You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been. – Maya Angelou
It’s the 4th quarter in our Year to Getting Registered!
Let’s do a recap of where we have been and finish strong:
Remember the game plan:
Review the Content Outline of the Exam
Print it and Check Off those areas you feel good about.
Highlight your Need to Do’s.
Use your Calendar to Make a Plan to work through the Highlights.
Assess your resources – Do you have what you need?
and Remember:
We memorize what we do repeatedly.
1 – Sign Up to take a practice test this week: ABRET ASAP Practice Test Link Review your results…how prepared are you? What areas do you need to focus on? Think on that for a bit.
2 – Continue collecting your required CEU’s – they are not only required but they are useful. Good information to help you prepare.
Congratulations – You are well on your way to making it happen!
Visit the other sections on this website for tools and resources to help you on your journey.
“The comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.” – unknown
Wherever you are in Your Year to Getting Registered journey….Whether you are at the beginning, somewhere in the middle or are approaching the end….Growth takes effort.
If it’s time you need – you might consider taking a paid day off to study.
If it’s understanding that you are missing – you could consider a tutor or ask a mentor to help.
Or if it’s motivation that you’re lacking – try calculating the pay increase that you could expect from passing your boards and the additional job opportunities that would be available to you.
Putting in the time and effort now will help you quickly enjoy the return on your investment in the future.
It’s August…Summer is wrapping up and the “ber” months of Fall are about to start. You don’t have to be in a hurry.
You still have time – Consistency should be your focus:
Go back and review the Content Outline of the Exam if you haven’t done that in awhile.
Print it and Check Off those areas you feel good about.
Highlight your Need to Do’s.
Use your Calendar to Make a Plan to work through the Highlights.
Assess your resources – Do you have what you need?
In the interim: Join the Neurodiagnostic Niche community with your ‘Year to Getting Registered’ subscription. 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. You’ll receive a Study Guide with Resources, Tips and a Lesson Plan.
If you struggle with staying on target for this goal – this tool could be just what you need to stay focused this year.
“Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded.” Mel Robbins
At the time of this writing there are only 9101 Registered EEG Technologists in the world. That’s 9101 technologists since the exam was first started in 1963. And logically a lot of those in the count have since retired. For such a widely administered medical procedure, why in over 60 years are there so few?
Just for comparative purposes the examination for sleep technologists (RPSGT) was first administered in 1979 and there are currently over 22,000 registered sleep technologists in the world.
Like anything in life, there are multiple factors that go into these statistics but the one that I am aiming to highlight here is the personal growth factor.
Hands down the best way for a technician to increase their income is to become registered in their field of testing.
ASET has created multiple pathways that allow for a variety of ways for a technician to sit for the examination. Historically the pass rate has been around 77-82% with the exception of 2023 that saw a surprising low pass rate. TBD if that was just a one off or not.
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!
“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 : )
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:
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
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:
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.
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. : )
Roya Tompkins, MS, REEG/EPT, RPSGT 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
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