Board Eligibility Question

[Ruination]

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Sorry if this has been addressed before-- I did a search and couldn't find any info.

I am currently a PGY-4 AP/CP resident who has completed 1 year of CP, 2 years of AP, and am currently in a non-boarded fellowship. I have 1 year of CP remaining in my residency. I am currently registered for the AP component of the boards.

In a nutshell, can I actually split these tests (AP this year, CP next year) without adding additional training time? I was looking over the ABP website tonight and it sounds like if I go through with this I will need an additional 12 months of training to complete CP, which would be 6 years of training in total.

Has anyone done this? And if so, how recently? I emailed the ABP to clarify and am awaiting a response.

thanks

 

[pathstudent]

If you plan on winning the boards, got Adonis dna and tiger blood, just do whatever you want. stop pretending you are not special.

Sorry if this has been addressed before-- I did a search and couldn't find any info.

I am currently a PGY-4 AP/CP resident who has completed 1 year of CP, 2 years of AP, and am currently in a non-boarded fellowship. I have 1 year of CP remaining in my residency. I am currently registered for the AP component of the boards.

In a nutshell, can I actually split these tests (AP this year, CP next year) without adding additional training time? I was looking over the ABP website tonight and it sounds like if I go through with this I will need an additional 12 months of training to complete CP, which would be 6 years of training in total.

Has anyone done this? And if so, how recently? I emailed the ABP to clarify and am awaiting a response.

thanks

 

[icpshootyz]

Sorry if this has been addressed before-- I did a search and couldn't find any info.

I am currently a PGY-4 AP/CP resident who has completed 1 year of CP, 2 years of AP, and am currently in a non-boarded fellowship. I have 1 year of CP remaining in my residency. I am currently registered for the AP component of the boards.

In a nutshell, can I actually split these tests (AP this year, CP next year) without adding additional training time? I was looking over the ABP website tonight and it sounds like if I go through with this I will need an additional 12 months of training to complete CP, which would be 6 years of training in total.

Has anyone done this? And if so, how recently? I emailed the ABP to clarify and am awaiting a response.

thanks

I think I got a little confused here . . . So are you planning on finishing the 4 years of your actual AP/CP residency? From what I understand you have done:

2 years AP
1 year CP
1 year fellowship (which one?)

Have you fulfilled the requirements to sit for either the AP or CP boards separately? It doesn't necessarily sound like you have, unless you are able to count the fellowship towards your AP training. But you certainly have not fulfilled requirements to sit for the CP portion of the boards from what I can tell. It sounds like you would definitely need one more year of training to do so.

My understanding of taking the AP and CP boards separately is that you must be fully eligible for each portion. I am a PGY4 graduating this year as well, AP/CP, but I only plan on taking the AP portion of the boards. I will likely never sit for the CP portion, and I know plenty of others who have done that. It depends on what you're looking for in a job down the road.

 

[Ruination]

I figured it would get a little confusing.

This is currently what the sequence of my training looks like:

pgy-1: CP.
pgy-2: AP.
pgy-3: AP.
pgy-4: AP-related fellowship (non-boarded).
pgy-5: CP (this will start in July 2012).

So far I have met requirements to take AP boards (my application has been approved by ABP). I am worried about affecting my CP board eligibility next year (2012) by taking AP boards this year (2011). The question is would they consider me a CP-only candidate next year, which means I would need a pgy-6 year to qualify (3 yrs for AP only, 3 years for CP only); or, do would they still consider me AP/CP candidate.

I have heard of people splitting the exam, so I really didn't give it much of a thought when I registered, but now I'm starting to have some doubts. I have contacted the ABP to clarify info or their website, but I haven't heard anything back.

 

[icpshootyz]

I figured it would get a little confusing.

This is currently what the sequence of my training looks like:

pgy-1: CP.
pgy-2: AP.
pgy-3: AP.
pgy-4: AP-related fellowship (non-boarded).
pgy-5: CP (this will start in July 2012).

So far I have met requirements to take AP boards (my application has been approved by ABP). I am worried about affecting my CP board eligibility next year (2012) by taking AP boards this year (2011). The question is would they consider me a CP-only candidate next year, which means I would need a pgy-6 year to qualify (3 yrs for AP only, 3 years for CP only); or, do would they still consider me AP/CP candidate.

I have heard of people splitting the exam, so I really didn't give it much of a thought when I registered, but now I'm starting to have some doubts. I have contacted the ABP to clarify info or their website, but I haven't heard anything back.

Ahhh, I think that makes more sense. From what I understand I believe you will be fine. As far as I can tell you can always split the AP and CP portions of the AP/CP exam, and my understanding is that you have 5 years from the time you have completed the prerequisites for each exam to sit for the exam:

III. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
A. General
1. Only pathology training obtained in the United States or Canada is acceptable toward
meeting the ABP requirements. Training programs must be accredited by the ACGME
(United States) or the RCPSC (Canada).
2. For candidates who completed training in 2008 or later, certification must be obtained with 5
years of the completion of training. Otherwise, additional training will be required. (See
IV.A.4 and IV.H. 3.)

If you don't mind me asking, why did you sign up to take the AP boards so far in advance of the CP boards? One downside is that your boards will now cost $3600 for both exams combined instead of $2200 if you took them together.

 

[randomlogik]

From the ABP FAQS:

I am an AP/CP resident. I will have completed the AP requirements by July 1. Can I take the AP
examination in June and then take the CP exam after my CP requirements are finished?
No. If you are an AP/CP candidate, you cannot sit for any portion of the examinations until your training in both
AP and CP is completed.

 

[Ruination]

From the ABP FAQS:

I am an AP/CP resident. I will have completed the AP requirements by July 1. Can I take the AP
examination in June and then take the CP exam after my CP requirements are finished?
No. If you are an AP/CP candidate, you cannot sit for any portion of the examinations until your training in both
AP and CP is completed.

Yeah, I saw that. But I am assuming that it is referring to a strict 4 year AP/CP resident who has either completed both years of AP or both years of CP and wants to sit for the one of the exams after 2 years of training. It doesn't specifically mention whether a 5th year of training (i.e. my fellowship year) changes this. I have seen a couple of people from our program split the exam, but that was after they had done 6 years of training (AP/CP and (2) non-boarded AP-related fellowships).

 

[KCShaw]

But that reply does specifically state you have to complete your requirements for both AP & CP before taking either one of them, if you are after combined AP/CP certification. (Otherwise my recollection is that you forfeit your training and have to start over in the one you didn't already take the exam for. My understanding is you can "split" the exam in that you don't have to take them both at once, and some people take one before fellowship and the other after fellowship, but even if you pass the first one you aren't considered certified in it until after you pass the second one -- IF you applied as combined AP/CP. Be careful that you don't apply and take the exam as AP only when you really want to also have CP.)

 

[pathstudent]

Yeah, I saw that. But I am assuming that it is referring to a strict 4 year AP/CP resident who has either completed both years of AP or both years of CP and wants to sit for the one of the exams after 2 years of training. It doesn't specifically mention whether a 5th year of training (i.e. my fellowship year) changes this. I have seen a couple of people from our program split the exam, but that was after they had done 6 years of training (AP/CP and (2) non-boarded AP-related fellowships).

I don't see why your fifth year would make you different. Let us know what they say. You should have finished your AP/CP first then went to the AP fellowship.

 

[cjw0918]

I did 3 years of combined AP/CP, then a cyto f/s, then a 4th AP/CP year, and now I am doing a surg path f/s. From what I remember, I was not eligible to take the exam as a combined AP/CP resident until I finished my 4th AP/CP year. It is correct that if you are applying as combined AP/CP, you don't get your certificate until both are done. Be careful, make sure you are not registered to take the exam as AP-only if you intend to come back and take the CP portion of the test separately. Good luck.

 

[Ruination]

Thanks for the replies, I'll let you know what they tell me.

 

[pathstudent]

Thanks for the replies, I'll let you know what they tell me.

Why don't you just wait until next year and take AP/CP combined. There you definitely good to go.

 

[gbwillner]

If you plan on winning the boards, got Adonis dna and tiger blood, just do whatever you want. stop pretending you are not special.

Taking the boards is for fools. You will be winning as long as you have one speed- one gear: Go!

 

[Autopsy Sweet]

From personal experience, and experience with fellow residents: if you declare yourself as AP/CP then you are not eligible to sit until both are completed (regardless of doing a non-boarded fellowship out of cycle). If you are AP only, then you will qualify by the end of your third year as it requires only 24 mo.s AP and 12 mo.s elective. If you decided to be AP only at this point, you could sit for the boards at the end of your 3rd year and revisit the CP after your fellowship and the first 12 mo.s of your training COULD qualify towards your CP training, thus not requiring you to do a 6th year. However, that is up to the board (ABP) to decide and you wouldn't know until you applied. I had a co-resident who started AP/CP, dropped CP, took AP boards, did AP fellowship, then decided she wanted to do CP and was allowed to complete her 5th year without doing a 6th, so it's possible....just not guaranteed. I would wait to take them both until you're eligible for both so you don't get stuck with an extra year.

 

[Ruination]

Found out I'm cool. Verified in email from ABP as well. Thanks for your responses.

3. Certification in Clinical Pathology
a. 36 months of full-time training in an accredited APCP program. Training must include at least 24 months of structured CP training. The remaining 12 months are flexible; and may include AP and/or CP. Training may include up to 6 months of research done during the pathology training program with the approval of the program director.
b. Candidates already certified in AP must have an additional 24 months of full-time training in CP including 18 months of structured training in CP. The remaining 6 months are flexible but must be in one or more areas of CP.