall into to. I love it and all > the work including the Board was worth it. > doug > > > , " wsheir " <wsheir> wrote: > > > > > > Brian, > > I completely agree with your assessment of the CA board exam. Many > > seasoned chinese practitioners who have been teaching for many years > > have not done well on this test because it has little to do with > > either consensus curriculum or clinical practice.(unless you consider > > all the obscure little details in the the Giovanni Tongue Book > > anything but his idiosyncratic musings). Sure Doug,a lot of time, > > effort and money is put into making the test. To many people this > > seems like a great waste of time, effort and money. > > > > Warren > > > > > > ______________________ ______________________ Message: 2 Mon, 22 Mar 2004 12:23:19 -0800 " alon marcus " <alonmarcus Re: moxa and infrared Do you believe that if objective markers indicate that someone's pain > should be cured, then they are cured, even if they still feel immense > pain > >>>>> That is why i would like to see other type of research and not just > pain. The study of pain is very complex, if we are to study painful > disorders than i would like to see functional capacity studied as it is more > objective. For example, if we can show a higher return to work in work comp > population that is an objective parameter and very significant finding. In > the new world of evidence based med " having a patient say he feels less pain > and not showing a real significant difference between a " placebo/sham " and > active treatment will not fly. WM is loosing procedures every day because > many older treatments are now showing no benefit. With the cost of medical > care if we do not play by the rules we will loose. Now in the US we will > probably still be able to practice as a non covered by any insurance > " profession " however, I think Todd is right that the majority of our > patients will stop coming. Not only because they will not have coverage, but > because studies such as the German study will brake the confidence the > public has with acupuncture. > While we need to study herbology acupuncture is what makes our profession. > Herbology is not going to become a real regulated profession (i think), as > the laws in the US will not make herbs more than a food supplement. If they > do than we will loose 99% of our pharmacompia. We will only be able to use a > few western well studied herbs.I do not know who has connections with the > needle companies for example as they are the ones with the money and should > fund our studies. These studies must be done well and designed by well > trained acupuncturists, but must follow good standard study design > Alon > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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