NAPLEX: Check!

After agonizing for days over my NAPLEX (the pharmacy licensing exam that I was pretty sure I failed) I got my results back: Not only did I pass, I made an almost perfect score.
Ok, I'm confused! Grateful and giddy, yes, but also confused. How does one take a test and leave persuaded they failed, then get a sky-high score back? I think it has to do with the "Computer adaptive test" format. That is, the computer responds to how well you answer by giving you harder and harder questions for correct answers, or easier questions when you get things wrong. Your score is based on not just how many questions you got right, but also how difficult the questions were. Frankly I think this is dumb. It punishes you for getting questions right. I think when you get hard questions right you should get an easier question as a reward. In fact maybe you should get an easier question, and a chocolate truffle should pop out of the wall for you. Once you get 50% of the difficult questions right, you get a shot.
Seriously though this format is dreadful. You can't assess your performance at all, and you feel like an idiot because you just keep getting tough questions. I was sitting there thinking, "I can't believe I have another question that I really have to think about here...can't they give me a super easy one like 'which of the following medications is used to treat asthma?'" It just wears on your confidence.

But hurray, that's over with, no I just have to take the law portion. Which reminds me to scoot off and start studying for that! Let you know how that goes down this Thursday!

How did my test go? Thanks for asking!

Yesterday was the big pharmacy licensing exam (there are actually two tests; next week I take the law portion). I was not at all nervous simply because I have a health condition that prevents me from being nervous or even having healthy fear. Seriously. I don't think that part of my brain works. I can't get nervous even if I TRY in order to get my blood flowing before a race!
So I sauntered in, cracking jokes with the receptionist (she gave me that, "I KNOW you took a propranolol" look - that was for my pharmacy peeps, they'll get it), acting like I knew everything in the world about pharmacy.
Then I took the hardest test anyone has ever written. I believe Satan and his minions actually write these tests in their spare time.
It was so bad that I left and went to Steinmart next door to the testing center in a complete daze and didn't realize I'd bought a charming cotton scarf until I was halfway home. I didn't cry because my face was frozen in an expression of horror.
I felt better after a few sazeracs. Did I pass? Stay tuned!

Test Tomorow!

Tomorrow is the big day - the day I take my NAPLEX, the pharmacy licensing exam. I gave myself three weeks to study everything I learned in 6 years of school...then I took quite a few hours off to work, tutor, teach classes, change my status on Facebook, make brownies, go to parties, and rearrange my bookshelves. Probably not the best study plan. Tonight I am working the late shift at the hospital, but I think that's ok because it will force me to get out of study mode and prevent me from cramming (which is detrimental to your long-term memory. I know all the rules, I teach for Kaplan Testprep!).
After the test hubby and I are going to dinner at La Crepe Nanou, my favorite restaurant in the world and site of our first "real" date (we met once before but it was more like introducing ourselves instead of a date).
Then unfortunately it's back to the books - I still have to take the law portion of the exam in a week and a half!
If you never hear from me gain it means the test was really hard and I committed hari kari.