ABIM Certification - Worth It?

[smartreader]

Hello, I am taking the ABIM in a few days and I have been thinking a lot about weather this exam is worth the effort.

My Info:
Canadian Med School Graduate
PGY4 GI fellow in a Canadian program
Aiming for a PGY6-7 fellowship after GI - I want to keep my options open for US programs.
Have completed all my USMLE steps
Goal: Stay and work in Canada, Maybe a the US if I can't find a job or someone makes me an offer I can't refuse - in which case I'll sit for the ABIM GI exam 🙂

I've been studying for the last few months and the effort I have put into preparing for this exam has definitely helped me become a much better resident then I would have been otherwise. However, I am wondering, given my above stated background and goals, if being ABIM board certified is worth the effort in my case?

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[jdh71]

Hello, I am taking the ABIM in a few days and I have been thinking a lot about weather this exam is worth the effort.

My Info:
Canadian Med School Graduate
PGY4 GI fellow in a Canadian program
Aiming for a PGY6-7 fellowship after GI - I want to keep my options open for US programs.
Have completed all my USMLE steps
Goal: Stay and work in Canada, Maybe a the US if I can't find a job or someone makes me an offer I can't refuse - in which case I'll sit for the ABIM GI exam 🙂

I've been studying for the last few months and the effort I have put into preparing for this exam has definitely helped me become a much better resident then I would have been otherwise. However, I am wondering, given my above stated background and goals, if being ABIM board certified is worth the effort in my case?

Yes.

You can't take GI boards until you've passed ABIM.

I suggest you keep studying.

 

[gutonc]

Yes.

You can't take GI boards until you've passed ABIM.

I suggest you keep studying.

This is correct, but I'm going to disagree with the essential point which is that you should continue studying your butt off and take the test right now.

If I read correctly, you (the OP, not jdh) are a Canuck, who graduated from a med school in Canuckistan, finished IM at a program in Canuckistan and are now a GI fellow in a Canuckistani program. You probably want to stay in America's Toupe to finish your training (although you may want to come to Canada's boxer shorts for a year or 3 of training) and then practice back up in there in the frozen north for time immemorial, or until you decide it's too cold and come south. Do I have it more or less correct?

If so, don't bother with ABIM until/unless you have to. While it's true that you can't sit for the ABIM GI boards unless you've already passed the ABIM board exam, if/when it becomes clear that this is something you want to do, you can just do it then.

And now, in conclusion, I'm going to contradict my initial statement, just to confuse the matter. At this point, if you cancel, you're only going to get ~$650 back from ABIM. So why not just take it, however prepared you are. If you pass it...WOOT!...and away you go. If you fail it...consider it a learning experience (albeit a somewhat costly one) and move on.

 

[smartreader]

Thanks for the input! Correct, I am a Canuckistani and I plan to stay in Canuckistan - but I am willing to temporarily move to the US for a some extra training. Jobs in Canada for GI are scarce and most community hospitals require extra fellowship training - so I figure I might as well train in something unique and bring some expertise back to Canada (i.e liver disease, or advanced therapeutics).

Hopefully the job market will swing in my favour when I graduate - if not, I may head down south for a few years.

Now pardon me while I return to my MKSAP and answer more questions on lymphangioleiomyomatosis.... :S

 

[Apollyon]

Hmph...Canadia.