Delaying ABEM Written Boards?

[bdtrpt]

Hey everyone. I just graduated from EM residency this year and am currently in an HPM fellowship. I'm trying to decide if I should take my boards this year or delay it until after finishing fellowship, since I don't know how much dedicated time I'll have over the next two or so months to study. I wanted to ask and gauge about how much time or how many months most people take to study for the ABEM written exam? Thanks!

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[southerndoc]

You should probably take it this year. You'll lose a lot of knowledge in esoteric pediatric, neurology, etc. without actively practicing emergency medicine. How did you do on your in-training exam? There is usually a direct correlation.

 

[bdtrpt]

You should probably take it this year. You'll lose a lot of knowledge in esoteric pediatric, neurology, etc. without actively practicing emergency medicine. How did you do on your in-training exam? There is usually a direct correlation.

Overall my ITEs were on the lower side so I figure having more time to study might be better. My last ITE was at the 12th percentile (score of 70), putting me at a 79% chance of passing.

 

[southerndoc]

I honestly would study as much as possible and go ahead and take it. You can retake it if you fail it, correct?

 

[EthylMethylMan]

I agree, take it as soon as you can. I also just graduated and also am in a non-ER fellowship. It certainly sucks doing fellowship reading and a bunch of Rosh everyday on top of clinical duties. Trying to get back to a board-passable level of knowledge after being out of the ED for a year sounds harder in my opinion. Moonlighting in the ED a few shifts a month is also probably a good idea if you can swing it.

 

[RustedFox]

Good on you young stars for doing non-EM fellowships.

 

[Frazier]

Having done a palliative fellowship myself, you should have ample time to study. I would def recc to take it on the regular schedule. Get it over with and get lined up for oral boards... HPM board are only every 2 years (2022, 2024, 2026...) and you might already be looking at 2026 depending on how your written/oral scheduling plays out. Some employers require you to have board cert in HPM within 5 years of starting. If you start your position in 2023, then delay and end up having HPM boards in 2028/2030 then it could get complicated for no reason.

The EM exam isn't going to get any easier the farther you proceed out of residency when doing a non-EM fellowship. Study hard!

Good luck.

 

[emdoc799]

Also know if you delay EM boards and don’t take the written in the first possible window you’re allowed to, you will be required to do a $100 LLSA test which is online and open book.