This may be an option particularly for those with a “gap” between the end of residency and the start of a fellowship in which they may be working for a period of time in practice prior to the start of additional training.ĭeciding to delay the certification exam is generally a decision based on the balance between feeling adequately prepared for the exam and not having too much time elapse between the beginning of board eligibility and the potential loss of general medical knowledge. However, others choose to wait for several reasons, including gaining additional time to study or to obtain some degree of clinical experience before taking the exam. Those entering a subspecialty fellowship often take the exam at this point in order to allow more focused concentration on subspecialty content without needing to go back and review the remainder of general medicine. This is logical since your knowledge of the overall field of internal medicine should be high immediately following residency, particularly if you have studied regularly and possibly had additional board review as part of your training. Most residents will take the initial certification examination at the first possible opportunity following completion of training. Alyssa Stephenson, board president, stated that the NBPME intends to work with stakeholders including state licensing boards to determine the best path forward to continue to meet the goal of protecting the public health by examining all skills that are essential for safe independent practice.When should I take the internal medicine board certification exam? All affected students will be contacted after details have been completed.ĭr. NBPME CANCELS PART II CSPE FOR THE CLASS OF 2021Īt a meeting Tuesday, February 9, 2021, the board decided that the many complications created by the global pandemic have made it impossible to continue the Clinical Skills Patient Encounter examination currently underway.Īll candidates who have tested or scheduled will be reimbursed for the test fee and appropriate travel expenses. NBPME is committed to the clinical skills program, and to providing routine updates to the stakeholders of our profession, including the AACPM, APMA, APMSA, CPME and FPMB, as we work alongside NBOME to further our mission and to create an examination that is valid, reliable and cost-effective. Although it may be possible, it is unlikely that a new design would be developed, piloted and ready for administration for the Class of 2022. Investigation and evaluation of alternatives has only begun. The CSPE examination is currently suspended. Boards have either continued to test or said they are suspending the current version of their examinations while pursuing alternate designs. To date, no groups have abandoned this examination. That perspective is also shared by other licensing boards, including NBME and NBOME. It was acknowledged that the first version of CSPE examination was unpopular among the student population mainly because of the expense to candidates.ĭuring the development, pilot process and then with the actual administration of the first version of the examination, the board became convinced of the appropriateness of testing these unique skills that are crucial to safe, effective, independent practice. The decision was also made to start an investigation into alternatives to the suspended version of the clinical skills patient encounter examination. The NBPME has unanimously voted that the CSPE represents a unique, valid, reliable examination that tests skills not being tested in the Parts I, II, and III written examinations. The issue should be taken up in the proper venue.