All for that beloved piece of paper

Soooo since the beginning of the year I have been studying for my Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) exam. I have the Wes Todd study cd which I am using to prepare myself for the exam. Wes Todd also has like 5-6 books, but they cost WAY too much and the cd pretty much has all I need on it. It was on discount at my school for $100, usually $250. Yet thankfully to the state of Mississippi, I was able to get it for the free-free. Back to the exam...its $350 to take. If I fail, I have to pay ANOTHER $350 to re-take it. So yeah....making sure I know my stuff before I go in. Here is the website about it if anyone is interested http://cci-online.org/content/registered-cardiovascular-invasive-specialist-rcis

So like I said, this is a major deal! Most hospitals are giving their new employees a year to take and pass the exam. Some hospitals won't even look at you unless you already have it under your belt. Also having it gives you a $2-$5/hr increase in pay, nice huh?

There are 6 units in the cd:

Unit S - Science:

General math

Patient Care

General A&P

CV A&P

Pharmacology

Instrumentation

Statistics

Asepsis

Cardiac Procedures

Unit 1 - A&P:
Embryology
Blood&Acid base
Cardiac anatomy
Coronary a&p
Autonomic CNS&Reflexes
Hemodynamics&Pressures
Contractility&Frank Starling
Electrophysiology
Vascular Anatomy
Vascular Physiology

Unit 2 - Pathology:
Acquired valve disease
Pericardial disease
Coronary artery disease
Heart failure&shock
Surgical&artificial valves
Congenital heart disease
Vascular disease

Unit 3 - Diagnostics:
Cardiac catheters
Catheterization equipment
Indications&risks of cath
Cath protocol
Vascular access, scrub&hemodynamics
Right heart cath
Coronary angiography
Left heart cath
Pediatric cath techniques
Vascular angiography
ECG&arrythmias
ECH&electrophysiology
X-ray

Unit D - Hemodynamics:
Pressure intro
Reading pressures
Pressure recording systems
Pressure pathology1
Pressure pathology2-valvular
Fick CO&shunts
Indicator dilution CO
Quantitative LV angiography
Vascular Resistance
Valve area
Coronary hemodynamics

Unit E - Interventions:
PCI&PTCA
Stents&other devices
ACLS1
ACLS2
Cardiac medications1
Cardiac medications2
Cardiac pacemakers1
Cardiac pacemakers2
ICDs and EP studies
Balloon pump1
Balloon pump2
Other interventions

Pretty effin insane huh? It ALOT ALOT ALOT of information. I currently finished the unit Pathology. I go through the chapter in standard testing mode with explainations (some have lectures and if they do I listen to them) write down all the questions and answers, then I go back through difficult test mode and re-do them. I have only "failed" (below 73%) in one chapter so far...congenital heart disease. And throughout class I have dabbed into alot of the other units and chapters. Yet before I take my exam I plan to go through every unit, and every chapter and complete each chapter's test on difficult mode and pass with a >75%. I'm giving myself until March. I'd like to be ready in December, and if I keep going the way I have been since school has been out, it could be possible. Then again I'd die if I spent $350 to fail a exam!