It's a trimester break right now for NYCC students, but really it's not much of a break at all for many.

NBCE (www.nbce.org) exams for US licensing take place on Sept 11-13/09 weekend, while CCEB exams for Canadian licensing take place on the Sept 26/09 weekend.

If you were anything like me and my roomates last year, if one wasn't enough, you ended up writing both US and Canadians.  Fun.

But in all honesty, after getting many questions about board exams (how do I prepare?  what is it like?  how long does it take to prep?)...it all really feels like your first big sports competition, or first date or first job.  You are somewhat nervous perhaps (some hide it better than others), because you do not know what to expect.  After the first time though, it just gets easier because the mental uncertainty fades over time.

So being like any other challenge, do the things that you know will help you be successful.  Start prepping early if you like to use a lot of time (or if you are not as good as recalling random information from class like some of your peers).  Make sure you cover all testable subjects and try to find practice questions/exercises.  Like prepping for the MCAT, practice questions/exercises help get you ready for game-day type scenarios.

Canadians part A:  CCEB loves to ask microbiology and pathology!  Neurological disorders too.

Americans Part I:  Get lots of sleep the week of the test...with examination taking up two days, make sure you try to bulid up your rest in advance.  Lots of questions on each section, but usually quite fair.  Know your biochemistry enzymes!

If there is any way that Adam Blair is going to wear a white coat, it is going to be in vintage Adam Blair style.

I have no idea where July (and now soon to be August), went....

One Active Release Technique seminar 

+

one NYCC 90th Homecoming (more on this later! what a great time) 

+

one weekend of course work in the MSc. Applied Nutrition

= 3 out of 31 days off in July for this guy....

Add in two weeks of final exams  and a move to Depew/Lancaster, NY (clinic...yes!  Goodbye SF, NY!)...

and...sigh...  so here we are. 

Anyways, get ready to get blogerific.  We have got many things to discuss, and from my experience, sometimes writing about things in retrospect can provide a clearer perspective. 

A few quite notes:

- Incoming first trimester students...have any questions?  Please email me (ryan.macdc@gmail.com) if you like.  I can post the answers up here to share with your classmates if your queries are PG-friendly too. 

- Active Release Technique...getting lots of questions about this, so I'll blog about this as well.

- Good luck studying for everyone getting ready for NBCE/CCEB licensing exams!  You'll do great.  Just know your stuff.  Simple as that.

- Some of you have asked me how to write in to comment.  For now, email me at ryan.macdc@gmail.com     I am hoping to set up some sort of comment box function soon.

- More to catch up on soon.  Go catch some summer outside!

(Sandbanks Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.  Hanging out on the sand dunes with my buddies: a naturopath, a physiotherapist and Mr. Sun of course)