Program Money to Pay for BOARDs

[MirkoCrocop]

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What are your program's policies regarding using program money to help pay for BOARDs?

What kinds of funds are available at your program, if any? Is it called a "book fund" or "educational fund?"

I'm asking because I'm interested in making a proposal to my program to use our "conference" money to pay for BOARDs.

Any ideas/input?

 

[TMZ2007]

I imagine if I wanted to use my book/educational funds to pay for board exams, it would probably be OK, although no one here has ever done that (to my knowledge). But we only get $1000 per year per resident, so that wouldn't go very far.

You guys have enough money in your "conference" fund to pay multiple $2200 exam fees? Must be nice. 👍

 

[Pathologee]

Consider wearing "Hound-proof" pants to that meeting. That way, you will be prepared upon their release.

 

[mlw03]

we were able to use book funds towards board review material and/or the actual exam, however our annual book fund allowance was less than the cost of even my ap-only exam. but it was nice to get a good chunk of it payed for.

 

[KCShaw]

I'm pretty sure one or two people used their "book fund" towards board fees back in my day. The program was reasonably open to proposals regarding how the money was used, and everyone found something to use it on anyway. I seem to recall subsidizing a laptop being turned down since everyone had their own in-house desktop computer already, but aside from books I -think- people got everything from certain software to conference assistance (conferences other than those they presented at, which I think was covered) to board prep to boards. Depending on the specific circumstance, I think most of those things are reasonable uses.

 

[Ruination]

We are permitted to use our educational fund for:
1) the cost of the examination
2) travel and lodging to take the exam
3) food while in Tampa

As surg path fellows we take call and get paid $1500/week, so I was able to pay for my entire trip after 2 weeks of call.

 

[coroner]

As surg path fellows we take call and get paid $1500/week, so I was able to pay for my entire trip after 2 weeks of call.

You get an additional stipend for every week of call that you're on as a fellow? Wow, that's routine for us with no such perks. I'm guessing your fellowship requires you to get you state licensed before you start and you sign out independently without attending coverage (otherwise they'd have to pay both the fellow and attending to take call) plus, your call probably includes weekend autopsies? Either way, must be nice...

 

[Ruination]

You get an additional stipend for every week of call that you're on as a fellow? Wow, that's routine for us with no such perks. I'm guessing your fellowship requires you to get you state licensed before you start and you sign out independently without attending coverage (otherwise they'd have to pay both the fellow and attending to take call) plus, your call probably includes weekend autopsies? Either way, must be nice...

So, all residents need to be licensed by the end of the 2nd year of residency here. Our surg path fellowship requires 2 weeks of call for the year (but most of us end up doing at least 6 weeks over the year). We can get the money in the form of book fund (tax exempt) or as cash (taxed). Call is taken 7 days at a time and strictly involves reading frozen sections during the week (not unusual to get called in to read donor frozens at 2 am here) and reading frozens and rush biopsies on the weekends. No autopsy call. Fellows are THE attending while on call-- no back up attending on. Its kind of nice because it gives you some decision making confidence, but I have had some really bad frozens (treated RMS in the head/neck region of a peds patient with c/f recurrence, etc) and sometimes I wondered if the money was really worth the agony, particularly when there are no other faculty around to show to.