(ABEM) American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine

[Disciple]

For those who will be taking the exam year this or have taken it in the past, any studying tips, methods, advice?


Thanks

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[drusso]

Can someone explain to me the *PROCESS* of becoming ABEM certified if you're a recent physiatry graduate without a NMM/EMG fellowship? I seem to remember that there were some recent changes...

 

[practicingneuro]

Hai I Am Taking Abem Board Exam This Year.
When Are You Taking It?
Please Reply.
-practicingneuro

 

[GQPMR]

Can someone explain to me the *PROCESS* of becoming ABEM certified if you're a recent physiatry graduate without a NMM/EMG fellowship? I seem to remember that there were some recent changes...

I believe you have to be board certified in your primary specialty (either PM&R or Neurology) and must show that during or after your residency you did 6 months of EMG training in which you completed at least 200 EMGs (which is where I believe the whole 200 EMGs during residency came from). Now if you did the training after residency, the 6 months must be in an institution with an ACGME approved Neurology or PM&R residency program (either at that institution or parent-sponsored institution) and again you have to demonstrate having completed 200 EMGs.

The last piece of the pie before you can sit for the board exam is that you have to complete 1 year of independent experience (either in fellowship or practice) where you completed an additional 200 EMGs.

I think this basically means that for new residency grads (who have done 6 months of EMGs during residency) we have to wait at least 1 whole year after graduation since we have to complete Parts 1 and 2 of the ABPMR boards before we can apply for this ABEM exam. Also during that independent year we would have to be doing at least 200 EMGs to even qualify. I think a bigger issue may be that some residencies don't do 6 months of EMG training which would then mean you would have to do the remaining months during post-residency training and then do the one year independent experience which further delays ability to be board certified in electrodiagnostic medicine.

I hope I got it right, if anyone know something else please chime in.

 

[Disciple]

I believe you have to be board certified in your primary specialty (either PM&R or Neurology) and must show that during or after your residency you did 6 months of EMG training in which you completed at least 200 EMGs (which is where I believe the whole 200 EMGs during residency came from). Now if you did the training after residency, the 6 months must be in an institution with an ACGME approved Neurology or PM&R residency program (either at that institution or parent-sponsored institution) and again you have to demonstrate having completed 200 EMGs.

The last piece of the pie before you can sit for the board exam is that you have to complete 1 year of independent experience (either in fellowship or practice) where you completed an additional 200 EMGs.

I think this basically means that for new residency grads (who have done 6 months of EMGs during residency) we have to wait at least 1 whole year after graduation since we have to complete Parts 1 and 2 of the ABPMR boards before we can apply for this ABEM exam. Also during that independent year we would have to be doing at least 200 EMGs to even qualify. I think a bigger issue may be that some residencies don't do 6 months of EMG training which would then mean you would have to do the remaining months during post-residency training and then do the one year independent experience which further delays ability to be board certified in electrodiagnostic medicine.

I hope I got it right, if anyone know something else please chime in.

That is correct, which is why it's important for residents in programs with less than 6 months of EMG to get their programs changed.

I can't remember, but I'm not positive you have to be board certified when you apply.

 

[GQPMR]

That is correct, which is why it's important for residents in programs with less than 6 months of EMG to get their programs changed.

I can't remember, but I'm not positive you have to be board certified when you apply.

From what I know and gathered from the ABEM website it states:

A candidate must be a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or Canadian equivalent.

By Diplomate, I am assuming board certified in your primary specialty. If this can mean other things (ie. board eligible, etc) I have no idea.

 

[njdevil]

There is no change I believe.

The ABEM is what it has always been a non-ACGME board.

There is now an ACGME subspecialty board in neuromuscular medicine which will require a fellowship just like SCI, Pain, Peds, Sports, & Hospice and Palliative medicine.

 

[Disciple]

The ABEM is what it has always been a non-ACGME board.

There is now an ACGME subspecialty board in neuromuscular medicine which will require a fellowship just like SCI, Pain, Peds, Sports, & Hospice and Palliative medicine.

The Neuromuscular certification wasn't designed to be an ABMS "EMG" certification. It was designed for docs who want to run Neuromuscular clinics.

Neurologists have always had their own "Neurophys" CAQ that they can obtain after EMG/EEG fellowships, but most get certified by the ABEM anyway, because it is linked to the major academic society for electrodiagnostics.

 

[GQPMR]

There are two ways until 2012 to become ACGME board certified in neuromuscular medicine:

Straight off the website from ABPMR:

Under temporary criteria, a practice track will be available for the first five years the examination is offered to ABPMR diplomates (2008-2012). Beginning with the 2013 examination, all applicants will be required to complete one full year of training in neuromuscular medicine in an ACGME-accredited program.

1. Satisfactory completion of 12 months in an ACGME-accredited fellowship. At least six months must be spent in clinical care of patients with neuromuscular disorders. The remaining six months of the fellowship will be flexible and may be spent studying related fields such as medical genetics, muscle pathology, electrodiagnostic medicine, or research. Physiatrists interested in this subspecialty may satisfy the requirements with six months' training in clinical neuromuscular medicine and six months in an EMG lab. The training program must occur after completing residency and must be completed by the August 31 that precedes the examination date.

OR

2. Under temporary criteria (available though the 2012 examination), ABPMR diplomates who consider themselves neuromuscular medicine specialists by virtue of time and effort may take the subspecialty examination by meeting the following criteria: Diplomates must have a minimum of 25% of professional time devoted to neuromuscular medicine for a minimum of two years, or one year of non–ACGME–approved fellowship training in Neuromuscular Medicine.

As of right now, there are very few if any ACGME PM&R neuromuscular medicine fellowships. I believe all of them are under Neurology. Maybe in the near future this may change. Same goes with the new Hospice/Palliative Medicine subspecialty, all ACGME fellowships are mostly under internal medicine.

 

[GQPMR]

Here are the new ACGME requirements for Hospice and Palliative Medicine designation:

For the first five years, and the first three examinations (2008, 2010, 2012), that the examination is offered to ABPMR diplomates, temporary criteria will allow diplomates to apply for the examination via practice, current certification by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, or by fellowship training conducted with a program affiliated with an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program.

After the 2012 examination, all applicants will be required to complete one full year of ACGME-accredited training in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Most fellowships are run through the department of Internal Medicine

The current three methods include:

Satisfactory completion of 12 months in an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine

OR

ABPMR Diplomates who have not had formal training in a Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship may be admitted to the examination if they demonstrate at least 800 hours of clinical involvement during the last five years of subspecialty level practice of hospice and palliative medicine.

OR

Prior certification by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and evidence of clinical activity in hospice and palliative medicine in the two years preceding the application.

 

[aanem]

For information related to the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine you can visit their website at www.abemexam.org. Under the examination overview you will also find a list of study resources.

 

[Briman024]

For those who will be taking the exam year this or have taken it in the past, any studying tips, methods, advice?


Thanks

To anyone who has completed the AANEM boards: how similar were the SAE questions to the actual test questions?

 

[Briman024]

I believe you have to be board certified in your primary specialty (either PM&R or Neurology) and must show that during or after your residency you did 6 months of EMG training in which you completed at least 200 EMGs (which is where I believe the whole 200 EMGs during residency came from). Now if you did the training after residency, the 6 months must be in an institution with an ACGME approved Neurology or PM&R residency program (either at that institution or parent-sponsored institution) and again you have to demonstrate having completed 200 EMGs.

The last piece of the pie before you can sit for the board exam is that you have to complete 1 year of independent experience (either in fellowship or practice) where you completed an additional 200 EMGs.

I think this basically means that for new residency grads (who have done 6 months of EMGs during residency) we have to wait at least 1 whole year after graduation since we have to complete Parts 1 and 2 of the ABPMR boards before we can apply for this ABEM exam. Also during that independent year we would have to be doing at least 200 EMGs to even qualify. I think a bigger issue may be that some residencies don't do 6 months of EMG training which would then mean you would have to do the remaining months during post-residency training and then do the one year independent experience which further delays ability to be board certified in electrodiagnostic medicine.

I hope I got it right, if anyone know something else please chime in.

To anyone who has completed the AANEM boards: how similar were the SAE questions to the actual test questions?