Board Certificaiton

[corona 247]

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I am a little confused about certification. My understading is that when u are done with your residency you take Step 3. Do u have to take specialty specific boards after residency to become 'Board Certified'? Can u practice your specialty w/o being Board Certified. I have seen quite a number of job postings that say that the applicatnt must be wither Board Elible or Board Certified.

Can someone explain all this too me? Thanks!

 

[Mman]

I am a little confused about certification. My understading is that when u are done with your residency you take Step 3. Do u have to take specialty specific boards after residency to become 'Board Certified'? Can u practice your specialty w/o being Board Certified. I have seen quite a number of job postings that say that the applicatnt must be wither Board Elible or Board Certified.

Can someone explain all this too me? Thanks!

You can take Step 3 as an intern (I think after 6 months of training). And yes, you have to take the boards for your specialty to be "Board Certified". Step 3 is just part of the US Medical Licensing Exam for a license to practice. And I suppose you could practice without being board certified, but I'd be willing to bet your malpractice insurance would be considerably higher and employment opportunities would be less.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I am a little confused about certification. My understading is that when u are done with your residency you take Step 3. Do u have to take specialty specific boards after residency to become 'Board Certified'? Can u practice your specialty w/o being Board Certified. I have seen quite a number of job postings that say that the applicatnt must be wither Board Elible or Board Certified.

Can someone explain all this too me? Thanks!

The specialty boards are administered by the national associations of each discipline. Board-eligible means usually that you've completed residency and have completed step 3 and are fully-licensed, but haven't taken and passed the specialty test(s). Many specialty boards have oral exams as well as writtens. You can get a job & practice as board-eligible as you're going through this (painful & expensive) process.

 

[skypilot]

Nice way of saying "hasn't passed the Boards yet" but hoping too soon. 🙂

 

[Gr42]

The specialty boards are administered by the national associations of each discipline. Board-eligible means usually that you've completed residency and have completed step 3 and are fully-licensed, but haven't taken and passed the specialty test(s). Many specialty boards have oral exams as well as writtens. You can get a job & practice as board-eligible as you're going through this (painful & expensive) process.

How often do people fail this exams?????????? I guess it really depends on the field (surg,psych,med....) but I assume some people don't pass the first time. Is that a common thing???

 

[DrMom]

Nice way of saying "hasn't passed the Boards yet" but hoping too soon. 🙂

Keep in mind that some specialties require that you have a certain amount of time in practice after residency before you can take your boards.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

.... I assume some people don't pass the first time. Is that a common thing???

yep

 

[RexKD]

Is the recertification exam the same as the certification exam?

Or do you get an easier exam for recertification?

 

[Bobblehead]

Pass rates are usually posted on the respective specialty organizations' web pages. For internal medicine the 2004 pass rate was 92% for first time takers, 30% for repeat takers. That means you've got a pretty good shot the first time around if you study. Passing percentage was about 66% correct.

 

[docB]

You can get a job & practice as board-eligible as you're going through this (painful & expensive) process.

In emergency med people do this but they're not supposed to. ABEM specifically says that they don't recognize the term "board eligible." To them you're either boarded or not. But every job you see advertised is still looking for a BC/BE doc.

 

[doc05]

In emergency med people do this but they're not supposed to. ABEM specifically says that they don't recognize the term "board eligible." To them you're either boarded or not. But every job you see advertised is still looking for a BC/BE doc.

"not supposed to?" physicians in every specialty practice before passing their boards. As someone else said, you may need time in practice before you're allowed to take the specialty boards.

And no specialty board recognizes the term "board-eligible" It's just a term people use.

 

[Apollyon]

In emergency med people do this but they're not supposed to. ABEM specifically says that they don't recognize the term "board eligible." To them you're either boarded or not. But every job you see advertised is still looking for a BC/BE doc.

What I noticed yesterday in looking at the ads was that BC/BE was not mentioned once, but BC/BP (Board Prepared) was the nomenclature. This was in the Annals.

 

[docB]

"not supposed to?" physicians in every specialty practice before passing their boards. As someone else said, you may need time in practice before you're allowed to take the specialty boards.

And no specialty board recognizes the term "board-eligible" It's just a term people use.

I didn't mean you're not suppose to practice. I was talking about using the term board eligible.

 

[Winged Scapula]

What I noticed yesterday in looking at the ads was that BC/BE was not mentioned once, but BC/BP (Board Prepared) was the nomenclature. This was in the Annals.

What the heck does "Board Prepared" mean - BE with some studying under your belt?
😛

 

[docB]

What the heck does "Board Prepared" mean - BE with some studying under your belt?
😛

Good point! It probably means that you're BE and have saved up the necessary cash to pay for the damned things.

 

[Apollyon]

What the heck does "Board Prepared" mean - BE with some studying under your belt?
😛

It means the same thing - it's just nomenclature. Whereas yesterday, for example, you were eligible to take your boards, but hadn't yet, today, you are prepared to take your boards, but haven't yet.

 

[BenFelson]

Family practice started requiring recertification exams every few years. Surgery, Radiology etc. have switched and no longer allow for lifetime status. This makes doctors keep up with their education and stay current.

 

[Bo Hurley]

I've heard that the re-certification exam for most boards is a joke and more of a formality than anything else. It's open book and rarely does anybody fail unless they just don't take it seriously and put no effort into it.