Tips and Testimonials from Fellow Graduates:
I reviewed all of the information in the Klose Training Lymphedema Therapy Certification course manual. I found it helpful to make notecards to help me memorize. I re-watched the anatomy, physiology, and physician’s lecture videos. I re-took all the lesson quizzes from the course. After about 3 weeks of studying I took the Klose LANA practice exams and then I reviewed the information for the questions that I got wrong. I found the practice exams VERY helpful to review the areas that I did not spend too much time studying during our course, such as head drainage areas, level of skin changes with radiation, what connective tissue is composed of, and layers of skin pertaining to where the superficial/deep vessels are located. I feel I could have studied the drainage pathways a little more, they try to trick you with some of the questions. I am SO thankful for Guenter and the time he took to make the LANA practice tests. The course material 100% prepared me for the test!”
I took the exam a month after finishing the course so my studying was slightly different from what others might do as most things were still fresh in my mind. I went through the course manual from cover to cover. I re-did all the quizzes in the home study and the prep exams that were made available to us at the end of the course (on same site as the online home study). I also re-watched the anatomy, physiology, and physician lecture videos from the home study. I spent a lot of time trying to memorize the primary lymphedema classifications but I wish I hadn’t focused so much on that as there weren’t many questions on the LANA exam about that. I wish I had studied more of the vascular conditions/comorbidities (a lot of that on the exam). I just found the wording very different from the course material and course exams. Like I said to our instructor, they used ultrafiltration rather than filtration, which threw me off because I wasn’t sure if that was the same thing or different. The questions were very content dense, much harder than the practice exams from Guenter’s prep exams. There were no “all the above” answers. The clinical scenarios were a little vague. I had to use the full 2 hours. Overall the wording was most challenging for me on the exam, I needed to re-read each question a few times.”
I studied for about 3 weeks by rewatching the online course videos and using the course materials only. I did not use any other books or textbooks. I focused primarily on Anatomy, Physiology and the Physician’s Lecture! I felt over prepared! One area I wish I studied more was the head and neck drainage lymph node areas.”
I think the most challenging for me was associating different diagnoses with active/passive hyperemia and high/low output failure. I also struggled a little with microcirculation. I found I needed to study these topics the most to ensure best understanding. I also found that I could have studied more on different diagnostic testing, I understood the basic concepts but some of the questions asked for more detailed information that I missed. Hope that helps.”
I really appreciate you allowing me access to the online videos, lessons and practice exams. I did most of my studying by utilizing these resources and felt very prepared for the exam. The case study questions and 120 exam questions Guenter developed were very similar to the actual test and it was helpful to have had some familiarity and understanding of what the questions were like and what was being asked of me. Thank you Guenter!”
I relied largely on the Klose training resources. I retook the online home study quizzes and the online Certification Practice Exams and thoroughly studied the course notes. My background as a PT & prior studies in medical terminology helped me out on numerous questions. There were terms that we did not cover in your course, such as lymphocele (instead of seroma) and lymphotome as another name for watersheds, that I needed to rely on medical terminology to figure out. Encourage your students to know drainage areas into the regional lymph nodes as there were two questions (from the head/face). There was a surprising emphasis on angiosarcoma and fungal infections and quite a number of questions involving CVI.
If I hadn’t had a couple of years working with lymphedema clients, numerous lymphedema courses (2 live and a few online) and a PT background, I feel I would still have passed the exam by comprehensively studying the material you provide – but the exam would have been a bit more daunting. You’ve done a tremendous job of preparing us for the exam and for our practice, Guenter. Thank you with all sincerity, for your tireless, impressive work and immense dedication to serve this patient population. You’re amazing!”
I studied mostly the materials Klose provided. I also read the small green Weissleder book, but I didn’t find it all that helpful. There was more internal medicine on the exam than I expected–you have to know the cardiovascular system pretty well…how venous insufficiency relates to lymphedema, for example. There were some terms on the exam that were unfamiliar to me, but I managed to deduce their meaning just by knowing medical prefixes and a little Latin. There is less about treatment and more about differential diagnosis than I expected. In general, though, I was well-prepared by the Klose course. I think anyone who goes through the Klose course and really reads all the materials can pass the exam with no problem.”
I took the LANA exam in May and passed! I used the Klose certification manual, online Klose resources, and the green lymphedema book Guenter recommended. The exam was difficult with a lot of emphasis on the blood circulation system and the difference between the blood and lymph circulation. I believe people will be prepared for the exam by studying the Klose materials as long as they really emphasize the physiology.”
I made note cards of the Klose videos and slides. I studied them all the time. I primarily studied my Klose book and videos. I also used an anatomy atlas book and my Foeldi textbook as references.”
I simply reviewed all of the material from my complete certification course. I watched the free online materials again, watched the discs that came with my course packet, and looked through the material I received at the course itself. That’s it. Thanks to Klose training, I felt well prepared and I rocked the exam! :)”
I reviewed my course notes and re-watched all the online Klose lectures. I then studied the full prep outline prepared by LANA from their website. I ordered most of the books recommended there as well. There were a couple items on the LANA outline I had difficulty finding answers to so I emailed you all and Guenter provided excellent additional resources for me, far beyond what I expected him to do:) Thank you all for your help in my success!”
I will gladly tell you how I studied, because I read an email you sent out with recommendations from other clinicians and it really helped. About 90% of my studying was just watching the Klose videos. I really focused on Anatomy, Physiology, and physician’s lectures. If there was something in the videos that I wanted a little more detail or clarity (i.e. a certain disorder/condition) I would look it up in the Földi Textbook. I was somewhat surprised on how many questions were on disorders and cancers, so I recommend really watching the MD lecture and looking up more detail about each of the disorders discussed. FYI…..The new anatomy videos are fantastic!!”
I over prepared for the exam. I reviewed my Klose notes, and the videos, as well as read the entire Foeldi text book. My co-worker just looked at her notes and the videos – she passed as well.”
I mostly just reviewed all the lectures and videos from your course. I looked at the Foeldi Textbook some, but found the course materials to be more helpful. I did feel that the wording on the test was quite different than how we learned things, but I was able to figure most of them out through reasoning. I felt very prepared after studying the material, but felt that the test material had a different focus (even compared to their outline given on the LANA website).”
I went over the online stuff from Klose and it must have helped because I did really well with the anatomy and physiology but what really helped was having my colleague go through the Table of Contents of my Foeldi Textbook of Lymphology and tell me which chapters I really needed to know (she took the test right before me). So, what I focused on was the integumentary system and the pathophysiology – the diseases…………. I am very glad I don’t ever have to take the test again.”
I studied using my original certification course manual and the online access to the lectures through Klose. I only studied Klose materials. The online quizzes helped a lot. There were a lot of questions on cardiac based edema, primary lymphedema, anatomy and physiology of the venous and lymphatic systems, and malignancy related lymphedema. There were few questions on MLD and compression garments/bandaging. There were a couple about the genetic based disorders.”
To prepare for the LANA exam I took advantage of the online review offered by Klose training. I paid specific attention to the physician lectures. The exam seemed to have an emphasis on diagnostics, for which I did not feel prepared. I also did some textbook review of physiology as I felt that was a weak area for me.”
My primary (and only) review was the on line course materials that Klose gave me access to and reading through materials from when I took the class in 2009. I do have many of the books from the suggested reading list but the books contained far too much information to differentiate what was good testable information and what was not – so I ignored them. I did just finish a PTA program from which I remembered things like ankle-brachial index (ABI) and other facts about sequential and other decompression devices. But 95% of prep was the Klose course.”
All I did to prepare for the LANA exam was to review the online videos and manual from the Klose course. Having access to those videos was extremely helpful. Thank you.”
I reviewed my Klose Training class manual and notes and the anatomy and physiology online lectures. These were very helpful. I also studied Joachim Zuther’s book Lymphedema Management. Another therapist in our clinic certified through Academy of Lymphatic Studies and had the book. The test was more difficult than I thought. It really concentrated on the physiology of the lymph system and comorbidities including fungal and bacterial infections. All in all glad it’s over!”
For the exam I studied my Klose training manual and used the exam outline provided by LANA to study whatever was not present in the Klose Manual. The exam really did follow the course outline provided by LANA , so it’s good to pay attention to it. My instructor, Linda Roherty, said she approached it the same way too when she took hers.”
To study I went over all the notes from class, re-watched the videos and took the quizzes. I also bought a book from the reading list they gave you and did some reading from that. I discovered from the test that different authors/practitioners emphasize different things so it was good for me to have some different materials. I thought the test was fairly challenging so I was glad that good class notes and the videos.”
I went through all the Klose Training presentations again and read/scanned over areas of the “Lymphedema Diagnosis and Therapy 4th ed.” book. To be honest, I took the test about 6 weeks ago and don’t remember too many specifics about the questions. I do remember that I wished I’d known even more medical terms for basic descriptors (i.e. rubor instead of redness was used very often). Even though I work in a hospital, there were quite a few medical terms I didn’t know. I also remember there were many questions about angiosarcoma, signs and symptoms, etc. Thank you all for such a great course; overall, I felt well prepared.”
I studied the lectures and Klose’s binder – mostly the physicians lectures and Gunther’s lectures about anatomy and physiology. The new anatomy handout is excellent! I also studied the anatomy chapter in the Foeldi book and the Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, and assessments/test chapters in the “green” book (by Weissleder). In addition, I looked up things that I wanted to understand better like Lipedema in the reference books. There were a lot of questions about anatomy and physiology, several about Lipedema, several about the disorders with primary Lymphedema (probably a good idea to look them up and know a little more than the Dr. Francis presentation). You also have to know about CVI, arterial issues, as they relate to Lymphedema, ABI, fungal infection. There were several hard questions but also many questions that were very reasonable and can easily be answered with just the info in the Klose material. I might have over-studied as I thought the test was pretty fair and passable.” (Note: Dr. Francis’ lecture was updated in 8/2016 to include these points)
I went through all of the online lectures while sitting down with my binder from the course as well as my notes from the course. All of January until the test I watched the online lectures a ton! While I was getting ready in the morning, while I was working out, while I was eating, etc. I took the practice tests again. I checked the outline from the LANA website to make sure I was studying the correct information. I made flash cards and also used an online flashcard program called Quizlet specifically about Lymphedema. I also used the book Lymphedema Diagnosis and Therapy that Guenter recommended during the course. I still use it as a reference book, and I’m happy I have it.”
I used the Klose on line study as my framework. I thought it covered information well, especially the new presentations. I used the ‘green book’ to get more information on the dysplasias/primary lymphedema and tumors. I referenced the Foldi Textbook for some anatomy/physiology. I found an older addition of Zuther’s lymphedema text book (at a salvation army thrift store) and referenced that on some drainage pathways. I haven’t taken computer based tests in ages so the multiple choice questions were great for practice. It sounds like each test is different. For the version I got, I felt fairly prepared. Some of the test questions were challenging, because they were odd, or oddly phrased. I can’t give specifics. I should have studied skin care a bit more, reviewed glossary/definitions more.”
The thing I studied the most were the online quizzes. That helped me identify areas that I needed to refresh on. I think I went over those quizzes over and over and over. That really helped for me. It’s been a while since I took the exam (January) but I remember having wished I looked at the physiology a bit more as well as some of the differential diagnoses, especially those related to primary lymphedema. I found that the physiology quizzes were worded much differently than I was used to on the Klose quizzes but I guess that’s how they test to make sure you know your stuff!
