Just finished Family Medicine boards...

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MedicineMan99

MedicineMan99

Family Medicine Attending (DO)
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So I just took the Allopathic Family Medicine boards today, and I took the Osteopathic boards earlier this month...

I just need to blow off some steam. As usual, I have no idea how I did (I can never gauge this after exams). But, what indeed does happen is I go home and look a lot of stuff up and know for sure that I got at least 8-10 questions wrong. Of course, this scares me a lot.

But it gets me thinking: How are these exams scored and curved? Yes, I know that there are about 20 questions per test that are experimental, but how many more do you think are "thrown out"? The Allopathic Family Medicine boards have about a 90% pass rate for first-time test takers. So, I can't help but wonder if they scale the test so that statistic remains consistent... And, of course, the Osteopathic Family Medicine Board does not release their pass rates.

Has anyone else felt really bad after their boards but then passed? I need some encouragement!

Thanks!
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Hey man,

I take it in a couple of days so I can give you feedback on what I thought then. But if you were passing your ITE exams, you should pass this. Until then, I gotta keep doing ABFM questions : (
 
Taking mine 4/29 and am madly going through a review book and plan to hit the previous ITE exams over the last 5 days and do nothing but questions...

What did/are you doing?
 
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anthroguy said:
Hey man,

I take it in a couple of days so I can give you feedback on what I thought then. But if you were passing your ITE exams, you should pass this. Until then, I gotta keep doing ABFM questions : (
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So what if you were bombing your ITEs because you didn't study? The year I did study a few topics, I passed. This year, the stakes are much higher so I am truly trying to study and retain the information.

Given the 90% pass rate, what about the other 10%? What happens to them?
 
I think the best way to prepare was definitely prior in service training exams. I wouldn't waste your time with review books.

Supposedly, if you got a 440 or greater on the ITE, you have a 99% chance of passing the real thing.
 
MedicineMan99 said:
I think the best way to prepare was definitely prior in service training exams. I wouldn't waste your time with review books.

Supposedly, if you got a 440 or greater on the ITE, you have a 99% chance of passing the real thing.
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Yeah, well, as a PGY2 I hit the 440 area but didn't study and tanked it as a PGY3 -- I mean, really tanked it....to the point where the associate PD, PD and my advisor all talked to me about the necessity of studying and the "long term" impacts of failure......
 
Did you mean to say AAFP or ABFM questions? If you meant to say ABFM, are you referring to ITE questions? If there is any other place where we can find ABFM, can you please let me know? Thank you.
 
I took them on Thursday. I've done well on the ITE exams so I really didn't study much (just went over the subjects in the "elective" sections). It seemed more difficult than the ITE exams, and my lack of studying doesn't help my nervousness. I don't know about you, but May 30th is going to take forever to get here!
 
prsmd said:
Did you mean to say AAFP or ABFM questions? If you meant to say ABFM, are you referring to ITE questions? If there is any other place where we can find ABFM, can you please let me know? Thank you.
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I meant the AAFP review questions on the AAFP website. There are probably over a thousand of them. Most of them are from former ITEs.
 
rachmoninov3 said:
I took them on Thursday. I've done well on the ITE exams so I really didn't study much (just went over the subjects in the "elective" sections). It seemed more difficult than the ITE exams, and my lack of studying doesn't help my nervousness. I don't know about you, but May 30th is going to take forever to get here!
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Yeah I also thought it was definitely harder than ITEs. I'm just hoping that 90% first time pass rate works in our favor. Good luck to us all!
 
I thought the test was tougher than tha last 3 years ITE. Hope the outcome is positive. When and how wll be notified of the results?
 
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I also thought it was tougher than the last three years of ite. I chose the Geri and ambulatory modules. I studied Geri pretty well from the aafp articles from the past three years and def thought it was challenging. The ambulatory module was the easiest part of the exam considering it is so heavy in residency.
 
Finished mine on Tuesday -- thought it was about the same as the ITE exams. I had previously only taken COMLEX exams and this was a refreshing change. I didn't have to play "Buy a vowel" and there questions seemed well written. I should have done more ITE exams but I don't regret using the review book. Supposedly results come out June 6 --- D-Day....
 
The ABFM website says results are 6 to 8 weeks, which puts the results being released either the week of May 26th, or the first two weeks in June. Still not soon enough...
 
I just got the letter that I passed the Osteopathic Family Medicine Boards!

I terms of the Allopathic ABFM Boards, I asked them via the "live chat" on their website and they said they will release them on June 6th.
 
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MedicineMan99 said:
I just got the letter that I passed the Osteopathic Family Medicine Boards!

I terms of the Allopathic ABFM Boards, I asked them via the "live chat" on their website and they said they will release them on June 6th.
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Stud! outstanding work -- congratulations.

So how do we find out about ABFM boards? email, physical letter, phone call?
 
Results are out. Check your email.
I passed!!!!
 
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Well!!! My son just got an e/mail from ABFP---- HE PASSED!!!! his boards..
 
I passed as well! 3 weeks and we will be board certified!
 
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Hey guys passed as well. Any idea when a more detailed percentile/performance breakdown is provided. Our program this year started reimbursing us based on percentile performance. It would be nice to know what we can expect
 
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I think, not positive, highest score on each module was 600. Overall pass was 380.
 
Pass! 550. Phew.
 
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Is there anyone who knows mean score and standard deviation for 2014 spring MC-FP?
Also, when are they releasing percentile rank for the exam?
 
Congrats to everyone that passed the boards!!! I passed with flying colors as well and am graduating from residency this year! Someone had mentioned "but the passing score was 380!
I don't know of anyone that didn't pass but I would like to remind everyone.. especially the people graduating from residency.. your score is probably the highest it will ever be right now and will most likely get lower and lower every time you retake your exam. Unless your in a academic facility or become a review tutor.
 
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ajagr68, nothing like a vague generalization -" your score is probably the highest it will ever be right now and will most likely get lower and lower every time you retake your exam." Unless you took it cold the first time. Studying in most cases increases scores.
 
Docblin.. your totally correct.. studying does increase scores.. and while in residency it's practically mandatory to read and you learn in your rotations, ITE and pressure to pass the abfm from the program itself .. hence you will score well

Once most physicians are practicing ,having families and other obligations.. the time to study itself is significantly reduced... not to mention the passive learning that is done through rotations and didactics of residency are gone as well. It is a generalization I know.. but it's also a good view of reality.
380 may seem like a low threshold to pass to one but may seem like quite the obstacle for the average seasoned attending that has gone away from the inpt, obgyn tract all together
 
ajagr68 said:
Docblin.. your totally correct.. studying does increase scores.. and while in residency it's practically mandatory to read and you learn in your rotations, ITE and pressure to pass the abfm from the program itself .. hence you will score well

Once most physicians are practicing ,having families and other obligations.. the time to study itself is significantly reduced... not to mention the passive learning that is done through rotations and didactics of residency are gone as well. It is a generalization I know.. but it's also a good view of reality.
380 may seem like a low threshold to pass to one but may seem like quite the obstacle for the average seasoned attending that has gone away from the inpt, obgyn tract all together
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Many of the older attendings I know try to compensate for this by doing those 4 day intensive board review courses offered by the AAFP. Its not cheap and its long days, but its also only once per decade.
 
I think maybe their is some misunderstanding to my original statement.

All I was addressing was that our preparation for the Family Medicine boards is greatest both time-wise and studying-wise as recent graduates. Of course there may be exceptions to the attendings doing "hardcore studying" for the FM boards.. but let's be realistic at that stage you just want your re certification so you can keep on doing your thing and its less about getting the high score.
 
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