ABFAS Fiasco 2021

[West81]

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I understand this topic was briefly discussed in the ABPM thread, but did anyone else take the ABFAS exam this year without the pictures, and was told to wait on standby until they figure out what to do with your exam? I was told maybe November we can retake it or they might try to score it without the picture questions lol. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything?

 

[CutsWithFury]

I understand this topic was briefly discussed in the ABPM thread, but did anyone else take the ABFAS exam this year without the pictures, and was told to wait on standby until they figure out what to do with your exam? I was told maybe November we can retake it or they might try to score it without the picture questions lol. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything?

This is going to screw so many people over it's not even funny.

 

[Tony34]

I was told the same thing, I called Monday and they said an e-mail would be sent out shortly, but absolutely nothing. This is ridiculous. I have been told the same thing. They might try to score our exams with no picture and have us re-take it sometime in November. I have never heard of something like this happening.

 

[NobodyDPM]

I was told the same thing, I called Monday and they said an e-mail would be sent out shortly, but absolutely nothing. This is ridiculous. I have been told the same thing. They might try to score our exams with no picture and have us re-take it sometime in November. I have never heard of something like this happening.

First let me say that I feel for all of you. That really sucks for everyone involved. I hope they resolve this issue quickly and that it never happens again. We should strive, as a profession, to improve these issues such that they are a non-issue.

That being said, this happens in other specialties as well. Board exams are a mess in many medical specialties. With the technology involved, there is no reason for it at all. Sadly, many older doctors are as bad at officiating these exams, as they at running their practices.

 

[DYK343]

Sadly, many older doctors are as bad at officiating these exams, as they at running their practices.

Same with politics.

Lets get some young blood in there.

 

[nikkisorous]

Interesting. I was contacted within 24 hours and took my retake 2 days after the original. Weird you weren’t given further instructions?

 

[Pod267]

Interesting. I was contacted within 24 hours and took my retake 2 days after the original. Weird you weren’t given further instructions?

Really? It seems everyone is getting different responses/answers from ABFAS. I was told that they couldn't give me an exact time frame of when the scores will be released and the retakes will take place...

 

[Boba Foot]

Interesting. I was contacted within 24 hours and took my retake 2 days after the original. Weird you weren’t given further instructions?

I also took the rescheduled exam this past Thursday after initially not being allowed to take the exam. By the time I was scheduled to take the exam, they realized it was compromised and instructed the testing centers to not allow people to sit for it.

 

[CutsWithFury]

This sounds like a complete $hit $how

 

[Feli]

...With the technology involved, there is no reason for it at all. Sadly, many older doctors are as bad at officiating these exams, as they at running their practices.

It is a pretty thankless job. My program director was ABFAS president while I was in training (and a lot of other CPME, ABFAS, etc jobs before and after that). He encouraged our program's alumni to participate in test construction, test eval, be oral boards examiners (when that was a thing), PRR/PSL input, hospital site visits to eval residencies and try to flag ones that didn't have enough surgery or lacked off service rotations or were taking way too many residents, and even to help do interviews/cases for teaching or screening our residency applicants, etc etc. All are pretty thankless and low-paying - or volunteer - work but very important at the same time.

Some alumni did, some didn't. I never did (except residency case/interview ideas and clerk evals), but I would still like to do the site visits or ABFAS exam stuff at some point ("if I have time"). I have some buddies who are dentists or IM or etc that enjoy doing it for a few days per year. It is a no-win job since people will complain about any exam regardless of how good it is, but it is still important that we try to make it as smooth and fair and polished as possible.

I think the main problem is that most of the best people for it (well-trained young DPMs) don't really want to get paid $500 per day (or whatever it is now) plus travel for the site visits. For the ABFAS, you have to be board cert to work on it, so most people are busy and basically done being academic by that point of being years out into practice. If you work in a MSG or busy pod/ortho group or whatever, you lose much more in productivity bonus over those missed days... and that doesn't help shrink the student loans. If you work for a hospital or VA/IHS, you are probably more salary but still lose some of your limited vacation days. I think that limits it to mostly academic setting docs, and even most of those are busy also. I suppose we could raise the costs of the boards to pay the test design/testers better and draw more interest, but again, everyone already complains about the exam cost also. 😝

 

[dtrack22]

I suppose we could raise the costs of the boards to pay the test design/testers better and draw more interest, but again, everyone already complains about the exam cost also.

Ortho has examiners and an in person case review/audit for the same amount of $. ABFAS could find people without increasing the cost of the test.

 

[West81]

Interesting. I was contacted within 24 hours and took my retake 2 days after the original. Weird you weren’t given further instructions?

People who finished the exam were not allowed to retake it within those 3 days. They are somehow “grading” our exams with no pictures and giving us our grades within the next week. Then if we fail the exam without pictures we can retake it sometime in Nov. lol what a joke.

 

[NobodyDPM]

It is a pretty thankless job. My program director was ABFAS president while I was in training (and a lot of other CPME, ABFAS, etc jobs before and after that). He encouraged our program's alumni to participate in test construction, test eval, be oral boards examiners (when that was a thing), PRR/PSL input, hospital site visits to eval residencies and try to flag ones that didn't have enough surgery or lacked off service rotations or were taking way too many residents, and even to help do interviews/cases for teaching or screening our residency applicants, etc etc. All are pretty thankless and low-paying - or volunteer - work but very important at the same time.

Some alumni did, some didn't. I never did (except residency case/interview ideas and clerk evals), but I would still like to do the site visits or ABFAS exam stuff at some point ("if I have time"). I have some buddies who are dentists or IM or etc that enjoy doing it for a few days per year. It is a no-win job since people will complain about any exam regardless of how good it is, but it is still important that we try to make it as smooth and fair and polished as possible.

I think the main problem is that most of the best people for it (well-trained young DPMs) don't really want to get paid $500 per day (or whatever it is now) plus travel for the site visits. For the ABFAS, you have to be board cert to work on it, so most people are busy and basically done being academic by that point of being years out into practice. If you work in a MSG or busy pod/ortho group or whatever, you lose much more in productivity bonus over those missed days... and that doesn't help shrink the student loans. If you work for a hospital or VA/IHS, you are probably more salary but still lose some of your limited vacation days. I think that limits it to mostly academic setting docs, and even most of those are busy also. I suppose we could raise the costs of the boards to pay the test design/testers better and draw more interest, but again, everyone already complains about the exam cost also. 😝

Oh, I tried to get involved. It's all politics. It's not what you know, it's who you know. And sometimes the "who you know" people are A-holes and don't want to share unless they trained you.

 

[Feli]

Oh, I tried to get involved. It's all politics. It's not what you know, it's who you know. And sometimes the "who you know" people are A-holes and don't want to share unless they trained you.

I'm not sure that is accurate. Anyone who is ABFAS cert can volunteer on the committees I referenced. There are people from nearly all states and alumni from all kinds of residencies:

ABFAS committees

As to being president, officer, etc... maybe ABFAS is political. I'm sure nobody just jumps to VP or prez. It probably is somewhat political at higher levels just like ACFAS or APMA or ABPM or any organization or hospital or group - podiatry or in general. But just to be involved with ABFAS? Anyone who is BC and wants to spend the time can respond to the volunteering emails or ask to participate. It is the same with most ACFAS committees.

 

[NobodyDPM]

I'm not sure that is accurate. Anyone who is ABFAS cert can volunteer on the committees I referenced. There are people from nearly all states and alumni from all kinds of residencies:

ABFAS committees

As to being president, officer, etc... maybe ABFAS is political. I'm sure nobody just jumps to VP or prez. It probably is somewhat political at higher levels just like ACFAS or APMA or ABPM or any organization or hospital or group - podiatry or in general. But just to be involved with ABFAS? Anyone who is BC and wants to spend the time can respond to the volunteering emails or ask to participate. It is the same with most ACFAS committees.

Interesting. Perhaps things have changed since I was actively trying to get involved. Thanks.