Thats the horse **** that I have thought all along. Why is this exam not formatted like the USMLE step 3 Clinical Skills cases. Offer it at a Pearson Vue testing center. Allow us time to write the responses to the cases or use AI, because AI will not be biased and will not run the cases differently for different candidates. This BS about lack of bias and the built in psychometrics. There is no such thing as a psychometric that will guarantee that this test is administered similarly for every single candidate. Each one of these examiners were clearly doing their own thing. There was no consensus here. Also, why are you recording the test and then deleting the videos once the results are issued. Sounds suspect to me. What are you scared of. The problem is that these boards never have groups of people questioning the BS that they are getting away with. I think if a lot of us see this post and feel the same way we should organize and get one law firm to represent us similar to the law firm that the residents in California used to organize against oppressive hospitals and residencies programs and organizations such as the ABO who think they can get a way with doing whatever they want.
People don't know that not being board certified means not being able to get hospital affiliations, which, in my state all ambulatory surgical centers will not in turn give you surgical privileges unless you are affiliated with a hospital. Thus, essentially, in one fell swoop ending your surgical career. Also, there are many payor panels now that you can't get on unless you are board certified. The board clearly knows this. They know that this is an achilles heal and they are milking this.
Please respond and share your thoughts if we should organize against the board to stop them from pulling these discriminatory practices.
Don't tell us the exam follows this format that none of your examiners respected, and don't tell us don't take courses when you are clearly presenting cases that only a fellowship trained specialist knows how to answer. If you want to do separate subspecialty certifications for fellow trained specialists, so be it. Do that! These are supposed to be questions that a comprehensive ophthalmologist should be able to answer with the training they received in residency not a fellowship, and all I can say is that at least 8 of the questions on the exam are not easily answered unless you did some specialized fellowship training to know about these management practices. Also, the board should know that many of current residency program don't do a good job with teaching subjects like optics. So, the ones that should be penalized is not the poor doctors taking the test. Its those deficient residency programs that screwed their resident chances over.
It's about damn time we stand for ourselves against this tyrannical system. We have come this far. We passed their written qualifier. Are we really going to be deprived of the prize after all the blood, sweat and tears. I say heck no!!!
Sorry to hear about the exam. I took it and passed during the current pandemic era (pandemic=2020-present) but not this year.
Suing the ABO is a losing proposition because the ABO has nearly unlimited funding. All it has to do to pay attorneys is raise the exam fee to $4000 and Continuing Certification fees to $1000 per year, if necessary. The only limit is if Congress gets involved if the exam fees become $10,000 and yearly fees $10,000. The courts will defer to the "experts", which is the ABO/ABMS. Even the class action cardiologist lawsuit against the ABIM is not getting anywhere. The lawyers get a huge windfall, as is common with class action lawsuits.
That said, I am not in favor of the current system. It looks like the ABO discourages taking course preparation. Orally, they have said it's not necessary. It is necessary unless you like to take risks. It is also doubly necessary because of the high stakes of the exam with passing required by hospitals and insurance companies. I took the Osler course and one instructor did say to mention the differential later, not early on so the accusation that courses are wrong is wrong. Colorado also has a course but it may have been discontinued last year.
As far as examiners not following the format, on one hand that allows some freedom to skirt small facts that you are unsure of; at least I did. On the other hand, I feel that one examiner was overbearing and not a good examiner. I will not name him but if I were a panel leader, I would not want that examiner.
I believe the ABO knows that board certification is, in practice, required for many situations but they have written (maybe it was a letter?) that diplomates want a hard to pass exam followed by not too hard recertification. In contrast, family medicine has an easier exam and no orals but the recertification exam is on the same level as the initial exam and family medicine quarterly questions are kind of hard. At least some ABO members rightfully believe that as one gets older, one loses the ability to pass the initial ABO exams. Some specialties do have a very high pass rate and, probably, an easier exam.
I would wait and see what the oral results are. If a retake is needed, I would study at the level of the sub-specialist. One thing is certain and that is the knowledge required to pass the exam is more than the knowledge needed to see everyday patients. I display my certificate with pride and anguish. It took more work to get than the residency certificate or the MD degree. I do not believe people who claimed they just studied for a few days then walked in.
