The Neurodiagnostic Niche
Encouraging a community in the world of Neurodiagnostics
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
Your Year to Getting Registered take 2
“People do not decide their futures. They decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.” – F.M Alexander
Happy New Year!
If you have been following along regularly on my blog you’ll note my last post was entitled ‘Take a Break’. I took that to heart too. : )
I paused my blog the end of last year to focus more on my training program, the clinics I support and also included a great trip to Orlando for the ASET conference. But now I am back at it revisiting a really important topic: ’Your Year to Getting Registered’.
Since the new year is a popular time to set resolutions; for many, working on our financial goals is at the top of the list. The best advice I have for you if you are a technician working in this field is to get registered. This is the area where you can have the most impact on tackling that goal.
You might be thinking where will I find the time in my already busy life…2 quick tips:
1 – Wake up early EVERY day – for some of the most successful people, waking up early is the key to their success. (note the opening habits quote – read that again)
2 – Pair down your social media time – it’s no surprise that social media has become a huge part of our lives and sadly, it can be responsible for thousands of wasted hours.
Start taking small steps to work on your goal to becoming registered:
1 – Read – There are a lot of good technical books out there but my go to recommended book for my students is Fisch and Spehlmann’s EEG Primer: Basic Principals of Digital and Analog EEG. There are a lot of other really good ones out there too – but getting back to basics is a great first start!
2 – Move – Make it a habit to get out of your lab daily. Talk with your doctors….ask them about their patients. Your doctors are going to be your best teachers. If you don’t work in an area where your doctors are available; read their reports on the tests you run. Did you see what they saw?
3 – Connect – Access productive Neurodiagnostic sites that are going to support you in your goal. Reach out to other technicians that are already registered for advice and support. And don’t forget to subscribe to receiving this blog directly in your inbox – just enter your address at the bottom of the website: (NeurodiagnosticNiche.com).
and lastly,
4 – Join – Look for a way to build your study resources. On-line courses, trainers, tutors…we will all support you in your goal to becoming registered.
Remember…small steps.
You might feel overwhelmed to do them all at once…commit to making 1 change a week. The goal is to add new habits to prepare yourself for taking the board exam this new year.
It’s a New Year of possibilities! Are you ready?
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Now Enrolling: North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
Take a Break
“There are only 2 industries that call their customers users: illegal drugs and software companies.” – Edward Tufte
Most of us fill our minds with information all day long….headlines, tweets, facebook/Instagram posts, etc…
However, let’s narrow our focus…we have got things to do.
It’s Week 3 in our 8 Week Challenge to wrap up our Year to Getting Registered
Suggestions:
- Limit Your Intake – set aside a specific time for Social media and stick to it. That doesn’t mean that you have to be off your phone or computer when it’s not that time – it just means it’s not time for passive scrolling through tweets and posts.
- Have an on-going list of websites that help get you where you want to be – have them as an open tab on your phone or computer and those are your go-to’s…your time fillers.
- Go old school – Research and Review textbooks (the hard copy kind).
If getting registered is your goal, start here:
- Epilepsydiagnosis.org – Because…seriously, this stuff is interesting – it’s why we do what we do.
- Natus Training Academy – Scroll back through their eSeminars and sign up for upcoming webinars -not just because you’ll earn a CEU but because…it’s worth repeating: This stuff is interesting – it’s why we do what we do.
- NeurodiagnosticNiche.com – link to my site : ) Read back through older posts – there are several years worth on there.
- Motivation Mondays – link to their Instagram – Because…we could all use a little motivation – plus, they post more than just Monday.
This is Week 3 of our 8 Week Challenge to help you wrap up “Your Year to Getting Registered”.
Reeling in how we spend our time is our focus for Week 3.
It’s worth repeating…Narrow your focus – We have got things to do.
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Now Enrolling: North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
Mind the Gap
Keep Calm and Carry On…anyone else wake up at 4am to watch the Coronation or just me? : )
It’s Week 2 – In the 8 Week Challenge
Broken into bite-size tasks, each week’s assignment will help you focus on working through your to-do list and moving the needle. Over the course of the challenge, you’ll move closer to completing your goal of “Your Year to Getting Registered”.
Every week I’ll share a new set of tasks here, so keep checking in – and follow along for reminders, motivation and inspiration.
Preparing is better together, so encourage your friends and coworkers to follow alongside you.
Did you miss Week 1? Click here to review.
Let’s get started with Week 2.
You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been. – Maya Angelou
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 with the task from last week of collecting your required CEU’s – by the end of this week you should be working towards having at least 10. (Don’t forget to keep the documentation for these organized so you’re not scrambling to find them later).
Congratulations – You’ve made the commitment to complete your registry and 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.
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Now Enrolling – North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
April Showers
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring.” – Lilly Pulitzer
Are you making plans for the summer? I hope you have a lot of fun penciled in on your calendar ~ As we approach the mid way mark on the year (how is this possible?!) let’s consider how to best put into place a plan towards Registry. It’s well worth your time.
Summer is a great time to re-introduce our 8 Week Challenge:
Let’s.Get.Started and put a plan in place to finish.
Introducing the 8 Week Challenge
Have you been following the Neurodiagnostic Niche community with the Your Year to Getting Registered posts?
Jump start this Summer in a productive way on your path to registry.
Week 1 Challenge tips:
Visit abret.org and review the handbook for the exam requirements.
Still need CEU’s? Keep reading below…
- Do you need to take the Measurement Assessment? Once the Measurement Assessment is completed you have 2 years to pass the written exam. Click here to see the locations and mark this accomplishment off your to do list as done.
- Do you have the documented number of tracings? Click here to access the forms you will need.
- Don’t forget to read the entire handbook for the current year that you will test. You don’t want any surprises.
Still need CEU’s to qualify (or to re-certify)? There are lots of free options available:
Start Here – Register for the Natus Neuro Training Academy (you’ll also find their link added to the Resource Library on this site). Includes both recorded and live eSeminars with free CEU’s….who doesn’t like free?
There are also several other free options as well – EEG-U and Neuropathways are also great resources for this too!
Never underestimate where you could end up in 6 months.
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Now Enrolling: North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
Spring Forward
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” — Lilly Pulitzer
10 Ways to Jump Start Your Spring Board Prep:
- Know Where You Stand….have you been preparing to take your boards for awhile now? You might know more than you think. Try an official practice test to gauge what you know: Click here sign up to take an ASAP (ABRET Self Assessment Program) Practice Test.
- Break Up The Soil…..definitely don’t Dig A Hole for yourself – by this I am referring to costs ($$). There are a ton of free or inexpensive Resources out there for either entering into this field or preparing to take your board exam to become Registered. Click here to access the Resource Library on the Neurodiagnostic Niche to get started with some recommended sites.
- Plant the Seed…put a plan in place. Start with deciding when you want to sit for your exam then work backwards with monthly goals to get you there. Not sure how the exam works? The ABRET 2023 Handbook is the best place to start. Click here to access the Exam Handbook and Outline.
- Water Regularly….weekly and monthly goals. It is a lot of material – break down each section on the Exam Outline and address them regularly.
- Provide Nutrients…. Make Notecards as you prepare and Review them often.
- Be Patient…becoming an R.EEG T takes experience. Employers expect registered technologists to know their stuff – to be leaders in their labs. This is not something that is obtained through a Quick Course. Find a mentor, gain that experience, and put in the work. Time will help prepare you.
- Uproot Weeds…Preparing for your boards can feel like a chore – but tackle these tasks daily. Every patient you record can be a learning opportunity. Talk to your doctor’s about their patients. If you don’t have access to doctors to do that – review the EEG reports on your tests. Did you see what they saw? Interested in a Record Review Tutoring Session? Click here to schedule.
- Prune Often…wasting a lot of time on Social Media? I wrote a post on this last year: Meant For More
- Take Root…take a practice exam again – you’ll be surprised at how much you know. However, if you don’t do as well as you had hoped on the practice test – repeat steps 2-8.
- Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor…once you have earned the credentials – it is time for a pay increase! Ask your current employer for one if they don’t automatically adjust your hourly. There are more jobs than there are technologists – it is nice to be needed! : )
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Today a Reader. Tomorrow a Leader
“First you Learn and then you drop the L.” – unknown
The 2022 Exam Rate statistics are out!
An Overall Pass Rate of 77% with 437 Candidates taking the R.EEG T Exam
Pass % rates are:
- Pathway I – 71% (232/329)
- Pathway II – 83% (43/52)
- Pathway III – 75% (106/141)
- Pathway IV – 52% (23/44)
Some things to note about the stats:
- Repeat test takers are not included.
- Pathway II consistently has a much smaller sample size (less than a quarter of Pathway I and about a a third of Pathway III).
- ABRET offers 4 Pathway’s to registry – which is AWESOME because we need to make this process accessible to the thousands of technicians working in this field.
And the most important thing to note:
However a technician qualifies to take the exam – our field needs them!
For those that are working towards Registry these exam statistics are ENCOURAGING:
More than 3/4ths of those that take the exam – PASS
For those working towards either 4 Pathways…..you have a team of mentors available to help!
For those of us who this field has been good to…we want to be sure we leave it stronger than we found it – we are here for you!
There are a whole host of resources available to you – You.Got.This!
For some specific to this site:
- Check out the Resource Library
- Study Guides
- Past blog posts – there’s 2 years worth of Your Year to Getting Registered posts.
- For individual Tutoring Options just email me @ RTompkins@TompkinsAssociates.com or
- For my full training program (The North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy) that offers both remote and in person training options click here.
To reference these stats and previous year’s pass rates – just click here to access the ABRET site.
Helpful Tip: Be sure to sign up for the ASAP practice test on the ABRET site before you sign up to take the actual exam. It’s an EXPENSIVE test! You want to be sure you are doing well on the practice test before you make that financial commitment to test.
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
Final Countdown
‘To finish first you must first finish.’ – Rick Mears (American race car driver)
Well…here we are – Finally!
It’s the final countdown in Your Year to Getting Registered.
Over the past 11 months, we’ve got a date on our calendar, taken a practice exam, worked on accumulating CEU’s, tamed our Social Media time, hired a tutor or acquired resources, invited a friend or co-worker to join in, and we have found a mentor – we are almost there!
This month is all about The Content Outline of the Exam
I’m sure you have already referenced this, but now is the time to really take it apart piece by piece to be sure you have it all covered:
- Section I is 25% of the Exam
- Section II is 75% of the Exam
Don’t leave any stone uncovered – at this point in your preparations, narrow down your studying to these topics and tackle a section a day…..Research.Review.Repeat
Are you a few months behind?
Perhaps you have struggled to make head way with this goal…Perhaps you have procrastinated a bit…No worries!
Just Recalibrate and Start.Where.You.Are.
Have questions? Feel free to reach out to me @ RTompkins@TompkinsAssociates.com – would love to help!
Let’s Stay Curious and Grow What We Know
North Texas Neurodiagnostic Academy
Now Enrolling For a January Start!
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 