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Published June 2002
Revised 2006 |
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Welcome to Louisville
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Executive West Hotel 830 Phillips Lane Louisville, KY 40209 (800) 626 2708 [MapQuest] |
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| Coming to Louisville. Beware the preferred travel agency. Call the airlines directly and try the online travel agencies. Many residents have gotten cheaper rates then those from the preferred agency. Don't try to get there at the last minute. Delays are common as are flight cancellations. It's cheaper to pay the extra night than suffer the stress of not making the exam. [Louisville International Airport] Make a reservation immediately after you receive your letter. Rooms go quickly. You don't need to book the night after your examination. The ABR has a changing room and a room to store your luggage the day of your examination. You'll feel much better if you go home rather than staying around. I forgot my shirt, tie (pants) now what do I do? Go to Dillards about 4 miles from the Executive West. Take I-264 east, exit south on Bardstown Road, go about a mile and look for the Bashford Manor Mall on the right. The big day. The following is a short overview of what to expect at oral boards. The Executive West hotel is an airport hotel. At the airport, call for the shuttle from the telephone bank which is to the right of the information desk in the baggage claim area. The hotel has 2 shuttles which are busy ferrying candidates back and forth. Most of you arrive at the same time and especially leave at the same time. It's harder to get back on a shuttle to the airport. Plan your return trips accordingly and be considerate of those who have earlier flights. The hotel is only 5 minutes from the airport. Other hotels are within walking distance and will be listed in the letter you receive from the ABR. Please see the list below for other hotels. The Executive West has an outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, and perhaps most importantly - room service. In my experience very few residents eat in the cafe. The hotel is full of examiners as well as examinees and most want to get away from any distractions (such as hearing about possible cases that you've never heard of before.) Better yet, use Takeout Taxi (see below) Across the street are the Louisville fair grounds which is nice if you want to relax with a good walk. However, Louisville is hot and humid in June and can be quite uncomfortable. Other than the hotel restaurants there are no other diners within walking distance. |
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| I want to eat in private. I don't blame you. The Ex West restaurant is full of examiners and boards takers and can be nerve racking all by itself. My suggestion is to either get room service or better yet use Takeout Taxi. (zip is 40209) The phone is 412-7700 (fax 412-7900). Check out the menu ahead of time from the website. Your room, no matter where you stay, should have the menu brochure but it won't hurt to have it printed up ahead of time. Please allow 60-90 minutes for delivery. Food choices include American, Italian, Pizza, Chinese, Mexican, Seafood, Cajun, and Indian. See adjacent list for current restaurants>>>>> |
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 The hotel is old but clean with a decor which hasn't changed in the 20 years that I've been associated with the oral examination. |
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 Lobby of the Ex West. The lobby is busy with residents coming and going and can be crowded. Plan ahead if you need to check out as lines can get quite long. Snippets of conversation from all the residents milling about can be unnerving.Dark woodwork and paintings of prominent Southerners (associated with horse racing I think) line the walls. The style is a 60's medieval theme complete with armor and shields. The lobby has an absurd blazing fake fireplace (its 90 outside). |
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 You will receive a letter with a room assignment from the ABR. These rooms will be found adjacent to the elevators. A representative from the board will give instructions as well as some reassuring words. You will wait approximately 30 minutes before the exam begins. This is an extremely long time, especially given the gravity of the situation. No doubt this must be what it's like on death row the day of the execution. The anxiety in the room is palpable and in my opinion is one of the worst parts of the exam. Why wait so long? The board doesn't want a bunch of candidates wandering up and down the halls at the same time that examiners are opening the rooms and getting ready for the examination. Try to make the best of the situation. Make small talk with your neighbor. Bring a paper to read. Use a palm pilot and review a chapter from the PocketRadiologist. Anything to pass the time and keep your mind off what's coming would be worthwhile. |
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 It might seem a little tacky but one of the most important examinations you will ever take is given in a hotel room (which is not the Ritz). All rooms have a rocking chair and a small love seat. A table, located by the window will have the computer monitor and a simple straight back chair. The curtains will be closed and lights will be off. Most examiners have straws for pointers but it wouldn't hurt to have your own to use. Try not to use your finger. Room doors remain open. Depending on the section you will see from 8 to 12 cases. The examiner will not have time to teach or make small talk. Concentrate on your job and not the examiner who will ignore you anyway.There is no fanfare, no bands, no checking out after the last examination, just a grateful feeling that it is over with. Leave quietly as others may still be taking the examination Now is the time to realistically assess how you've done. As time goes on you will feel worse about the examination. Results are mailed at the same time. However, the efficiency of the U.S. mail system will quickly become apparent as some of your fellow residents will receive results more than 24 hours before you.. This does not mean that you have flunked, it only points out the deficiencies of the mail system. |
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| Good Luck! | |||||||||||||
The hallways of the Ex West are long. This has a purpose. You will not have to go around a corner and get lost. Eight groups of examinees can be handled on each floor. Odd numbered rooms are on one side and even on the other. Whichever side you start on is the only side that will concern you. It is impossible to get lost. The examiners will keep an eye out for you and hall monitors are watching to keep everyone in line. If you finish an examination early, move on to the door of the next room and keep quiet. The examiner in the next room may not be your examiner. Substitutes are common and give the regular examiners a much needed break. The examiners have break rooms at the end of each hallway.