Competency Specific Suggestions
Once you have completed an exam you will be given a score in each of the eight competencies for the exam. Please write down the scores. If you scored below 80% on a competency please see below for suggestions on how to improve that competency. A score of 80% or more means you will likely pass. Most people find my exams harder than the real exam.
For the Pathophysiology competency I suggest reviewing my videos or lectures on pathophysiology or chapter 3 of Building Competency: The Essentials.
For the Nutrition competency I suggest reviewing: the Nutrition Therapy chapter of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines starting on page S64, chapter 5 of Building Competency: The Essentials, the Diabetes Canada Glycemic Index handout, the Diabetes Canada Carbohydrate Counting handout and the Diabetes Canada Alcohol handout. Also I suggest being familiar with the Beyond the Basics carb list below:
An older alternative list can be found here: http://family-medicine.ca/images/DM-Carb-list-beyond-the-basics.pdf but it is not as important as it is an older reference.
For the Medications Competency I suggest reviewing: Glycemic Management in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes on pg S80, Glycemic Management in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes on pg S88 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada Clinical practice guidelines. Appendix 3-14 of the Diabetes guidelines are also useful and will likely be on the exam. Also chapter 6 and 12 of Building Competency: The Essentials. There will be lots of questions on insulin initiation and adjustment so some other helpful resources are chapter 18 of Pumping Insulin (is on the list of recommended resources) which I have uploaded here. I also found the Forum of Injection Technique (FIT) guidelines very useful. The Diabetes Canada website has a ton of health care providers tools which are very useful in real life practice and will like be on the exam. You can find them here at the Diabetes Canada clinical practice website and the Pharmacotherapy for Type 2 diabetes is especially useful. Also note that on October 2020 there was an update to the pharmacotherapy guidelines which can be found here. There is also a NEW renal dosing chart there has been simplified. Please see below.
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Open in new tab Below is a great module for insulin adjustment
Below is a great worksheet for your patients on CGM such as Libre or Dexcom
Below is a useful review of medications (its American) that I found:
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To familiarize yourself with injection technique for insulins and GLP-1s please see the Forum for Injection Technique (FIT) guidelines below-
For the Self Management: Hypoglycemia competency I suggest reviewing: Hypoglycemia on pg S-104 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines and chapter 8 of Building Competency: The Essentials.
For the Self Management: Hyperglycemia competency I suggest reviewing: Hyperglycemic Emergencies in Adults on pg S-109 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines, chapter 8 of Building Competency: The Essentials and chapter 21 of Understand Your Diabetes and Live a Healthy Life (is on the list of recommended resources) which I have uploaded here.
For the For the Self Management: Physical Activity competency I suggest reviewing: Physical Activity and Diabetes on pg S54 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines, chapter 5 of Building Competency: The Essentials and chapter 20 of Understand Your Diabetes and Live a Healthy Life (is on the list of recommended resources) which I have uploaded here. Its not on the test but in clinical practice, I suggest reviewing the Diabetes Canada exercise videos, buying a resistance band for $5-10 and showing patients how to exercise in the comfort of their own home.
For the Self-Care Management: Monitoring competency I suggest reviewing: Monitoring Glycemic Control on pg S-47 of the 2018 Diabetes Clinical Practice guidelines. Also chapter 7 of Building Competency: The Essentials. The Diabetes Canada SMBG Frequency and Pattern Tool is also useful.
For the Self-Care Management: Foot Care competency I suggest: Foot Care on pg S-222 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines and chapter 9 of Building Competency: The Essentials. One of the references from the guidelines is the Foot Care guidelines by the International Diabetes Foot working group which I found useful. Though not on the exam, another excellent resource is the Alberta Footcare Pathway provider’s guide.
For the Microvascular and Macrovascular Complications competency I suggest: all the chapters in the 2018 Diabetes Canada guideline involving Macrovascular and Microvascular Complications. Also chapter 9 of Building Competency: The Essentials. The Diabetes Canada Reducing Vascular Risk tool is also useful
For the Psychosocial / Lifestyle competency I suggest: Putting yourself in the patients shoes and asking yourself, how would you like to be treated in that situation. As well, Diabetes and Mental Health on pg S-130 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines and chapter 4 of Building Competency: The Essentials.
For the Special Situations competency I suggest: the Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents on pg S-234 and S-247 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines. Also Diabetes and Pregnancy on
S-255 Diabetes in the Elderly on pg S-283 of the guidelines. For a great presentation on travel and insulin adjustment while travelling by Dr Halperin please see- https://cdestudycourse.com/travelling_with_diabetes_-_presentation/
For the Education/Research competency. I suggest Organization of Diabetes Care on pg S-27 and Self-Management Education on pg S-36 of the 2018 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines. Also chapter 2 of Building Competency: The Essentials or this article on the Transtheoretical Model of Change from Journal of Canadian Family Physicians: https://www.cfp.ca/content/cfp/56/3/253.full.pdf . Also the education standards below:
For a chapter by chapter study guide please click here. The first 10 chapters are free. To practice for the exam, try out the free quizzes section. If you found those helpful then consider purchasing a Practice Exam simulation in the Buy Membership. They will improve your confidence and pass rate while lowering your stress and the amount of time you need to study. You will pass or you get your money back!