Waiting to take boards

[Matia03]

Recent (July 2015) grad here.

Anyone here not take EM boards right after graduation?

I was thinking of waiting and taking it next year?

Any advice appreciated.

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[RPedigo]

Does the place that you work have a pay differential based on whether or not you're board eligible or board certified? I work at two places; one gives a $10/hr raise once you're board certified, and my full-time position gives a 5.5% salary raise once you're board certified.

 

[gutonc]

I'm not in EM but I've never really understood why people (who aren't going into sub-specialties, or who have already completed their sub-specialty training) take the boards immediately after graduation (unless there's a significant pay bump as @RPedigo mentioned). You're already overwhelmed with starting a new job and the responsibilities and life changes that come with that. And you can't help but learn more that will help you with a year or 2 of practice under your belt.

I took my subspecialty boards at the start of my 3rd year of practice. I barely had to study for about 70% of the exam as it's what I spend 95% of my day on. The rest wasn't too bad. Passed it with a lot of room to spare.

 

[Groove]

There's absolutely no reason not to take your boards now. Hell, it takes at least a year and a half after you graduate to even get the damn thing unless you luck out and get a spring oral board date. Your knowledge base is highest right after graduation, so take advantage of everything being fresh. I totally get that you've got a lot going on and prob don't want to worry about it but honestly....you're always going to have a lot going on. Just bite the bullet and get it over with instead of having to sit there with some fellow colleagues who might have graduated at the same time as you and having to explain why you don't have your boards yet while they are celebrating. You'll be 2+ years at your job and the practice manager or ED dir will be sending you emails going "Can you send me your ABEM diploma? We don't seem to have that on file. Thanks!" Don't be that guy. I can't explain what a relief it was to get ABEM out of the way. Such a weight off my shoulders after such a long road.

That being said, don't get too excited about where you'll hang your diploma. It looks like something an 8th grader could make with MS paint.

 

[deleted547339]

I'm not in EM but I've never really understood why people (who aren't going into sub-specialties, or who have already completed their sub-specialty training) take the boards immediately after graduation (unless there's a significant pay bump as @RPedigo mentioned). You're already overwhelmed with starting a new job and the responsibilities and life changes that come with that. And you can't help but learn more that will help you with a year or 2 of practice under your belt.

I took my subspecialty boards at the start of my 3rd year of practice. I barely had to study for about 70% of the exam as it's what I spend 95% of my day on. The rest wasn't too bad. Passed it with a lot of room to spare.

The EM board pass rate goes down with years since graduation.

 

[gutonc]

The EM board pass rate goes down with years since graduation.

Interesting. I wonder if that's a selection bias since it's more likely (at least in my mind) that people who wait to take it do so because they don't feel prepared and therefore skew the curve.

 

[Doctor Bob]

Interesting. I wonder if that's a selection bias since it's more likely (at least in my mind) that people who wait to take it do so because they don't feel prepared and therefore skew the curve.

Might also be due to entrenchment of personal practice patterns which differ from the "book answer".

 

[Vandalia]

In an ideal world, taking the boards a couple of years after residency graduation would be the best solution since those years of practice would serve as the best preparation.

However, we do not live in an ideal world.

There is poor correlation between "oral board EM" and "real EM." (To be fair, based on what I hear from other physicians, EM probably comes the closest of any specialty to having the "real world answer" be the "exam answer.")

Get the boards out of the way as soon as possible. Then you can focus on acquiring the knowledge that you will actually need and use.