During this time of the trimester, many students, including
myself, are immersed in books studying for many exams. Right now
many students have just finished all of their midterms and are
preparing for taking entrance exams. Once the entrance exams are
finished, it will be time to take finals. After finals, it is time
for a well-deserved break.
Entrance Exams
You may be wondering what entrance exams are and why students
take these exams. Students take entrance exams in the AOM program
during different phases of their studies. Each entrance exam is a
set of tests taken over the course of three evenings.
During the third trimester, students in the acupuncture and
oriental medicine programs take their first set of tests--the
Internship Foundational Exam. This exam lasts for three evenings
and tests over all the course material the students have taken up
to that point. This exam must be taken before the student becomes
an intern, which occurs at the beginning of the fourth trimester.
From my understanding, the main purpose for this exam near the end
of the third trimester is to help students gauge their grasp of
material and for NUHS to make sure they are prepared to become an
intern.
The next phase of tests is the Senior Internship Advanced
Examination, which occurs at the end of the fifth trimester for
acupuncture students and the end of the seventh trimester for
oriental medicine students. I am preparing for this exam. This exam
also lasts three evenings and tests over all of the course material
that has been taught. This exam allows for the students to review
their knowledge base as well as pass into their senior phase of
clinic.
At the end of the final trimester of the program (seventh for
acupuncture and ninth for oriental medicine), students take
theComprehensive Graduation Examination. At this point most
students have also already taken their board exams. From what I
understand, the exit exam is a useful tool for NUHS in gauging the
student's progress and making sure the students have retained the
knowledge taught in the courses offered at NUHS.
As I mentioned, this trimester I will be taking my senior
entrance exam. I am glad to be preparing for this exam. There are
moments when preparing for this exam--when keeping up with my other
19 credits and being very active in my home life feels like
multi-tasking put into overdrive--that I remember to take a breath
and realize how fortunate I am to have all these
responsibilities.
I have included some pictures of my pets offering me some TLC
breaks. I always know when it's time for a study break as one of my
pets will jump up onto my notes and sit on what I was reading. I
love those moments and always remember to stop studying and enjoy
those sweet interactions. I am thankful for the richness of my life
with these wonderful responsibilities, including the entrance
exams.