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Academy News: July 2006Board review course: a great value for FITs The AAAAI/ACAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course was held April 6-9 in Chicago. This three and one-half day course encompassed all the concepts on the ABAI examination. Just looking at the course itinerary itself is daunting enough to inspire you to open your books! The intensive review began with basic immunology and ended on a more clinical note. Didactic sessions began early in the morning and ended in the early evening. Fortunately, a two hour mid-day break was provided. It was important to return refreshed, focused and ready to dive back into the world of board review. Topics covered were diverse and each was relevant to a specific ABAI exam area. The sessions concluded with answers to review questions provided in an appropriately titled Take Home Question booklet. Day one began with an overview of human immune responses, innate immunity, immunoglobulin structure, and cells of the immune system, and concluded with sessions on vasculitis and various immune deficiencies. The complement system began day two; followed by sessions on transplantation, IgE, cytokines, chemokines, and cell signaling and trafficking. Autoimmunity, laboratory testing, and methods for evaluating antibodies and antigens brought day two to a close. The morning of day three began with the many different aspects of allergens. Day three was also a potpourri of sessions including statistics, otitis, rhinitis, immunologic lung disease and asthma. The course concluded on the fourth day with brief lectures on anaphylaxis, angioedema, urticaria, food allergy, skin diseases and provocative challenges. The speakers were well prepared and knowledgeable for the topics covered, and each answered questions as time permitted. As with many courses, it seemed there couldn’t be enough time to cover our ever-expanding specialty. Instructors at the course recommended studying the following texts:
The tables in these books should be studied thoroughly and some deserve memorization. I would highly recommend this board review course to Fellows-in-Training (FITs). Some of the many benefits of the course include thorough reviews of relevant topics, identification of appropriate study resources and a discounted rate. The “party favors” I gained from the course (two large binders full of handouts, charts, tables, etc.) serve as a constant reminder that the day is coming when I am expected to know which Toll-like receptors signal independently of MyD88 and which fungal form is more prevalent on dry, windy days. To each of my FIT colleagues who find the ABAI a mere four months away, good luck and happy studying! The AAAAI FIT Committee encourages all FITs to get involved. We meet in person once a year, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, but we use conference calls and e-mail throughout the year for planning and coordination. If you have ideas, energy and constructive suggestions, please contact FIT Committee Chair Caroline (Kay) C. Horner, MD, at horner_k@kids.wustl.edu, or Reaca Pearl at the AAAAI executive office at rpearl@aaaai.org. |
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