Advances in the Cognitive Science and Their Implications for ABFM Knowledge Assessment

Since the founding of American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) in 1969, there have been major advances in the cognitive sciences of learning, memory retention, and problem solving. How should these insights shape knowledge assessment in ABFM’s Board certification portfolio? To help answer this question, ABFM, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) commissioned an independent review of the relevant literature related to Board Certification, providing support with a commitment to relinquish any editorial control. The product of this work, Conceptual Foundations of Board Certification, has been posted online.1 The University of Pittsburgh team conducted an exhaustive narrative review with references from many professions dating back to the 1970s. They provide a theoretical context, give formal strength of evidence ratings and emphasized the implications for board certification and provided formal strength of evidence ratings. They reach 4 main conclusions: Cognitive skills must be kept current Self-assessment is not enough Testing enhances learning and retention Goals and consequences motivate Readers are encouraged to review this seminal work. This editorial briefly summarizes the main results and then focuses on implications for ABFM and our specialty going forward.