Difficulty with credentialing

[Kryptodoc1938]

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Hello, so I’ve had a pretty rough time with board exams, maybe a combination of test anxiety and poor life balance skills.

I failed my IM boards three times but passed in 2019.

I took me five times to pass cardiology boards because I could not figure out day 2 and I think test anxiety plus inability to balance life and work. I actually had to leave my job because of the bylaws.

I’ve finally passed and now after all this, I went to credential for a locums job. They denied my credentialing due to the boards failures. Has anybody had this happen to them. They keep saying there is a cardiology shortage but nobody is giving me a chance. I’ve reached out to 20 places, only got 5 interviews. Is it because I’m in Illinois. If anybody has insight or suggestions on how to succeed, I need the help.

 

[throwaway404]

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[dozitgetchahi]

Wait, what?

This is the ABIM cardiology boards, no?

To my knowledge, ABIM does not disclose board failures (except to the training program you graduated from, iirc). To any outside observer, it would simply appear that you passed the boards 5 years after you graduated fellowship - which may have meant that you just didn’t take the boards until 5 years out (I took my rheum boards 4 years after fellowship for the first time, mostly because I was busy before then. I passed).

If any credentialing board etc is asking if you “failed the boards” or something, the correct answer IMHO is “no”. This is not like the STEP exams etc, where failures are public knowledge. To my knowledge, they do not have any way of knowing if you failed the ABIM boards 5 times or just didn’t take them until 5 years out. Do not give them information they don’t need, and don’t have any access to anyway.

 

[Kryptodoc1938]

Wait, what?

This is the ABIM cardiology boards, no?

To my knowledge, ABIM does not disclose board failures (except to the training program you graduated from, iirc). To any outside observer, it would simply appear that you passed the boards 5 years after you graduated fellowship - which may have meant that you just didn’t take the boards until 5 years out (I took my rheum boards 4 years after fellowship for the first time, mostly because I was busy before then. I passed).

If any credentialing board etc is asking if you “failed the boards” or something, the correct answer IMHO is “no”. This is not like the STEP exams etc, where failures are public knowledge. To my knowledge, they do not have any way of knowing if you failed the ABIM boards 5 times or just didn’t take them until 5 years out. Do not give them information they don’t need, and don’t have any access to anyway.

They specifically ask if you have failed a board exam as a question. When I answered im a previous job, the credentialing just asked if I had failed to pass. I said no because I had not failed to pass since I had passed the exams since then (what they meant was have you ever failed to pass an exam). The credentialing people sought me out and directly asked if I had failed prior to passing and they wanted details on how many times etc. When I answered yes, gave the information on cardiology exams (not IM because they didn’t ask about that) and apologized for misunderstanding the question, a month later I was told that my application now lacked veracity and I was asked to withdraw, otherwise I’d be reported to the NPDB. So if you don’t answer fully and they find out, for example they could ask your previous employer if you’ve ever taken the exam before, they can call you a liar and report you to the national practitioner database which is a huge black mark.

I still don’t know how to move forward.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

They specifically ask if you have failed a board exam as a question. When I answered im a previous job, the credentialing just asked if I had failed to pass. I said no because I had not failed to pass since I had passed the exams since then (what they meant was have you ever failed to pass an exam). The credentialing people sought me out and directly asked if I had failed prior to passing and they wanted details on how many times etc. When I answered yes, gave the information on cardiology exams (not IM because they didn’t ask about that) and apologized for misunderstanding the question, a month later I was told that my application now lacked veracity and I was asked to withdraw, otherwise I’d be reported to the NPDB. So if you don’t answer fully and they find out, for example they could ask your previous employer if you’ve ever taken the exam before, they can call you a liar and report you to the national practitioner database which is a huge black mark.

I still don’t know how to move forward.

Ok, so why did your previous employer know that you had taken the exam?

None of my previous employers knew whether or not I had taken the exam etc etc.

Like I’ve said, to my knowledge ABIM isn’t going to tell anyone if you previously failed or not.

In all honesty, nobody should really care about previous failed attempts at the ABIM boards as long as you have actually passed. I don’t think they cared so much about the failed attempts as they did the sense that you were trying to “cover it up” etc.

Go to a different locums group and start over. You’ll probably be credentialed just fine.

 

[Kryptodoc1938]

Ok, so why did your previous employer know that you had taken the exam?

None of my previous employers knew whether or not I had taken the exam etc etc.

Like I’ve said, to my knowledge ABIM isn’t going to tell anyone if you previously failed or not.

In all honesty, nobody should really care about previous failed attempts at the ABIM boards as long as you have actually passed. I don’t think they cared so much about the failed attempts as they did the sense that you were trying to “cover it up” etc.

Go to a different locums group and start over. Answer the questions listing all failed attempts. You’ll probably be credentialed just fine.

I did exactly that, my original post was talking about the two other locums places that have since said no because of the boards failures, mentioned properly.

 

[TAVR4life]

Only board failures that MIGHT matter are USMLE. ABIM board failures do not count and you should not be answering yes to failures unless you failed USMLE. ABIM failures are not reported unless your previous employer is telling them that you were fired because of board failures. Try to find a private job, not locums.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Only board failures that MIGHT matter are USMLE. ABIM board failures do not count and you should not be answering yes to failures unless you failed USMLE. ABIM failures are not reported unless your previous employer is telling them that you were fired because of board failures. Try to find a private job, not locums.

Exactly. This right here.

 

[Kryptodoc1938]

Only board failures that MIGHT matter are USMLE. ABIM board failures do not count and you should not be answering yes to failures unless you failed USMLE. ABIM failures are not reported unless your previous employer is telling them that you were fired because of board failures. Try to find a private job, not locums.

The question is specifically asking if a specialty board has failed to pass you. This is the question at the hospital credentialing level. I never failed USMLE. When I said I did not fail to pass, I was specifically asked to verify if I had taken the board before by Credentialing. If you lie to a credentialing organization and the credential organization denies your application based on this parameter, they will report you to the national practicioner database. This balck mark will prevent all forms of hiring. I am trying for private jobs, but most physicians staff at local hospitals which still require credentialing.