The first certifying examination in geriatric medicine.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Medical Education
• Professional Certification

Background:

• The first Certifying Examination in Geriatric Medicine was established in 1988.
• This examination was a joint effort by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP).
• A cohort of 4,282 diplomates took the examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the performance on the 2023 Geriatric Medicine certifying examination.
• To investigate the relationship between examination performance and various examinee characteristics.
• To identify factors associated with success in geriatric medicine certification.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the 1988 Geriatric Medicine certifying examination.
• Correlation of examination performance with examinee characteristics gathered during registration.
• Statistical analysis of pass rates and performance metrics.

Main Results:

• The overall pass rate for the examination was 56%.
• Higher performance was associated with higher scores on general certifying exams and specific geriatric medicine training.
• Practice characteristics positively correlated with performance included extensive geriatric patient contact (hospitals, nursing homes, home settings), university hospital affiliation, teaching/research roles, and larger community practice sizes.
• Physicians in long-term care settings performed exceptionally well.
• Solo practice and for-profit practice settings were negatively correlated with examination performance.

Conclusions:

• Geriatric medicine certification performance is linked to specialized training and practice environment.
• Experience with elderly patient populations, particularly in long-term care and academic settings, is associated with better examination outcomes.
• Practice அமைப்பு (solo vs. group, for-profit vs. non-profit) influences performance on geriatric medicine certification exams.