ABIM verse AOBIM

[redthunder]

Hey Everyone!

I would like to request your insight regarding the choice between the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine (AOBIM). I am curious to know if there are any notable disparities between these two certification programs in terms of the Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements, the nature of CMEs, or the frequency of board examinations.

Additionally, I would appreciate any clarifications on whether osteopathic CME is obligatory for ABOIM, or if any form of CME would suffice.

Thank you!

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[JustPass]

IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
JUST DO ABIM.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

As a DO, I can tell you ABOIM = garbage.

Don’t limit your future prospects by getting boarded in a way that employers may not recognize. ABIM is still (unfortunately) the gold standard (shysters as they are), and it’s the certification you will be expected to have for most decent jobs.

 

[Siggy]

The biggest issue with ABOIM is that they require AOA-1A credits, so you have to go to AOA CME conferences. The state I'm in has a separate DO board of medicine, so I have to have a little more AOA-1A credits anyways, but it's annoying since SCCM only doles out AMA CMEs.

 

[SadimirPutin]

ABIM has a ton of fees for the board exams and for "maintenance of certification", you pay them a fee of $200+ per year to keep your online profile current... it's very similar to paying the mob for "protection" and is a total racket. Organizations like this highlight how crooked the US can be.

 

[redthunder]

The biggest issue with ABOIM is that they require AOA-1A credits, so you have to go to AOA CME conferences. The state I'm in has a separate DO board of medicine, so I have to have a little more AOA-1A credits anyways, but it's annoying since SCCM only doles out AMA CMEs.

Thank you! This is great to know.

 

[Splenda88]

I am not a DO, but I can make the assumption that both of them are garbage.

I got boarded in August 2021 and just paid ABIM $220 and I don't know why.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

I am not a DO, but I can make the assumption that both of them are garbage.

I got boarded in August 2021 and just paid ABIM $220 and I don't know why.

The other day, I got a scary sounding ABIM email message that my board certification was suddenly listed as “inactive”. Uh, what? The email informed me that since I apparently had forgotten to pay that $220 fee for two years, I was going to be listed as “inactive” until I made my payment to the ABIM racket. Silly me.

That said, while all board cert schemes are “garbage”, ABOIM is “more garbage” in that their certification isn’t even taken seriously by some health systems and private practices…furthermore, their CME stuff often has to be done through AOA credits, of which in my specialty (rheumatology) there’s barely any available to do each year. If you’re going to have to give money to one of these rackety institutions, at least give it to the one that will get your foot in the door wherever you want to work, and whose CME is less of a pain in the ass (ABIM).

 

[Prehealth1011]

Does aobim also make you pay a yearly fee?

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

The other day, I got a scary sounding ABIM email message that my board certification was suddenly listed as “inactive”. Uh, what? The email informed me that since I apparently had forgotten to pay that $220 fee for two years, I was going to be listed as “inactive” until I made my payment to the ABIM racket. Silly me.

That said, while all board cert schemes are “garbage”, ABOIM is “more garbage” in that their certification isn’t even taken seriously by some health systems and private practices…furthermore, their CME stuff often has to be done through AOA credits, of which in my specialty (rheumatology) there’s barely any available to do each year. If you’re going to have to give money to one of these rackety institutions, at least give it to the one that will get your foot in the door wherever you want to work, and whose CME is less of a pain in the ass (ABIM).

I've never encountered a health system or private practice that will deny anyone with AOBIM. Would you care to expand where?

 

[InternistDO]

I've never encountered a health system or private practice that will deny anyone with AOBIM. Would you care to expand where?

My job requires ABIM, academic system in NYC. Admittedly a notoriously snooty area of the country, but it's written into my contract.

 

[DrRedstone]

If you have any intentions of becoming a PD, you need ABIM as ACGME will not recognize ABOIM for that position.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

My job requires ABIM, academic system in NYC. Admittedly a notoriously snooty area of the country, but it's written into my contract.

Did you inquire as to taking AOBIM or did you just sign the document because you already have ABIM and didn't care?

 

[InternistDO]

Did you inquire as to taking AOBIM or did you just sign the document because you already have ABIM and didn't care?

The second one, since I was always planning on taking ABIM. I may ask them now out of curiosity, though I’m sticking with ABIM regardless.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

If you have any intentions of becoming a PD, you need ABIM as ACGME will not recognize ABOIM for that position.

There was a lawsuit about it. I just saw that they compromised for only 2 years, so yes, it seems that being PD requires ABIM

 

[Fecal_Occult]

Just study and do ABIM. There's no good reason why anyone should take the AOBIM. Generally, the people I see opting for this option are OMM fanatics or people who's medicine is extremely weak and they need an easy pass.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

ABIM has a relatively high first time pass rate. So you should try to pass it. ~88-91$
That being said I went to a state with a lot of DOs that practice for residency. I had plenty of doctors who were ABOIM certified and in subspecialties like critical care.

I think it might matter or affect employment in high demand areas or if you want to be in academia.

That being said I at least am thinking about ABOIM for Endo boards rn. The last two years the pass rate has been 74% for ABIM specialty board. I think any exam which fails 25% of their first time takers is being written by idiots.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Just study and do ABIM. There's no good reason why anyone should take the AOBIM. Generally, the people I see opting for this option are OMM fanatics or people who's medicine is extremely weak and they need an easy pass.

At least in my case it wasn't the easy pass, but that it was 1200+ and yearly $200 for ABIM compared to $800 for AOBIM. I ended up doing both because i went to fellowship. The more we all do ABIM, the more they'll abuse. We need to foster competition

 

[Prehealth1011]

At least in my case it wasn't the easy pass, but that it was 1200+ and yearly $200 for ABIM compared to $800 for AOBIM. I ended up doing both because i went to fellowship. The more we all do ABIM, the more they'll abuse. We need to foster competition

Are there no yearly dues for AOBIM?

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Are there no yearly dues for AOBIM?

You need to do recetification modules which is $250/yr but no 10 year exam

 

[InternistDO]

You need to do recetification modules which is $250/yr but no 10 year exam

ABIM does yearly MOC now too instead of 10 year exam if you want, though I don't know the costs.

 

[rokshana]

ABIM does yearly MOC now too instead of 10 year exam if you want, though I don't know the costs.

MOC doesn’t take the place it the 10 year exam…LKA does… questions every quarter for at least 5 years.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

ABIM does yearly MOC now too instead of 10 year exam if you want, though I don't know the costs.

But you still need to pay all the other fees, right?

Also, they removed the requirement of needing to be part of the AOA to maintain board accreditation

 

[InternistDO]

But you still need to pay all the other fees, right?

Also, they removed the requirement of needing to be part of the AOA to maintain board accreditation

It's $220 a year, for all eternity. If you choose to take the exam every ten years instead of the quarterly question situation (Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment) that they're doing now then you have to pay a $700 exam fee every 10 years.

I think it's $1,400 for the initial test. It's all in some sense a racket, but I don't really see what AOBIM gives me other than a cheaper initial exam and more expensive recertification which is probably a wash over the course of a 20-30 year career.

To be perfectly honest, this is less about me caring about the nuances of the board and more about dealing with the NBOME, the AOA, and my DO school (and it's OMM department). I just never ever want to deal with anything vaguely resembling osteopathic medicine again for my career.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

It's $220 a year, for all eternity. If you choose to take the exam every ten years instead of the quarterly question situation (Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment) that they're doing now then you have to pay a $700 exam fee every 10 years.

I think it's $1,400 for the initial test. It's all in some sense a racket, but I don't really see what AOBIM gives me other than a cheaper initial exam and more expensive recertification which is probably a wash over the course of a 20-30 year career.

To be perfectly honest, this is less about me caring about the nuances of the board and more about dealing with the NBOME, the AOA, and my DO school (and it's OMM department). I just never ever want to deal with anything vaguely resembling osteopathic medicine again for my career.

I didn't have the best time with my OMM department, but part of it was my own fault for choosing a DO school. Some people in administration sucked but some were great. Overall, I would say I'm grateful to Osteopathic Medicine for giving me a shot and a career. I also like the idea of supporting the little guy so there's some semblance of competition out there. To each their own, I suppose

 

[jay1234]

My job requires ABIM, academic system in NYC. Admittedly a notoriously snooty area of the country, but it's written into my contract.

This is wrong. By law, no hospital system can refuse AOA board certification. A contract would be amended if a candidate had AOA board cert. it’s literally in New York State law and federal law that both are equal and a hospital system could get sued if this were actually to occur.

 

[jay1234]

The second one, since I was always planning on taking ABIM. I may ask them now out of curiosity, though I’m sticking with ABIM regardless.

This is incredibly wrong too. The acgme recognizes both aobim and abim. Acgme accredits residency programs and has no bearing on board certification. The lawsuit exists because the abim said aobim board certified PDs could not sign off on residents wanting to take the ABIM test. So unless a program had all DOs which intended to take AOBIM, this would be problematic for board certification for those residents. The acgme has nothing to do with that. Almost every other speciality has aoa boarded PDs in program director positions with their residents taking ABMS boards. The amount of misinformation about the AOA on this forum is ridiculous lol.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

This is wrong. By law, no hospital system can refuse AOA board certification. A contract would be amended if a candidate had AOA board cert. it’s literally in New York State law and federal law that both are equal and a hospital system could get sued if this were actually to occur.

Not that I doubt you, but could you cite this? Just curious to see how its worded.

 

[dgdg]

If there's confusion about a contentious matter (corp vs corp), there's usually a reason for that...
Fortunately, posters here can help give the straight scoop after sorting out some obfuscated details.