Extract
Passing the written and oral examinations is a requirement for
certification for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). Residents
and residency program directors alike consider passing "The
Boards" to be a priority. Part I of the ABOS examination consists of
over 300 multiple-choice questions designed to test the candidate's knowledge
in general orthopaedics, basic science, and the application of this knowledge.
Part II is an oral examination administered to evaluate the candidate's
competence in areas such as data gathering and interpretation, diagnosis,
treatment, and technical skills. Passing the ABOS Part-I examination the first
time is crucial to avoid delays in taking Part II and attaining board
certification. In 2002, 553 (89%) of 623 first-time test-takers passed the
ABOS Part-I examination. If one were to include repeat examinees, 637 (79%) of
805 passed1. The
passing rate after one or more failures is dramatically lower than that for
first-time examinees. In 2002, there were 182 repeat test-takers, of whom
ninety-eight failed (a 54% failure rate), demonstrating the importance of
passing the first
time1. This suggests
that inadequate training and preparation of an orthopaedic knowledge base for
this examination during residency may be difficult to correct after an initial
failure of the ABOS Part-I examination.