How to Rock Your Boards (NAPLEX and MPJE) Right Now
A lot has changed over the last few months; this semester and graduation likely looked very different. Those of you jumping in to residency or a new job may have some new hurdles to overcome this year, but first you need to pass the NAPLEX and MPJE.
And even though we may be spending a lot more time at home where we could potentially be studying, I find that it is much harder to motivate right now. Focus is down, burnout is growing, and everyone is just emotionally tired.
Some general tips
Now is the best time to take several MPJEs if you want to be licensed in different states (in most cases, you have a year). Doing a score transfer is much more cost-effective and easier up front than going through the reciprocal process later (Oh, North Carolina, you got me!)
Stay on your board! You don’t want to lose weeks just because they don’t have some paperwork (they could have easily lost it). It’s a lot and it can be confusing, but check in with them regularly.
On that note, NABP is requiring schools to send in official transcripts right now to verify graduation dates. They do not want you to contact them until ten days have passed from the time you submitted the transcript.
You have to keep your initial state MPJE active always, meaning if you reciprocate, you can not let your original go as that was the license you reciprocated off of. If you initially get licensed in two states, like I did, you only have to keep one of them active.
Know where to go. No one wants the stress of getting lost on the way to your testing site!
Be mindful of social distancing requirements. Some testing facilities are making less seats available and requiring masks to be worn.
Specific tips on what to study
Focus on statistics! I swear, this is what helped me get a good score. Focus on drip rates, conversions, etc...
Focus on the strange or different facts - for example, I will never forget tetracycline and the side effect tooth discoloration
Know your mechanisms of action and drug classes!
Eliminate duplicate therapy - sometimes there will be answers with medications that have the same mechanism of action or active ingredients. Know your formulations!
Know those weird contraindications and black box warnings
Storage and disposal of medications
When studying for the MPJE, always favor the law that is stricter - state or federal.
For the MPJE, be very familiar if your state has a different function for pharmacists; for example, the requirements of a certified pharmacist practitioner or a consultant pharmacist
For the MPJE, know the laws that made pharmacy where it is today! For example, what pharmacy-specific legislation came out of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Orphan Drug Act and the Affordable Care Act.
Know your opioid prescribing requirements including who can prescribe what - what can an MD, NP, PA or dentist prescribe in your state (and for what duration of therapy)?
Lastly, how do you get the motivation to study? I recommend that you set aside 4-6 weeks and study for a couple hours a day for the NAPLEX. I usually studied for 2-4 focused weeks for each MPJE (I have taken and passed four!).
Get a good study guide to keep you organized (and to make sure you don’t forget a section). I like APhA and Kaplan’s books. Spend a few days on each section and study from different angles. What I mean is, if you are studying antiretroviral therapy for the week, don’t just study the study guide. Study your class notes, use the study guide, watch a lecture and read a book chapter. Reading from different sources and angles will solidify the material.
And if you are just burnt out, it is okay to take a day or even a weekend off to recharge. Sometimes that’s the best thing for us and it will make our time moving forward even more effective.