The Neurodiagnostic Niche
Encouraging a community in the world of Neurodiagnostics
Second Half
“The Second Half is a Whole New Ballgame…” – Ahman Green
Well it’s almost July and we are heading into 2024’s 2nd half – Maybe now is the time for a quick check up on all you had hoped for this year.
Remember back to January…. those days where you resolved to get organized/healthy/_______(you fill in the blank).
Well…it’s not too late.
How about your career goals? Still wanting to expand your skill set? How about your pay?
If this was your Year to Getting Registered – it’s not too late!
Click here to see the 4 Pathway options to taking the board exam.
Click here to see where the measurement assessments are happening this Fall.
Click here to work on accumulating those CEU’s.
Also, don’t forget to check out the complimentary Resource Library on this site.
Need additional support as you work towards preparing?
If you are looking for a more comprehensive training program that will take you from A to Z on your board prep: Click here to visit my training site – North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy (www.NorthTexasNeurodiagnosticAcademy.com). The Fall Semester is starting soon: offering both in person and remote learning opportunities with flexible scheduling to allow your training to fit into your already busy schedule.
The goal is working towards and achieving what you set out to do this year – it’s time to work on having that successful 2nd half!
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Your Own Pace
“You can do Anything; but not Everything.” – David Allen
If this is Your Year to Getting Registered or just in general for any target that you set – it’s important to pace yourself.
First step:
- Review the exam eligibility
- Review the Content Outline of the Exam
- Set a schedule for each area on the Outline
This is not an exam you can ‘cram’ for – you need an understanding of the material or you will just get confused when presented with questions…particularly ones that have multiple correct answers and they are looking for the ‘best fit’.
Your main goal right now is to build momentum.
Set habits to include board prep into your work day:
- Review physician reports to help you start to speak the language and look up any terms you are not familiar with.
This repeated review will help you greatly in the long run.
Need additional support? Sign up to receive the monthly Member Content from this site. This 12 month regular resource will help guide and support you as you tackle this goal. Received during the first week of the month – a Study Guide with Resources and a Lesson Plan.
This 12 Month Subscription (around $10/month) provides a monthly email to your in-box to keep you motivated and focused to reach your Registration goal. Just visit the Marketplace today.
Don’t forget: Give yourself plenty of time to get things done – Pace Yourself : )
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Summer of Discovery
“He who laughs most, learns best.” – John Cleese
This year on the blog is all about Your Year to Getting Registered and this Summer is all about Continuing Education…we all know learning should be a lifelong process, and devoting time to it can be a journey well worth the effort.
Whether you want to learn more about a subject that you find interesting or want some additional skills to take to your work, there are ways you can use continuing education to your advantage.
Earning CEU’s is a bonus (especially when you need them to renew your certification) but they shouldn’t be our only reason for seeking out a course or webinar.
Learning for the sake of learning is always the best motivator and what we gain from that is always far more valuable than a CEU.
The list below is designed to help you get started or for those already knee deep in the process – you might find a few new resources:
- Natus Neuro Training (click here for the talk I did for them)
- Neuropathway (click here for the talk I did for them)
- Harvard’s On-Line Neuroscience Courses (3 Free Ones)
- edX Courses (more free)
Interested in additional Neurodiagnostic support as you prep for your boards or interested in a full training program to take you from A to Z….Just email me @ RTompkins@TompkinsAssociates.com
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Know the Why
Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves? – Robin Williams
New post in Your Year to Getting Registered Series: Ever feel like all you are doing is memorizing test questions and answers? Hard part about that is if the question is asked in a different way – you’re stuck! This way of preparing makes it really easy to get tripped up.
Understanding not just the What but the Why is important.
They can then ask the question any way they want and…You.Got.This!
ASAP practice tests are a great way to gauge what you know and what you need to focus your prep on…then make a plan to outline how you are going to learn what your missing.
Really learn – not just memorize.
Do one thing each day to create momentum:
- Follow an expert on LinkedIn – engage in the conversation.
- Take a lesson.
- Inquire from your mentors.
- Create an accountability group.
Do one thing each day. This might be a good time to reference an older post:
Habits are More Important than Goals
And if you need a little more help – take a peek at Your Year to Getting Registered Member Content on the Marketplace (just click here).
- Take your Neurodiagnostic Niche participation to this new level with Member Only Content. This 12 Month Subscription (around $10/month) provides a monthly email to your in-box to keep you motivated and focused to reach your Registration goal.
- Received during the first week of the month – a Study Guide with Resources and a Lesson Plan. If you struggle with staying on target for this goal – this tool could just be what you need to help stay focused this year.
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
A Century to Remember
It’s been 100 years since Hans Berger, a German psychiatrist invented the Electroencephalogram! That’s quite the milestone.
Last week was all about celebrating those in the Neurodiagnostic field with a special focus on Advocacy.
Even though the week has passed – let’s keep the momentum going:
How can we help?
- Become an ASET Ambassador. This volunteer network of industry professionals promote careers in Neurodiagnostic technology in their communities. You can also earn a Free CEU!
- Mentor to new staff preparing for their boards or if you haven’t taken your boards start that preparation process. Promoting board registry will make our field stronger.
- Advocate for Neurodiagnostics in your hospital or clinic. Maybe you already work for an employer that values the Neurodiagnostic staff’s contribution to patient care. If not, if you work in some of the clinics or hospitals that think a cardiology technician can just as easily but leads on a patient’s head as they can their chest – Stand up for the field. Communicate the inadequacy of this.
- Advocate for competitive pay for the field. If it’s you that is being under paid for your skill set – remember you have choices. Communicate to your employer market value for this field along with your strengths; also, a quick search on indeed.com will help.
- Advocate for your patients. The technical staff is often the first point of contact patients have in their treatment journey. We spend a lot of time with our patients and another work day for us is perhaps one of the worst days for them. Meet them where they are. Help make the test experience just a little easier for them.
Even though we have come a long way in the 100 years since Hans Berger recorded the first EEG….we still have a long way to go. : )
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Look Up
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln
Looking up at the eclipse on Monday without glasses might not be recommended but looking ahead surely is.
I read this and liked it a lot, so wanted to share:
“Aim to be great in 10 years:
Build health habits today that lead to great health in 10 years.
Build social habits today that lead to great relationships in 10 years.
Build learning habits today that lead to great knowledge in 10 years.
Long term thinking is a secret weapon.” – James Clear
By now you are at least 2 months into your Year to Getting Registered.
You should have the test outline, a regular routine of good study habits, a textbook that you are reading and referencing, and you should have a decent stack of note cards or some other way you are organizing your review material. If not, take a moment to catch up and review back some of our earlier posts:
Your Year to Getting Registered
What’s Next: Goal, Action, Plan
Next steps…
As you are continuing to prep for the exam be sure you are also properly documenting the appropriate number of tests you have completed. If you are taking the test using Pathway III or Pathway IV be sure to get started on the CEU’s that you will need. They will also help you in your preparation.
Not sure about these requirements?
Be sure to reference the ABRET Handbook.
Keep at it this week or use this week to get caught up…and just for fun:
Write yourself a note to be opened in April 2034!
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Next Step – Find a Mentor
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great mentor.” – Japanese Proverb
What’s the Next Step in Your Year to Getting Registered?
Look to your mentors.
If you don’t have one…you need one.
Opportunities to learn from others can come in many forms and little lessons can be found in many ways. Perhaps it’s an interesting patient, an unusual test…or maybe its an interesting news article or post. Often those experiences are what encourage us to self study and keep moving forward with our goals.
By now you should have a plan for preparing for your boards and its the daily preparation that will get you closer to being ready to take them.
Are you looking for new places to go when you are feeling inspired to learn more?
Try:
Productive Facebook Groups like:
Neuroscience News and Research
don’t forget a great go to:
EpilepsyDiagnosis.org
also,
Harvard On-line Neuroscience Courses (for free!):
Immersing yourself in areas like these will continue to help you on your path to getting Registered.
Be inspired and empowered to keep moving forward…
Need additional tips and resources – don’t forget to check out the Resource Library and Marketplace on this site : )
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
March Madness
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
It might be March Madness but when it comes to EEG board prep – Let’s Keep it Simple:
If this is Your Year to Getting Registered – the discipline and structure will be what will take you over the finish line.
Last post was about having a Plan – (click here to review)
This week let’s put some things in place…
- I’m a big believer that in order to achieve our goals, it’s super helpful to write them out. If you haven’t already done this – take a moment and put pen to paper.
- Read through the ‘Starters’ section in the Resource Library for this site – It will help you outline when you are eligible to take the exam and then work backwards from there.
- Start collecting your CEU’s – getting the required amount before you submit your application is no quick task – also, the material you will be exposed to will help you in this preparation process. There are a ton of free options that occur monthly – Start Here
- Knock out each area in the Content Outline for the exam (Not sure where to find it? It’s in the Starters section of the Resource Library) Again there are a lot of free options…Quizlet, Pinterest posts on EEG, EpilepsyDiagnosis.org, etc…
- Want additional motivation and lessons plans to help you stay on track? Sign up for Your Year to Getting Registered subscription pack. For about $10/month you’ll receive a monthly email with a Lesson Plan, Tips, a Q & A and Resources to help you stay on track. Just click here to order.
Email me if you need a tutor (RTompkins@TompkinsAssociates.com) – I would be happy to help!
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Making Progress
“We have never arrived. We are in a constant state of becoming.” – Bob Dylan
We all want to get from “here” to “there” – wherever “there” is for us. For some of us, it’s completing a degree, a new job, a promotion, a pay raise…something we’re working toward….and when we do, it’s something to celebrate.
I love it when I realize I’m standing in a “here” place that used to be a “there” place.
For those of you who’s “there” place is to become Registered this year…mid February is a good time to review your progress.
Do you have the Outline for the exam? Do you have study resources? Have you started a binder and/or note cards to organize your material? If not, read back through the earlier posts on this site:
Your Year to Getting Registered
What’s Next: Goal, Plan, Action
When we get there we often reflect back on all the steps we took – the important part was staying the course through all of it.
It’s endurance that gets us there. It’s not luck or a gift or talent. Every step you take today to move you from here to there is a result of your resilience, your endurance…your grit to stay the course.
In no time, you’ll be celebrating a new “here”!
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Now Enrolling: North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
What’s Next: goal, plan, action
“A Goal without a Plan is just a Wish.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Did you know in 2023 that 49% of the technicians taking the EEG board exam passed? (ABRET link here)
In 2022 it was 77% – 2021 was also 77% – 2020 was 82% and 2019 was 85% – do you see a trend?
Let’s turn it around for 2024! What’s the best way to make sure you are one of them for this year?
You need a plan – a detailed plan….an outline.
Start here:
It’s ABRET’s Handbook for the exam.
The outline includes all the content and references for taking the board exam and it’s the detailed plan that your looking for.
As you begin your preparation, break the outline down by section…list them on your calendar and tackle them one by one.
While digital resources are very helpful for studying and flash cards may seem old-school….they are hands-down the most effective way for students to study and retain the information they are learning.
As tempted as you might be to utilize digital flashcards…don’t. It’s the act of writing them out yourself that enhances the learning.
Flashcards encourage recall and repetition…instead of simply staring at a passage or a concept on a page, they can actively improve your retention of the information.
So put together your Plan A – and if it doesn’t work out…remember the alphabet has 25 more letters.
Just for grins, I included a photo below of my cards from many years ago (but who’s counting : )
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Now Enrolling: North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
Registered Technologist | Business Owner | Encourager of a community helping others find their way in the world of Neurodiagnostics.
Business website: www.TompkinsAssociates.com
Blog: NeurodiagnosticNiche.com Training Academy: North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
The Neurodiagnostic Niche 