ABMS Member Boards Oral Exams Go Virtual

ABMS News Release (07/01/20)

A number of American Board of Medical Specialties Member Boards have transitioned from delaying oral exams to moving them online. The American Board of Surgery ran successful virtual exam pilots for its General Surgery Certifying Examinations (CE) in May and June, and a survey of all general surgery and vascular surgery candidates who qualify to take a CE in the 2020-21 academic year found that 54% preferred remote administration. Meanwhile, an American Board of Ophthalmology poll found nearly 80% of candidates favored a virtual oral exam and almost 90% were willing to participate in a pilot project. The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation will shift its in-person 2020 Part II Examination to a virtual exam this fall, while the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) will switch its in-person ABOS Oral Examination to an online ABOS Case Based Examination for 2020. Meanwhile, the American Board of Emergency Medicine's Board of Directors is reviewing all options for its Oral Certification Examination, with an update expected soon.

Read More