research Performance Evaluation of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-4) on the Family Medicine In-Training Examination Read Performance Evaluation of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-4) on the Family Medicine In-Training Examination
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Home Continue Certification NEW! 5-Year Cycle Continue Certification NEW! 5-Year Cycle To meet the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Assessment Standards for Continuing Certification effective January 1, 2024, ABFM will begin the transition to Certification 2025, the new Continuous Certification 5-Year Cycle (5-Year Cycle) on January 1, 2025. At-A-Glance Beginning in 2025, all ABFM Diplomates will transition to the 5-Year Cycle in the year their next exam requirement is due. The 5-Year Cycle is built on the same four foundational components that make up the current certification process, and includes continuous compliance with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, completion of certification activities, Continuing Medical Education, and ongoing participation in cognitive assessment. Learn More Below You never have to take the one-day exam to maintain your certification unless you want to. Instead of applying for the one-day exam, you will start answering 25 quarterly exam questions through the longitudinal assessment. However, if you prefer the one-day exam, you can opt to take it in year four of your 5-Year Cycle. Similar to the current certification process, you can choose from a variety of Self-Assessment and Performance Improvement activities to earn certification points, and submit CME credits you’ve recently completed. 5-Year Cycle Requirements The new 5-Year Cycle includes continuous compliance with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, completion of certification activities, Continuing Medical Education, and ongoing participation in cognitive assessment. Certification Exam: Answer 25 quarterly exam questions (longitudinal assessment) or opt to take the one-day exam. Certification Activities: Earn 60 certification points through Self-Assessment and Performance Improvement activities. Continuing Medical Education: Earn 200 CME credits. Professionalism and Licensure: Continuously comply with ABFM’s Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, which includes maintaining active, valid, and full license(s) to practice medicine in the United States or Canada. Annual Fee: Submit annual certification fee. Want to learn more? Log in to your MyABFM Portfolio today! Transitioning to the 5-Year Cycle You will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle any earlier than 10 years from when you last met your exam requirement. For example, if you met your last exam requirement in 2022, you will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle until 2032. To determine when you will transition to the 5-Year Cycle, please visit your MyABFM Portfolio. MyABFM Portfolio Longitudinal Assessment Exam Overview The longitudinal assessment consists of answering 25 online exam questions every quarter over three to four years. You can choose whatever day, time, and location to answer the timed questions, and can answer all 25 in one session or spaced throughout the quarter. You can use references (except another person) just as you would in your own practice and will receive immediate feedback on what you got right or wrong. Learn More About Longitudinal Assessment Certification Activities The 5-Year Cycle includes earning 60 certification points through Self-Assessment and Performance Improvement activities. After completing at least one Self-Assessment and one Performance Improvement activity, you can choose any combination of approved activities to meet the 60 point requirement. Additionally, successfully completing the longitudinal assessment (exam) awards 10 certification points. Learn More About Certification Activities Continuing Medical Education The 5-Year Cycle includes earning 200 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, with at least 50% from Division I. You can earn CME by completing ABFM certification activities, or other programs awarding AAFP, AMA, or AOA-approved CME. Learn More About CME Requirements Professionalism All ABFM Diplomates are required to comply with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct to maintain board certification. Learn More About Professionalism Requirements 5-Year Cycle Registration Registration for the 5-Year Cycle will be available in the summer for Diplomates whose next exam requirement is due in the following year. (For example, if your next exam requirement is due in 2027, registration for the 5-Year Cycle will be available to you in summer 2026.) We recommend completing registration as soon as possible to ensure you have the maximum time to complete longitudinal assessment exam questions and avoid late fees. Please note, you cannot access registration and begin the longitudinal assessment until all 3-year stage requirements are complete. For more information about registration for the 5-Year Cycle, visit your MyABFM Portfolio. Registration Information Booklet To assist you with the 5-Year Cycle registration process, ABFM provides you with a Registration Information Booklet that includes a comprehensive description of our requirements and policies. We recommend you read this thoroughly before beginning the registration process. 2025 Registration Information Booklet 2025 Important Dates October 4, 2024 Registration Opens January 1, 2025 2025 Quarter 1 longitudinal assessment exam questions available February 28, 2025 Last day to submit registration without incurring a late fee ($100) March 10, 2024 Last day to complete registration process (with $100 non-refundable late fee) for Q1 longitudinal assessment participation March 24, 2025 Last day to clear pending registration requirements Match 31, 2025 Deadline to complete Q1 longitudinal assessment exam questions Benefits The new 5-Year Cycle provides the choice to customize how you meet your certification requirements! Benefits of the new certification process include: Never have to take the one-day exam again to maintain your certification unless you want to. Continuous learning by answering 25 quarterly exam questions and receiving immediate feedback. More time and flexibility to complete your certification activities. A fifth year off if you complete all requirements in four years. Learn More! Want to learn more about the new 5-Year Cycle and find out when you’ll make the transition? Visit your MyABFM Portfolio now! MyABFM Portfolio 5-Year Cycle FAQs Expand All Collapse All Why is the Continuous Certification Process Changing to a 5-Year Cycle? To meet the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Assessment Standards for Continuing Certification, the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) will transition to Certification 2025, a new continuous certification 5-Year Cycle (5-Year Cycle), effective January 1, 2025. The ABMS standard for continuing certification states that “member boards must determine an interval no longer than five years of whether a Diplomate is meeting continuing certification requirements to retain each certificate.” This change will help Diplomates maintain awareness of increasingly rapid medical advancements and changes in practice guidelines. Who is ABMS and why is ABFM conforming to their standards? The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit organization who serves the public and the medical profession by improving the quality of health care through setting professional standards for medical specialty practice and certification in partnership with its 24 certifying Member Boards. As one of the 24 member boards of ABMS, ABFM is governed by ABMS certification standards and policies and will be the 17th board to transition to the new ABMS standards. Will there be any changes to the annual certification fee? No, there will be no change to the annual certification fee in 2025. ABFM’s annual certification fee has not increased since 2012. When will this new 5-Year Cycle take effect? The 5-Year Cycle will begin on January 1, 2025. Every ABFM Diplomate will be enrolled in the new 5-Year Cycle when their next exam requirement is due. ABFM will honor your current 10-year exam. This means you will not be required to complete your exam any earlier than 10 years from the last time you met your exam requirement. For example, if you met your exam requirement in 2022, you will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle until January 1, 2032. Could you tell me more about the options to meet the exam requirement? To maintain your certification, you never need to take the one-day exam again (unless you want to). Going forward, you can complete your exam requirement by answering 25 quarterly questions (longitudinal assessment) over 3-4 years until you complete 300 questions or opt to take the traditional one-day exam. Why is the longitudinal assessment at the center of the 5-Year Cycle? Since launching the the longitudinal assessment in 2019, approximately 34,000 family physicians have participated to meet their exam requirement. The outcomes have been outstanding, with satisfaction over 95%, 99% retention year to year, and significant reduction in test anxiety. Most important, family physicians report they are learning as they participate. The longitudinal assessment replaces the traditional one-day exam, meaning you never have to take the one-day exam again to maintain your certification, unless you want to. What are the advantages of the quarterly exam questions (longitudinal assessment) versus the one-day exam? Why should I participate? Answering 25 open book, quarterly questions is a flexible, convenient option for meeting the exam requirement. You may use references — in keeping with how medicine is practiced — and get immediate feedback on what you got right or wrong. You can answer the quarterly online questions whenever and wherever you choose. Participating in this option reflects your dedication to lifelong learning, staying up to date with full scope knowledge, your willingness to be assessed, and commitment to continuous certification.
At-A-Glance Beginning in 2025, all ABFM Diplomates will transition to the 5-Year Cycle in the year their next exam requirement is due. The 5-Year Cycle is built on the same four foundational components that make up the current certification process, and includes continuous compliance with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, completion of certification activities, Continuing Medical Education, and ongoing participation in cognitive assessment. Learn More Below
Transitioning to the 5-Year Cycle You will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle any earlier than 10 years from when you last met your exam requirement. For example, if you met your last exam requirement in 2022, you will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle until 2032. To determine when you will transition to the 5-Year Cycle, please visit your MyABFM Portfolio. MyABFM Portfolio
2025 Important Dates October 4, 2024 Registration Opens January 1, 2025 2025 Quarter 1 longitudinal assessment exam questions available February 28, 2025 Last day to submit registration without incurring a late fee ($100) March 10, 2024 Last day to complete registration process (with $100 non-refundable late fee) for Q1 longitudinal assessment participation March 24, 2025 Last day to clear pending registration requirements Match 31, 2025 Deadline to complete Q1 longitudinal assessment exam questions
Learn More! Want to learn more about the new 5-Year Cycle and find out when you’ll make the transition? Visit your MyABFM Portfolio now! MyABFM Portfolio
5-Year Cycle FAQs Expand All Collapse All Why is the Continuous Certification Process Changing to a 5-Year Cycle? To meet the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Assessment Standards for Continuing Certification, the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) will transition to Certification 2025, a new continuous certification 5-Year Cycle (5-Year Cycle), effective January 1, 2025. The ABMS standard for continuing certification states that “member boards must determine an interval no longer than five years of whether a Diplomate is meeting continuing certification requirements to retain each certificate.” This change will help Diplomates maintain awareness of increasingly rapid medical advancements and changes in practice guidelines. Who is ABMS and why is ABFM conforming to their standards? The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit organization who serves the public and the medical profession by improving the quality of health care through setting professional standards for medical specialty practice and certification in partnership with its 24 certifying Member Boards. As one of the 24 member boards of ABMS, ABFM is governed by ABMS certification standards and policies and will be the 17th board to transition to the new ABMS standards. Will there be any changes to the annual certification fee? No, there will be no change to the annual certification fee in 2025. ABFM’s annual certification fee has not increased since 2012. When will this new 5-Year Cycle take effect? The 5-Year Cycle will begin on January 1, 2025. Every ABFM Diplomate will be enrolled in the new 5-Year Cycle when their next exam requirement is due. ABFM will honor your current 10-year exam. This means you will not be required to complete your exam any earlier than 10 years from the last time you met your exam requirement. For example, if you met your exam requirement in 2022, you will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle until January 1, 2032. Could you tell me more about the options to meet the exam requirement? To maintain your certification, you never need to take the one-day exam again (unless you want to). Going forward, you can complete your exam requirement by answering 25 quarterly questions (longitudinal assessment) over 3-4 years until you complete 300 questions or opt to take the traditional one-day exam. Why is the longitudinal assessment at the center of the 5-Year Cycle? Since launching the the longitudinal assessment in 2019, approximately 34,000 family physicians have participated to meet their exam requirement. The outcomes have been outstanding, with satisfaction over 95%, 99% retention year to year, and significant reduction in test anxiety. Most important, family physicians report they are learning as they participate. The longitudinal assessment replaces the traditional one-day exam, meaning you never have to take the one-day exam again to maintain your certification, unless you want to. What are the advantages of the quarterly exam questions (longitudinal assessment) versus the one-day exam? Why should I participate? Answering 25 open book, quarterly questions is a flexible, convenient option for meeting the exam requirement. You may use references — in keeping with how medicine is practiced — and get immediate feedback on what you got right or wrong. You can answer the quarterly online questions whenever and wherever you choose. Participating in this option reflects your dedication to lifelong learning, staying up to date with full scope knowledge, your willingness to be assessed, and commitment to continuous certification.
Why is the Continuous Certification Process Changing to a 5-Year Cycle? To meet the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Assessment Standards for Continuing Certification, the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) will transition to Certification 2025, a new continuous certification 5-Year Cycle (5-Year Cycle), effective January 1, 2025. The ABMS standard for continuing certification states that “member boards must determine an interval no longer than five years of whether a Diplomate is meeting continuing certification requirements to retain each certificate.” This change will help Diplomates maintain awareness of increasingly rapid medical advancements and changes in practice guidelines.
Who is ABMS and why is ABFM conforming to their standards? The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit organization who serves the public and the medical profession by improving the quality of health care through setting professional standards for medical specialty practice and certification in partnership with its 24 certifying Member Boards. As one of the 24 member boards of ABMS, ABFM is governed by ABMS certification standards and policies and will be the 17th board to transition to the new ABMS standards.
Will there be any changes to the annual certification fee? No, there will be no change to the annual certification fee in 2025. ABFM’s annual certification fee has not increased since 2012.
When will this new 5-Year Cycle take effect? The 5-Year Cycle will begin on January 1, 2025. Every ABFM Diplomate will be enrolled in the new 5-Year Cycle when their next exam requirement is due. ABFM will honor your current 10-year exam. This means you will not be required to complete your exam any earlier than 10 years from the last time you met your exam requirement. For example, if you met your exam requirement in 2022, you will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle until January 1, 2032.
Could you tell me more about the options to meet the exam requirement? To maintain your certification, you never need to take the one-day exam again (unless you want to). Going forward, you can complete your exam requirement by answering 25 quarterly questions (longitudinal assessment) over 3-4 years until you complete 300 questions or opt to take the traditional one-day exam.
Why is the longitudinal assessment at the center of the 5-Year Cycle? Since launching the the longitudinal assessment in 2019, approximately 34,000 family physicians have participated to meet their exam requirement. The outcomes have been outstanding, with satisfaction over 95%, 99% retention year to year, and significant reduction in test anxiety. Most important, family physicians report they are learning as they participate. The longitudinal assessment replaces the traditional one-day exam, meaning you never have to take the one-day exam again to maintain your certification, unless you want to.
What are the advantages of the quarterly exam questions (longitudinal assessment) versus the one-day exam? Why should I participate? Answering 25 open book, quarterly questions is a flexible, convenient option for meeting the exam requirement. You may use references — in keeping with how medicine is practiced — and get immediate feedback on what you got right or wrong. You can answer the quarterly online questions whenever and wherever you choose. Participating in this option reflects your dedication to lifelong learning, staying up to date with full scope knowledge, your willingness to be assessed, and commitment to continuous certification.
