Katie's Story To Passing The CHT Exam!
===
[00:00:00] thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today. I know that your story and like what you did to pass the exam is gonna be really helpful for people, and I'm glad that you mentioned that you have a young kid, so you have one son. Yeah, one son. He just, he turned two in.
[00:00:22] Okay. Awesome. So a lot of times people tell me that, they're concerned about. the studying and how to structure themselves. Or maybe not even take the CHT exam because they have kids. And I'm like no, you should do it even if you have kids. Yeah. So it depends on where you want to go with your career and like how long you wanna wait.
[00:00:42] Because once you have a kid, you have a kid, yeah. So tell me a little bit about what you did in terms of planning for your studying. So I think before, like Jordan, my husband knew that I was planning on taking this exam at some point in my career and I just told him, I was like, [00:01:00] I don't wanna do it when we have two kids, cuz we're currently pregnant as well.
[00:01:03] So that threw another curve ball. I was like, okay, if I don't pass, in May I'm gonna have two kids while I'm studying. So one motivator there and two, I just told him, I was like, look, it's gonna be like six months of me not being a lot. Involvement on my part, on the parenting part. With like bedtimes, like he just took over bedtime routines and he just knew Tuesday nights were my night to close my door and try to not be disturbed.
[00:01:29] And we just made a schedule and I told him my schedule, like this is what I'm gonna do and we gotta make it work. Okay. Awesome. I love. . I think it's part of just like the planning process and just getting certain people on your team to say, Hey, it's only for a short period of time. And so how did you break up your, how did you break up your months? Cuz I signed up for your program early. because I did the, I can't remember when I signed up exactly, but it was before the 12 weeks. Yeah. So you did the extended version, you did the six month [00:02:00] version. Yeah. Yeah. So like the first three months I was just Dilly daddling into your videos and just, I didn't really have a set schedule, which didn't actually go super well.
[00:02:09] But then once we hit the 12 weeks, I just stuck to your schedule and I was like, all right, it's wounds this week. I'm gonna read it all and, and watch the videos. And I had a student while I was. at work during this time too. She was actually a really great student and it worked in my favor. So I did a lot of video watching while she was treating
[00:02:31] So it actually was helpful. Yeah, cuz then as she was asking me questions, I was like, let me see if I have a video on that. And then we would like study together too. So it was actually pretty helpful cuz she was a great student who was really independent and wanted to be really independent and she was ready to be independent.
[00:02:50] I was like, all right, this is a win-win, so we'll just, we'll figure this out. So that's so awesome. I was when I was a student, my ci, [00:03:00] my clinical instructor was . She was pregnant to forgot how far along she was, but I was in a burn unit and I was between burns and hands and she let me do everything cuz I think she was like seven months pregnant.
[00:03:13] And I was like, I'll do it all. Perfect. Yeah. . So that's cool. In terms of like strategies, I always talk about strateg. Outside of the planning it's being really intentional With the preparing for the exam. What would you say was one strategy that you found to be most beneficial or most helpful for you?
[00:03:38] I think just relating, every time we had a discussion on a shoulder, I would try to relate it to a patient I currently had or most recently had, so I could think back on that patient and be like, oh. that was this and this structure that was, the problem. Or just making sure that I could relate it to somebody.
[00:03:55] Cuz if I can relate it to a patient, I can retain it a lot better for [00:04:00] me. Awesome. And people often ask me this, what resources did you use to help you? . Yeah. I actually really liked that black book, the A S H T Black book. I thought that was, What did you like about it? I liked the fact that it was more bullet point instead of just like chapter upon chapter.
[00:04:19] Because you can't read rehab of the hand. I know you do. I cannot. I can. I bullet points are great. And then so I go through a chapter and then they had a 10 or 15 que question quiz in the back. So then I'd go ahead and take. and then I'd look at my answers and go back and see what I got wrong and go like that.
[00:04:37] So I liked that book the best. I think so. That's awesome because I feel like everyone studies in different ways. So some people yeah, use that black book and have didn't found like they were having to go elsewhere for. for answers. Did you feel that way or the bullet points of learning was enough for you?[00:05:00]
[00:05:00] I thought that was enough. There was a few things that I would look up and. I always like if there I needed a very detailed answer, I would look up through rehab of the hand, which is how I use that as more of like my big reference, like big questions, right? But otherwise, I thought the Black Book did a fine job.
[00:05:17] It's by a s H T for crying out loud, so they have the information I felt like I needed to know. I was like if it's not in there, then do I probably need to. I was trying not to stress too much about that cause I felt like the purple book is cool because it has all those questions, but it doesn't have the resource of it all the time.
[00:05:33] Like it does the explanation. But, I wanted more of chunked information versus random questions on random topics of the shoulder. I wanted it a little bit more organized that the a h T book was organized better in my opinion how, of how I wanted to. That's cool. And how were the videos like in terms of bridging that?
[00:05:54] Because the videos are literally, . Yeah. Rehab the hands, like Yeah, the, [00:06:00] yeah, the videos. That's what I leaned on and that's why I felt like I didn't have to read Rehab of the Hand because you had already done it for me, which was great. And plus I'm much more of a visual person. So for you, like when you were writing stuff out and then I'd write stuff out at the same time, I was like, okay, this is how I'm learning best, and then I'm gonna listen a lot better to somebody.
[00:06:20] teaching me versus me trying to teach myself. So the, I think the videos were key for me. Those, that's what I did while I was at work. A lot of the times if I had downtime, I would just pull up a couple videos of people of whatever topic I was struggling with that week or looking at.
[00:06:35] Awesome. Let me ask you in terms of taking notes, what is your particular strategy with like note taking? I think the more pictures the better instead of less and less words and more pictures. So drawing out the extensor tendon or like drawing out the wrist all the time like you had.
[00:06:55] So I adapted all of that stuff from you. I think more pictures the better. Like I said, [00:07:00] I'm a visual person, so I needed to. and work it out versus just reading it and memorizing it. Awesome. In terms of in terms of practice exams , how did you go about doing. You're like a practice exam.
[00:07:15] Yeah. I, on the Facebook group, on and on, not yours, but on another one, the c h T prep or something, but I've met up with two girls and we just decided that we were gonna take practice tests together and then we would go over them weekly. So I think we did that maybe five times.
[00:07:30] We would take a, the same practice test and then we'd meet later that week over Zoom and then just go. Whichever ones we had questions about, we would talk 'em through and say oh no, you missed this one because this was the key word in this question, I think, versus what you're thinking.
[00:07:47] And having that little also smaller study group to chat with and we keep having a Facebook chat of just random questions. If we, if anybody had a question during stu their study time, we would just ride it [00:08:00] out and Okay. See what the other people would. So you did a whole practice test and did that?
[00:08:07] Yeah. Okay, awesome. Multiples. Yeah, we did four or five tests. Yeah, you did make a good five, four or five exams, because normally we do we do the extra calls, we do the additional calls on the weekends where we do like several, we'll pick out like questions that people had on the questions that they did.
[00:08:25] Yeah. Whereas, versus doing a whole practice, exam. Yeah. That's a great, that's a great little strategy. Yeah. I liked it because then like we would just mark the ones like that I got wrong and I'd be like, all right, Jade what's explain this one to me, question 17 or whatever. I am not getting this one we were all on the same page with that, so it was good. Oh, that's so cool. I like that. Yeah. And did they pass as well? . So there was three of us, and it was two outta three. So it's okay, that's actually pretty good. Yeah, that's a pretty good one. Yeah. Yeah, it's all about the [00:09:00] numbers sometimes and it's all about, everyone's got a little different nuances.
[00:09:04] You think about it, it's like a patient, you can see one shoulder, but every single person with a shoulder, it's gonna come and present just slightly different. So what do you think? Helped you before you just the exam, like what did you do to prepare, like right before the exam?
[00:09:21] That kind of put you in a really good mindset. Would you say before taking the exam, I, mine is not very good. So my husband broke his foot two days beforehand, so he, so I told him like, this was like maybe Thursday or sometime the week before, I was like, okay, like I'm taking my exam on Monday, like this weekend.
[00:09:41] I wanna relax, I'm gonna review, a little bit here and there, but we're just gonna relax, we're not gonna do anything. And he broke his foot on Saturday morning, so it. It was not a great weekend, so I really didn't have high hopes that I was gonna pass cuz I, I didn't feel like I was mentally in the right spot.
[00:09:59] I just, so it was [00:10:00] all your prep work then? It was all your prep work. Thank God for that. Yeah, ideally it would've been a relaxed weekend, but it was. Maybe a little stress in there. Kicked it up a knock. And like just your maybe that needs be a gentle, maybe Relaxing isn't a really good one.
[00:10:15] I know. I need to be on edge all at all times. Just slightly like goldilock, relax.
[00:10:24] A certain amount of it is good. Quite just a toe over the cliff. Just thinking about it. That's awesome. That's awesome. So we are in the extended version right now and we're gonna start, having people sign up for the 12 week one in I think in July. . What would you say to anyone who's on the.
[00:10:46] For getting any kind of help to help them pass the C sheet exam. There's a lot of options out there I think nowadays more so than when I took it 20 years ago. But what would you say to anyone who's on the fence about the [00:11:00] hand exam prep program? Just knowing that there is great accountability and having someone else set a schedule for you, telling you, this is what we're going over this week.
[00:11:11] This is what you're reading. See you on Tuesday, , yeah. Just being told what to do, of like, all right, I can follow this. Like anybody can do that . We do, we all need a certain amount of accountability. And it's funny because. , when we think about how much school we went through, we were told what to do.
[00:11:29] , and then even on certain other specialties you're actually held accountable for stuff. But for whatever reason, when it comes to the C H D, it's just here you go, Chuck. You're out on your own. Yes. And so that was one of the biggest and most important aspects when I was putting.
[00:11:44] Program. So it makes me happy to know that accountability part is so key in helping you prepare for the exam. Hundred percent. All right, thank you so much. I really appreciate you sharing your strategies and what you did helped you. [00:12:00] Cause I know that people who are watching this, they're gonna take like little tidbits from it that may help them as well.
[00:12:07] Yeah. Awesome. Appreciate, thank you. Yeah, thanks. If you need anything, just let me know. Yep, will do. Thank you. Thanks. Bye. Bye.
[00:12:22] Hey, thanks for listening to Hoang's world podcast. If you are brand new to the hand therapy world, head over to my website, www . Hand therapy secrets.com, where you can get started with some of our free guides and paid programs for both OTs and PTs diving into the world of hand therapy. Or if you've been listening for a while watching on our YouTube channel and you think you could benefit from developing and moving your career further along in hand therapy, reach out to me and my team at info @ Hand therapy.secrets.com and tell us exactly what you're looking for, By the way, if you know someone who could benefit from today's show, please share.
[00:12:59] [00:13:00] Thanks. See you on the next episode.
