retake oral boards or wait for the new format?

[PikminOC]

Hypothetical situation: if a person fails the oral board this year, does it make more sense to take the new board after the oral board runs out? Or better to roll the dice again on the oral / subjective board exam?

Does anyone have any idea how people who were supposed to take the oral test can take the combined test?

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[twright]

Hypothetical situation: if a person fails the oral board this year, does it make more sense to take the new board after the oral board runs out? Or better to roll the dice again on the oral / subjective board exam?

Does anyone have any idea how people who were supposed to take the oral test can take the combined test?

I remember seeing this information posted somewhere, perhaps on the ABPN site. If you are in the cohort that is supposed to take the old two part format then you have 3 tries or a certain number of years since completing your residency. So I don't think you have the option of just waiting it out. If you don't qualify in time, I believe you have to go back to your residency program to obtain a special evaluation of your clinical competency and then you have to sit for the new boards format. Definitely double check my memory by going to the ABPN site.

FWIW I found the boarding time book to be extremely helpful, as well as the yellow APPI bookk (can't remember the title offhand).

 

[whopper]

Don't know the answer to this and that thought crossed my mind as well because I found the oral boards to be so full of it. I decided to just get it over with and take the oral boards, especially since I'd feel very insecure with my fellowship PD, that I look up to as if he's one of the best doctors in the country (actually he is) whose office is right next to mine, and not being board-certified.

I have heard from people that you could just wait for the oral boards to end, but then you'd have to have someone associated with a residency program do an equivalent of an oral board exam or something to the effect of that. None of this was official and I don't know if it was just chatter.

I'd ask ABPN. I've called them a few times about things such as getting my receipts for tax deductions and they were helpful. If you find the answer please inform us because I'm curious myself as to what this process is.

 

[alina_s]

I am fairly sure that the ABPN intentionally made it difficult to those of us who started residency before the exam change to get away without the oral boards and it isn't just a matter of waiting it out, because that would be far, far too tempting. I think whopper is right about finding someone from your program to do the exam for you, with all of the involved expenses and travel, and we were very strongly warned against trying to do this.

 

[whopper]

I am fairly sure that the ABPN intentionally made it difficult to those of us who started residency before the exam change to get away without the oral boards and it isn't just a matter of waiting it out, because that would be far, far too tempting

And part of me wonders how much of it is due to desire to profit. This exam makes someone a lot of money. Several hundred doctors having to pay about 1K for this a year, someone is making money.

In fact I'm wondering just why they let this exam format change since I'm sure the oral exam was a big money maker other than the fact that hardly anyone I knew actually thought it was well-done and it's been highly criticized, but hey, that didn't stop them for decades, why now? (Is the new format making people pay the same amount as before? That is the same price for the old oral and written exam?)

I mentioned this is another thread. I wouldn't have minded the oral exam continuing if they took steps to research it to make it more objective, valid, and reliable, and not place examinees in a situation where if they failed they wouldn't know why, and to find out would require them to pay more money and wait months to get a letter only to get some response that didn't really answer the question. I've had a few friends in that situation (and a guy on this forum posted what happened to him). They had to pay money, not get a response for a long time, and the response was for all intents and purposes worthless. I forgot how much money they charged for this but I do remember it being on the order of ridiculous given the response.

 

[nitemagi]

And part of me wonders how much of it is due to desire to profit. This exam makes someone a lot of money. Several hundred doctors having to pay about 1K for this a year, someone is making money.
.

Try 3k!!!

 

[benjee]

Now, ABPN announce new rule as follows:
The ABPN does not recognize or use the term “Board eligible” and does not issue statements concerning “Board eligibility.” The Board informs an applicant of admissibility to examination only when the applicant has an active, approved application on file in the Board office.
• Effective January 1, 2012, ABPN will require a physician to become Board certified within seven years following successful completion of ACGME-accredited or ABPN approved residency training in their primary specialty.
• Graduates can take the ABPN Certification Examination as many times as allowed during the 7-year period.
• Individuals who have completed an accredited residency program prior to January 1, 2012 will have until January 1, 2019 to become board certified.
• Individuals who do not become certified during the 7-year period (or before January 1, 2019 for those who completed residency training before January 1, 2012) will be required to (1) repeat the required clinical skills evaluations; and (2) complete one stage of MOC (90 CME credits, 24 self-assessment CME credits, and 1 PIP Unit which includes a clinical and feedback module) in order to be credentialed to take the ABPN Certification Examination.
According to the above, the 3 attempts ,6 years rules may expired.

 

[PikminOC]

Thanks benjee! I still am not sure how long they will keep the oral running.