Clinical exam
Feb. 25th, 2006 11:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
judecorpI chose today as one of those days that I've promised will be spent reviewing things for my Clinical social work exam, the last of its kind and hopefully the last ridiculous hoop I will ever have to go through in order to someday move up in my career or get some sort of responsibility. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
meglett was kind enough to send me the exam's Study Guide a million years ago, only it got buried under all of our tax stuff and I just realized it's probably generating a million dollars in fees. I'll have to make sure it gets mailed back to her on Monday. Yikes. Anyway, I took the practice test once a couple of months ago and once today, and have gone from about 68% correct to 86% correct. Hooray for the practice effect!
Seriously, though, I think I've learned some things about the exam as a whole which will hopefully help my test taking: 1) The test takers assume that you as a social worker can't definitively help people, and therefore you must refer to super-duper specialists like rehab clinics and psychiatrists; 2) You should never in a million years rely on your actual work experience, because of course they want answers from the perfect world of social work idealism where you never ever have to cut corners or think on your feet; 3) If the answer isn't "refer," it's probably one of those 'start where the client is' answers like "acknowledge feelings," or "let the client change the subject;" 4) I should have taken this exam directly out of social work school so I wouldn't be tainted with foolish things like reality. Because in reality... gah, I won't even go into it.
These tests are so ridiculous and only seem to create more reasons why not to be a social worker. I mean, hello - you go and get a ton of schooling to work a lot of low-paying jobs that are not valued by society (mostly because the clients are not valued by society), and on top of that, they make it /difficult/ to do this! It is the most insane system ever. These exams cost $200 a pop because everyone knows that social workers are wealthy. And then they charge for licenses, that have to be renewed annually or biannually depending on the state. And to renew, you need a ton of continuing education credits. Which cost money. Argh.
I really believe in social work and think that social workers can really make the world go 'round, but the bureaucracy doesn't really assist that in any way. Too bad MY brand of social work idealism isn't coded onto any billion dollar test.
meglett was kind enough to send me the exam's Study Guide a million years ago, only it got buried under all of our tax stuff and I just realized it's probably generating a million dollars in fees. I'll have to make sure it gets mailed back to her on Monday. Yikes. Anyway, I took the practice test once a couple of months ago and once today, and have gone from about 68% correct to 86% correct. Hooray for the practice effect! Seriously, though, I think I've learned some things about the exam as a whole which will hopefully help my test taking: 1) The test takers assume that you as a social worker can't definitively help people, and therefore you must refer to super-duper specialists like rehab clinics and psychiatrists; 2) You should never in a million years rely on your actual work experience, because of course they want answers from the perfect world of social work idealism where you never ever have to cut corners or think on your feet; 3) If the answer isn't "refer," it's probably one of those 'start where the client is' answers like "acknowledge feelings," or "let the client change the subject;" 4) I should have taken this exam directly out of social work school so I wouldn't be tainted with foolish things like reality. Because in reality... gah, I won't even go into it.
These tests are so ridiculous and only seem to create more reasons why not to be a social worker. I mean, hello - you go and get a ton of schooling to work a lot of low-paying jobs that are not valued by society (mostly because the clients are not valued by society), and on top of that, they make it /difficult/ to do this! It is the most insane system ever. These exams cost $200 a pop because everyone knows that social workers are wealthy. And then they charge for licenses, that have to be renewed annually or biannually depending on the state. And to renew, you need a ton of continuing education credits. Which cost money. Argh.
I really believe in social work and think that social workers can really make the world go 'round, but the bureaucracy doesn't really assist that in any way. Too bad MY brand of social work idealism isn't coded onto any billion dollar test.
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 09:24 pm (UTC)sorry about the stupid exam. i heart bureaucracy.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-26 05:56 pm (UTC)I just want to pass the damned exam, but it's so scary! THEY OWN ME!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-26 06:53 am (UTC)i struggled with this with nursing boards in a big way. it got the point where if i saw an answer that actually WAS what i would do i reality, i knew it surly was NOT the right answer.
btw, nurses adore social workers. anytime there is a weird dynamic, i say "CALL THE SOCIAL WORKER!". you all are the best because you deal with the worst!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-26 05:58 pm (UTC)I know what you mean, though. Whenever I think, "What would I do?" and see the answer there, I immediately look at the others and think that my answer is destined to be wrong. Because, well, I guess I don't have a very ideal social work experience or something. I don't really do much social work at all. It's all geared toward people who do therapy... something I've never done.
And I've learned that the answer is /never/ "ask your supervisor," which is always what I would do!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-28 05:38 am (UTC)Told ya you would do OK.
In defense of the test, I do think SOME of the questions validly test your ability to analyze a situation and recognize priorities. But yeah, others are fulla shit.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-01 02:06 am (UTC)