Board Certification Percentage Doximity

[MoonCheese]

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How reliable are these numbers? Should I factor these percentages into how I rank my programs?

 

[Monocles]

I don't think board certification is important in ranking residencies (feel free to chime in if anyone disagrees) -- a lot of graduates from good programs don't take the boards because most places have such a high need for psychiatrists that they just want people who finish residency. Most jobs these days will say BC & BE (board eligible, which basically means you CAN take the board).

I'm personally NOT planning on getting board certified unless I run into some dream job that requires it or something.

 

[675015]

I don't think board certification is important in ranking residencies (feel free to chime in if anyone disagrees) -- a lot of graduates from good programs don't take the boards because most places have such a high need for psychiatrists that they just want people who finish residency. Most jobs these days will say BC & BE (board eligible, which basically means you CAN take the board).

I'm personally NOT planning on getting board certified unless I run into some dream job that requires it or something.

Any thoughts about job prospects in seven years when you are no longer board eligible?

 

[psychattending]

Comments:

1) Most non-academic jobs will increase the salary of a person once he/she becomes boarded.
2) Most academic jobs will more likely than not require a person to be boarded in order to stay employed. Teachers are supposed to be Boarded.
3) Programs are now being judged by ACGME on their board sit and pass rates. Thus, you will likely see fewer and fewer people not taking their boards.
4) While being boarded might not be a requirement for a job, if somebody has not taken it (and should have done so already), they will likely be perceived as a less strong candidate.
5) The better the job (or possibly more correctly the higher demand for a job), the more likely they are going to require a person to be boarded.
6) I'm not sure how Doximity gets their data and its accuracy.

To the original question: I don't think Board pass rates are a good indicator of the quality of a program. While I am sure that a better program probably raises an individual's chances of scoring better on the exam, there are two other reasons that are big determinants whether one passes or not: 1) Past hx of testing ability is a strong predictor of subsequent results and 2) more competitive programs (not the same as better programs) will likely have better test takers.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

The thing about board pass rates is that it only tells you how good a program's residents were at test-taking over the past few years.
It's not going to predict your likelihood of passing the board 4-5 years from now.

 

[FlowRate]

I don't think board certification is important in ranking residencies (feel free to chime in if anyone disagrees) -- a lot of graduates from good programs don't take the boards because most places have such a high need for psychiatrists that they just want people who finish residency. Most jobs these days will say BC & BE (board eligible, which basically means you CAN take the board).

I'm personally NOT planning on getting board certified unless I run into some dream job that requires it or something.

Are you planning to do cash private practice?

Supposedly even some insurance companies require you to be boarded.

I'm all for supporting alternative boards / fighting against the board monopolies, but there's a lot of pragmatic reasons to at least get your initial ABPN certification.

 

[wolfvgang22]

It's not like the board exam is super hard anyway. What's the pass rate, 96%? Just cram the Kenny and Spiegel review book for two weeks and you'll pass and can call yourself an ABPN Diplomate.

 

[Monocles]

Are you planning to do cash private practice?

Thinking about it in the future! Currently on track to FIRE (retire within 10 years of fellowship graduation), so likely will work BE locum tenens for the first 7 until I am no longer "BE" and then do cash only private practice for the last 3 years.

 

[splik]

Thinking about it in the future! Currently on track to FIRE (retire within 10 years of fellowship graduation), so likely will work BE locum tenens for the first 7 until I am no longer "BE" and then do cash only private practice for the last 3 years.

while I do think the whole board certification industry is a cash grab, it would be extremely financially imprudent to forgo getting your board certification. You will have more job opportunities that pay better if you do your initial boards. Now if you decide not to maintain your certification after that point, then that is a a separate matter altogether. it is also much easier to do your boards right out of residency. also, most jobs looking for someone board eligible, define BE not as being able to take the boards, but not having taken the boards yet (either fresh out of residency, or within 3 yrs out of residency) even though you technically remain BE for 7 yrs out of residency (at which point you can regain board eligibility by completing your 3 CSVs again).

 

[Monocles]

while I do think the whole board certification industry is a cash grab, it would be extremely financially imprudent to forgo getting your board certification. You will have more job opportunities that pay better if you do your initial boards. Now if you decide not to maintain your certification after that point, then that is a a separate matter altogether. it is also much easier to do your boards right out of residency. also, most jobs looking for someone board eligible, define BE not as being able to take the boards, but not having taken the boards yet (either fresh out of residency, or within 3 yrs out of residency) even though you technically remain BE for 7 yrs out of residency (at which point you can regain board eligibility by completing your 3 CSVs again).

Interesting to know, thanks!