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It’s never too early to plan ahead
Tips and tools for prepping, scheduling and studying for the endocrinology board exams.
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As the new year unfolds, it’s a great opportunity not only to take stock of the year that just passed but to anticipate the future as well. What I want to discuss this month are exams.
The endocrinology board exam is offered on only one day per year. This year’s scheduled testing session will take place on October 29 — the fee is $1,905. Registration for the 2009 endocrinology board exam starts March 1 and ends May 1, after which there is a late fee of $400. The late registration period runs from May 2 through June 1. The following link will take you to more information specific to endocrinology, including a blueprint on areas covered on the exam, as well as a rough distribution of questions: www.abim.org/exam/cert/endo.aspx.
Board review courses are offered by the Cleveland Clinic and the Endocrine Society. The 12th Annual Cleveland Clinic Endocrinology and Metabolism Board Review will be held in Cleveland on October 2 to 4. (The phone number is 800-238-6750.) Fee information is not yet available, but last year fellows paid $325. One of the fellows at my program mentioned last year that the registration fee was waived and hotel stay provided for the first 50 fellows nominated by their program directors. I called to inquire about this further and there was no information yet.
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Two-day course
The Endocrine Society’s two-day course will be held October 6 and 7 in Atlanta, right before the Clinical Endocrinology Update. According to the website, the format will be interactive with case-based multiple choice questions that participants will answer using an instant feedback keypad system. Registration begins in April, and a schedule is pending at this time. (For more information on this course, visit: www.endo-society.org/meetings/CEU/boardreview/Board-Review.cfm.) The fee last year was $540 for the board review alone and $345 if taken in conjunction with the update, which is $440 for fellows, for a combined cost of $785.
The 2008 Endocrine Self-Assessment Program is a very useful tool and is available for a discounted price of $199 for fellows. It offers 160 case-based questions and each question has an associated Up-To-Date topic for further review. (For ordering information, consult www.endo-society.org/education/esap/index.cfm.)
If you have a special interest, here are some certifications you may wish to pursue. The one-day American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists examination is given during a two-week period. The cost is $800 and certification is for 10 years. Though 2009 information is pending, the exam was administered between Nov. 8-22, 2008. Certification by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology may appeal to some of you. The exam will be administered May 1 or 2 in Miami and September 26 in Cincinnati. Take note that the total fee of $1,200 is composed of a $900 examination fee as well as a non-refundable application and credentialing fee of $300. The certification is valid for 10 years. The National Lipid Association has a self-assessment program for $150 per volume, or $500 for the entire four-volume set if you are a member (vs. $175 per volume and $700 for the whole set for non-members). However, fellows can receive these materials for no charge by having your program director contact Nicole Woodsmall at 904-998-0854. Another option is to become a Menopause Practitioner through the North American Menopause Society. Registration is $200 for members, $400 for nonmembers. The examination will take place on May 16 at 12 locations across the country. There is one additional testing date on September 29 offered only in San Diego.
By all accounts from fellows I’ve spoken to, Endocrine University is a must-attend. Offered March 7 to 12 by the American College of Endocrinology and the Mayo Clinic Division of Endocrinology, it is geared to help fellows entering clinical practice, offering a two-day course and certification on neck ultrasound and ultrasound-guided FNA, a two-day bone density measurement certification, metabolic laboratory certification, and a half day each devoted to hands-on insulin pump and sensor instruction, as well as practice management issues. To participate, you must be in your final year of training, recommended by your program director, and a member of AACE (for fellows, membership is complimentary).
Travel grants of $450 are provided to help defray expenses, and a $300 registration fee is charged. Yours truly will be attending, so look for my column in the spring for more details.
Good luck and happy studying!
Edward C. Chao, DO, is a Fellow at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and is a member of the Endocrine Today Fellows Advisory Board.
Dr. Chao would like to thank Susan Peng, MD, former Endocrine Today Fellows Advisory Board Member, who graduated from his fellowship program last year, for help with some of the above information.