IM Boards exam - Who, what, where, when?

[letmeinwillya]

Looking at the ABIM website, it looks like they are offered only in August of every year? Is this true? I'm looking for info on how often they are administered? Does one need to pass boards before they can graduate? I don;t think you do but what does the residency program want in terms of passing the boards exam? I'm sure they want all their residents to pass the boards.

Is there a period within which one needs to take the boards after completion of residency? I see job postings that say BE (Board Eligible) meaning they are not requiring the the new grad to be BE before starting the job.

How long one can go before they have to take the exam? Are there rules around it?

What if you fail the exam? Is it on your record?

I would appreciate if it you could enlighten me on the boards, how to approach them when in PGY-3? Should plan to take it while in residency or take some time and prepare well before taking them? etc

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[rokshana]

Looking at the ABIM website, it looks like they are offered only in August of every year? Is this true? I'm looking for info on how often they are administered? Does one need to pass boards before they can graduate? I don;t think you do but what does the residency program want in terms of passing the boards exam? I'm sure they want all their residents to pass the boards.

Is there a period within which one needs to take the boards after completion of residency? I see job postings that say BE (Board Eligible) meaning they are not requiring the the new grad to be BE before starting the job.

How long one can go before they have to take the exam? Are there rules around it?

What if you fail the exam? Is it on your record?

I would appreciate if it you could enlighten me on the boards, how to approach them when in PGY-3? Should plan to take it while in residency or take some time and prepare well before taking them? etc

yes, the test is only administered in August for initial certification. You have to have graduated and have a full unrestricted license to sit for the IM boards, so you cannot take it during residency.

you have 5 years to be take your boards, so therefore you are board eligible during that time. If you do not take or do to pass the boards in the 5 year time frame, then you will no longer be board eligible and cannot sit for the boards. If you want to become board edible again, then you will need to do an additional year of training to do so. If you take and fail the board 3 times, you will be required to sit out a year and them take it the following year.

MKSAP, Awesome review help to prep.

Policies | Becoming Certified | ABIM.org

 

[Raryn]

Looking at the ABIM website, it looks like they are offered only in August of every year? Is this true? I'm looking for info on how often they are administered? Does one need to pass boards before they can graduate? I don;t think you do but what does the residency program want in terms of passing the boards exam? I'm sure they want all their residents to pass the boards.

Is there a period within which one needs to take the boards after completion of residency? I see job postings that say BE (Board Eligible) meaning they are not requiring the the new grad to be BE before starting the job.

How long one can go before they have to take the exam? Are there rules around it?

What if you fail the exam? Is it on your record?

I would appreciate if it you could enlighten me on the boards, how to approach them when in PGY-3? Should plan to take it while in residency or take some time and prepare well before taking them? etc

1) The initial IM boards are offered only during a 2 week period in August every year. The exact dates very.

2) All IM graduates who finish before 08/31 of any given year are eligible to take the boards that year - that means that the vast majority of folks who are eligible have already graduated residency 1-2 months before they take it. Only those whose training was extended for whatever reason through late August might still be residents the day they take the exam. You should study during your last year of residency and plan to take it 2 months after graduation - many people delay starting work until after they take their board exams (allows for a vacation during that time as well)

3) Board eligibility is seven years after you finish residency. You also are not allowed to try to take it more than three years in a row - so you have at most six attempts (3 failed attempts, one year you skip, 3 more attempts). Ex: If you graduate in 2019, you have to have a passed exam by the end of 2025.

4) Board certification is public in that you can search anyone and see if they're certified or not. Your record on the exam is not public. If someone is not certified, you have no idea if they didn't take it or didn't pass it. In either of the latter cases, the person can describe themselves as "board eligible". If it's been seven years and you still haven't passed, you technically are no longer "board eligible" and if you describe yourself as such, the ABIM can sanction you.

5) The vast majority of jobs do NOT require board certification to get hired. The only exception that I am immediately aware of is being an IM program director. That said, many do require board certification to keep your job - a typical timeline is you might have 3-5 years from the day you start until they fire you for nonadherence with the policy.

 

[gutonc]

Man...how bad is your residency program? I'm pretty sure every PD takes 5 minutes at the start of some morning report/noon conference to go over this stuff every year.

 

[letmeinwillya]

yes, the test is only administered in August for initial certification. You have to have graduated and have a full unrestricted license to sit for the IM boards, so you cannot take it during residency.

you have 5 years to be take your boards, so therefore you are board eligible during that time. If you do not take or do to pass the boards in the 5 year time frame, then you will no longer be board eligible and cannot sit for the boards. If you want to become board edible again, then you will need to do an additional year of training to do so. If you take and fail the board 3 times, you will be required to sit out a year and them take it the following year.

MKSAP, Awesome review help to prep.

Policies | Becoming Certified | ABIM.org

Thank you rokshana for your reply, very helpful. Yeah already got the MKSAP and going through it.

 

[letmeinwillya]

1) The initial IM boards are offered only during a 2 week period in August every year. The exact dates very.

2) All IM graduates who finish before 08/31 of any given year are eligible to take the boards that year - that means that the vast majority of folks who are eligible have already graduated residency 1-2 months before they take it. Only those whose training was extended for whatever reason through late August might still be residents the day they take the exam. You should study during your last year of residency and plan to take it 2 months after graduation - many people delay starting work until after they take their board exams (allows for a vacation during that time as well)

3) Board eligibility is seven years after you finish residency. You also are not allowed to try to take it more than three years in a row - so you have at most six attempts (3 failed attempts, one year you skip, 3 more attempts). Ex: If you graduate in 2019, you have to have a passed exam by the end of 2025.

4) Board certification is public in that you can search anyone and see if they're certified or not. Your record on the exam is not public. If someone is not certified, you have no idea if they didn't take it or didn't pass it. In either of the latter cases, the person can describe themselves as "board eligible". If it's been seven years and you still haven't passed, you technically are no longer "board eligible" and if you describe yourself as such, the ABIM can sanction you.

5) The vast majority of jobs do NOT require board certification to get hired. The only exception that I am immediately aware of is being an IM program director. That said, many do require board certification to keep your job - a typical timeline is you might have 3-5 years from the day you start until they fire you for nonadherence with the policy.

Thank you Raryn for detailed reply, much appreciated. Makes it clear on lot of points. On a related note, how much do general patients care about BE vs BC? It looks like employers are not requiring it right out the gate when hiring new grads so it must not be a deal breaker per se for them. Anyway gotta take it as soon as possible.

 

[letmeinwillya]

Man...how bad is your residency program? I'm pretty sure every PD takes 5 minutes at the start of some morning report/noon conference to go over this stuff every year.

gutonc! I must be absent on that particular day. They do their best to keep cajoling residents into preparing for the boards. I was wondering if a resident already graduated and hasn't taken the boards or passed them, how's important for program other than whether their grad passed the exam or not ..even then they don't have any control over the timing of the exam or its result so I guess if candidates fail, it reflects badly on the program in the eyes of ECFMG? Is that the reason they want their grad to pass the exam? I understand it's in grad's best interest to pass it as soon as possible.

 

[Raryn]

Thank you Raryn for detailed reply, much appreciated. Makes it clear on lot of points. On a related note, how much do general patients care about BE vs BC? It looks like employers are not requiring it right out the gate when hiring new grads so it must not be a deal breaker per se for them. Anyway gotta take it as soon as possible.

I've only had maybe two patients who asked if I was boarded. But employers do care - they just understand as a new grad getting the certificate isn't instant. I'm pretty sure if I don't get mine I will not be kept on in the long-run.

gutonc! I must be absent on that particular day. They do their best to keep cajoling residents into preparing for the boards. I was wondering if a resident already graduated and hasn't taken the boards or passed them, how's important for program other than whether their grad passed the exam or not ..even then they don't have any control over the timing of the exam or its result so I guess if candidates fail, it reflects badly on the program in the eyes of ECFMG? Is that the reason they want their grad to pass the exam? I understand it's in grad's best interest to pass it as soon as possible.

The program's pass/fail 3 year average is publicly available, so they absolutely care if you fail. If their overall pass rate dips below some point they can get on the ACGME's radar. That said, the pass rate is >90% and the point where the program can get in trouble is significantly lower than that. Regardless, it's in their best interest that their program looks good (and you'd hope that after 3 years, they actually give some kind of !@#$ about you).

 

[letmeinwillya]

I've only had maybe two patients who asked if I was boarded. But employers do care - they just understand as a new grad getting the certificate isn't instant. I'm pretty sure if I don't get mine I will not be kept on in the long-run.

Got it! So it must be in the employment contract on how soon one needs to be boarded!

The program's pass/fail 3 year average is publicly available, so they absolutely care if you fail. If their overall pass rate dips below some point they can get on the ACGME's radar. That said, the pass rate is >90% and the point where the program can get in trouble is significantly lower than that. Regardless, it's in their best interest that their program looks good (and you'd hope that after 3 years, they actually give some kind of !@#$ about you).
.

I understand that program would want to have their grads pass the boards. I was thinking out loud that it's out of their hands in some sense when residents graduate and move to their jobs. Thanks again for your reply!

 

[DrMetal]

What we should do is come together as a community of Physicians and strike the phrase "board eligible" from our vernacular, and instead use "residency-trained". If I just spent 6 years in a general surgery residency program, I take more pride in successfully finishing it, then becoming eligible to sit down for some dumb test. Our patients also care more about our training then said test

 

[Raryn]

What we should do is come together as a community of Physicians and strike the phrase "board eligible" from our vernacular, and instead use "residency-trained". If I just spent 6 years in a general surgery residency program, I take more pride in successfully finishing it, then becoming eligible to sit down for some dumb test. Our patients also care more about our training then said test

It's just shorthand for "successful completion of an accredited residency program"

 

[DrMetal]

"successful completion of an accredited residency program"<---- Let's go with this. We should all strive to be SCARP. Still sounds better than douchey 'Board Eligible'

 

[letmeinwillya]

At my residency program, asked my co-residents and none of them think that we need NYS full medical license to sit for the ABIM boards exam in August. Spoke to ABIM customer service and they seemed little unclear, told me if I was able to register for the exam and no one has contacted from ABIM, I should be good. From another customer service call, she said close to the exam date, ABIM will contact applicants and I could explain my situation then.

Will be asking PD next time I see him but wanted to get input from here who have gone through similar situation?

Does one need full medical license in the state where exam is held? Does the trainee license work instead? In NY, it's not resident specific rather an umbrella license of the Program under which residents "train".

Does one need to have a full license at the time of exam in August which case trainee license would've expired in June and unless one has a full license, could it prevent one to sit for the exam?

 

[letmeinwillya]

Reporting back after speaking to a credentialist (level 2 support), ABIM makes an exception for residents who take the boards in the year they graduate from the residency program. ABIM doesn't require medical license if the exam is taken the same year as graduation from the residency program and for NYS they further understand that individual residents wouldn't have their named trainee license.

If the applicant is doing Fellowship, their fellowship license could be used instead.

Hope it helps some!