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Academy News: July 2005Preparing for the board exam Getting certified at the end of our training by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) is a process that we as fellows-in-training anticipate, yet at the same time, dread. It will certify our ability to practice allergy and immunology independently, and confirm our newfound expertise in the field. It will also signify the end of a long, long road as trainees. The ABAI certification examination was first standardized in 1974, and until recently, was administered once every two years in only a few locations nationwide. While the exam was both expensive and inconvenient, it provided a bonding experience. Fellows graduating in two consecutive years could study together. For the first time in 2003, the boards were administered locally, in a computerized setting. This year, the board exam became available on a yearly basis. The change provides more flexibility to choose when to take the exam, but there will be fewer people taking it each year, and thus fewer people to study together. The volume of material that we need to master, both basic and clinical, is daunting. The first piece of advice that I was given was to start studying early and often. You may not remember everything, but repetition will help you remember more and more. The second piece of advice was to assemble a binder with key handouts and notes from valuable talks, so that it’s easy to find when reviewing a topic at a later date. If there are enough fellows and young faculty in your area who plan to take the board exam soon, consider organizing a regular board review group. This can be especially valuable if A/I training programs have different strengths, such as pediatrics vs. adult medicine, or allergy vs. immunodeficiency evaluation and management. A board review group allows you to share expertise and the burden of reviewing complex topics, and distill critical points into handouts for last-minute review. It also forces you to review a new topic every week or two, regardless of whether you have read that chapter in your textbook. In Boston, we have fellows from three separate programs to share the work. Not only do we share the burden of presenting, but we share expertise from different hospitals. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to socialize, network, share advice, remind each other of deadlines and strengthen our friendships. Useful resources for topics to review include:
Don’t neglect basic immunology. Be sure to learn important CD molecules, cytokines, their receptor signaling pathways, etc. Also invite faculty to present topics, but remind them to focus on information that will be on the board exam, rather than controversial topics or state-of-the-art presentations. The toughest aspect in organizing a review group is finding a time that will work for everyone who wants to participate. In the end, this should be a friendly, stress-minimizing, collaborative effort to teach and help each other. |
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