Chris,
I passed the Orals and I wanted to thank you and your attendings for a great weekend course. I would not presume you would remember me specifically but I was the older gray haired guy coming back after 20 years to get certified. I was at the NYC course 10 days before the Austin exam. You do have a good concept over the other weekend course models in the sheer number of personal exams. But I think more importantly, the number of different mock examiners. Each mock examiner at all the courses I went through had a special issue that he/she would emphasize or maybe a 2 minute spiel. For me, they were invaluable and by seeing about 10 different examiners, I was exposed to multiple points of interest as opposed to the 3-4 different guys at the other courses. Also, your docs were a lot more available and approachable for questions and issues.
I would suggest that every course participant get a session with the doc that insists on posture and eye contact during his mock exam..I cannot recall his name because at the time, unless a name was associated with some sort of scale (i.e. Glasgow), I had no more brain space available. Anecdotally, my session with him was the next to last on Sunday afternoon. I sat as he instructed and for whatever reason it helped me focus. Of more interest tho, was at my next session, the "examiner" while critiquing my exam answers said "you had the best presentation style of anyone I have seen this weekend." Now I know for a fact that I certainly was far from the top in correct answers but that style may have gotten me "points" at the real deal in Austin. The old adage of "it isn't what you say but how you say it" comes to mind. Of course, when telling this story to my wife, she said "i have been telling you this for years and so you listen to a complete stranger." Anyone guy married for a while, I am sure has heard that on more than one occasion.
Tell your course participants to know their drugs backwards and forwards. This was my 3rd attempt at the orals but this year, every drug I gave the examiner wanted to know why, prefernce to similar drugs (i.e. diprivan vs pentothal etc,) and any negatives of giving said drug (i.e. ACE inhibitors in a renal transplant patient)
Thanks again,
P.L. October 2007

Guys,
Thanks for hosting the course last July in Ft. Lauderdale. I took the advice you all gave me and I passed in Austin.
Frank, I did what you suggested and held back from giving a full thesis.
Lebron, you were right to just do what I normally do so that I convince them that I know the drill.
Rich, you right to keep a "big picture" perspective.
Thanks again for your time and effort.
K.G. July 2007

I liked the course very much. The faculty was outstanding (and good looking too)*. You are the number one, period. From A.B. April 2006

*Faculty members Dr's. Alison Lee and Riva Akerman prove brains and beauty do co-exist!