The oral boards, practiced out loud.
CaseCoach is a live AI examiner for the anesthesiology oral boards, run in the format of the ABA Standardized Oral Exam. It probes, asks you to commit and changes the case mid-answer. Then two independent graders score what you actually said.
No account needed for the demo.
- full cases
- 8full cases
- examiners per session
- 2examiners per session
- median reply
- <1smedian reply
Her pressure is now 62 over 30, and her peak airway pressure has doubled. What do you do?
I'm treating this as anaphylaxis. I'll call for help, stop the likely trigger, go to 100% oxygen and give epinephrine 50 micrograms IV
Why CaseCoach
Built like the real exam. Graded like a board.
Reading about crisis management isn't the same as defending your plan to an examiner who keeps changing the case. CaseCoach puts you in that room, then shows you exactly where your answer held up and where it didn't.
The format you'll face
Exam mode follows the Standardized Oral Exam in the ABA APPLIED Exam Manual: a timed stem review, then preoperative, intraoperative and additional-topic segments, using the full time as real examiners do. Two examiners take turns, each in their own voice.
- The examiner probes, then asks you to commit to a decision
- Scripted case changes test how you adapt, mid-answer
- Replies come in under a second, and you can interrupt
- Stem review
- 10 min · Read and take notes
- Preoperative
- 10 min · Examiner 1
- Intraoperative
- 15 min · Examiner 2
- Additional topics
- 10 min · Examiner 1
Scored on what you actually said
Two independent AI graders, from different model families, score every question against a checklist written for that case. A point counts only when your own words are quoted as evidence, and where the graders disagree, the credit is withheld and flagged.
- Rated on the four SOE attributes, on the ABA four-point scale
- Answers you gave earlier in the session count
- Weak topics come back on a spaced review schedule
- Application of knowledgeConsistently
- JudgmentOften
- AdaptabilityOften
- Organization and communicationOccasionally
I'd give epinephrine 50 micrograms IV and repeat it every minute or two while I start an infusion.
Rigorous down to the dose
Every dose you say you'd give is checked against a sourced range for that drug, route and patient, and a tenfold slip is flagged as a critical incident. Behind that, every clinical claim in a case traces to a guideline, drug label or review.
- Each case is fact-checked by a separate reviewer
- Every case is labeled In physician review until a physician signs off
- In rangeDantrolene 2.5 mg/kg IVrange 2–2.5 mg/kg
- In rangeCalcium chloride 1 g IVrange 10 mg/kg (1 g)
- CriticalDantrolene 25 mg/kg IV10× the range
Checked in code by drug, route and the patient's weight, against a range with a cited source.
How it works
From stem to score in one sitting
- 01
Pick a case
Each case follows one patient through two exam sessions, then additional topics on other patients.
- 02
Read the stem
Ten minutes with the stem on screen (as long as you like in tutor mode): the patient, the procedure, the vitals. Take notes if you like.
- 03
Answer out loud, or type
Two examiners take turns. They probe, ask you to commit, and change the case as you go.
- 04
Review your results
Every question scored against its checklist, with your words quoted, your doses checked and weak topics queued for review.
In every session
The details that make practice count
Voice first
You answer out loud, as in the exam. The examiner asks one question at a time and stops when you talk over it. Prefer to type? Choose it when you start; the examiner still speaks.
Tutor or exam mode
Tutor mode is untimed: feedback after each question, then ask as many questions as you like and it teaches from the case. Exam mode keeps the exam-day clock and stays neutral until your results.
Credit for what you said earlier
Feedback and scores count answers from earlier in the session, so nothing you already covered is marked missing.
Resumes after a dropped call
If the connection drops, the examiner says so, recaps and carries on without re-asking what you already answered.
Topic mastery
Every answer updates your mastery of specific topics, and weak ones come back on a spaced schedule.
A growing case library
8 full cases, each with both exam sessions and additional topics, with more added regularly.
Earlier in training?
Build the habit of thinking out loud, from your first year
The oral boards reward people who can reason out loud under pressure, and that habit takes years to build. In tutor mode, CaseCoach walks you through a case the way a good clinical teacher would: it asks what you'd do and why, pushes on your reasoning, and gives you feedback after every question, then answers your questions for as long as you like. There's no clock in tutor mode.
- CA-1s
- Get comfortable talking through inductions, crises and postoperative problems before your first mock oral.
- CA-2s
- Warm up for your program's mock orals, and work through topics your rotations haven't covered yet.
- SRNAs
- Talk through anesthesia cases and get feedback on your reasoning. The cases follow the physician oral board format, so use them alongside NCE study, not in place of it.
- Calling for help early
- Stopping the likely trigger
- Epinephrine 50 mcg IV, repeated
- A rapid crystalloid bolus alongside the epinephrine
- An infusion once you have needed repeated boluses
"Any questions on that?"
FAQ
Questions residents ask
How realistic is it compared with the real oral boards?
Exam mode follows the Standardized Oral Exam format in the ABA's APPLIED Exam Manual: a timed stem review, then preoperative, intraoperative and additional-topic segments with two examiners who hand off, each in their own voice, using the full time as real examiners do. The examiner probes, asks you to commit to a decision and changes the case mid-answer, the way the real exam tests adaptability. No simulation matches the real exam exactly, but the structure, timing and pressure are modeled on it.
What cases are available?
We currently offer 8 full cases, each built like the real exam: two sessions on the same patient, then additional topics on other patients. More cases are added regularly.
Who writes the cases, and how do you know they are accurate?
Cases are drafted with AI from current society guidelines, FDA drug labels and peer-reviewed reviews, and every clinical claim and dose range traces to a source. A separate reviewer fact-checks each case against those sources. During the beta, every case is labeled In physician review until a physician signs it off.
How is my performance scored?
After the session, two independent AI graders score each question against a checklist written for that case, and a point counts only when your own words are quoted as evidence. Where the graders disagree, the credit is withheld and flagged for review. You are rated on the four SOE attributes (application of knowledge, judgment, adaptability, and organization and communication) on the ABA four-point scale, and every dose you said you would give is checked in code against a sourced range.
What's the difference between tutor mode and exam mode?
Both examine you the same way. Exam mode keeps the exam-day clock and stays neutral, with no hints or teaching, until your results. Tutor mode is untimed: after each question you get spoken feedback, based on the case checklist and what you actually said, and you can ask as many questions as you like; the examiner answers from the case before moving on.
Is it useful before the oral boards, for CA-1s, CA-2s or SRNAs?
Yes. Tutor mode works as case practice at any stage: you talk through a case, the examiner asks why, and you get feedback after every question, with no clock, so you can stop and ask about anything. The cases follow the ABA's physician oral board format, so for nurse anesthesia students they are practice in clinical reasoning, to use alongside NCE preparation rather than in place of it.
How long does a session take?
An exam-mode session is about 45 minutes, like exam day: a 10-minute stem review, then 35 minutes of examining across three segments. Tutor mode has no clock, so it takes as long as your questions do. The demo takes five minutes and needs no account.
Can I type my answers instead of speaking?
Yes. When you start a session, choose Type: the examiner still speaks, with captions, and you type your answers. The real exam is spoken, so practice out loud when you can.
Is this affiliated with the ABA?
No. This is an independent educational tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the American Board of Anesthesiology. Please use official ABA resources as your primary preparation materials.
Hear the examiner for yourself
The demo takes five minutes and needs no account. Everything is free during the beta.