Phoenix Newsletter - October 2025 President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change Read President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change
Home Research Research Library The ABFM begins to use differential item functioning The ABFM begins to use differential item functioning 2013 Author(s) O’Neill, Thomas R, Peabody, Michael R, and Puffer, James C Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise Volume Annals of Family Medicine Source Annals of Family Medicine The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) believes that it is important to have evidence to show that the pass-fail decisions related to its examinations are based upon accurately determining the minimum knowledge necessary to be a board certified family physician, and furthermore, that these decisions are unbiased against any particular subset of the population. Accordingly, as part of the ABFM’s commitment to continuously improve the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) process, the ABFM has started using differential item functioning (DIF) procedures to detect potentially biased items on its examinations. Although gender information has been collected for some time from examination applicants, we began collecting ethnicity data for applicants taking the MC-FP exam this past spring so that we could begin to conduct these analyses. ABFM Research Read all 2005 Listening to the diplomates: physicians’ feedback on Self-Assessment Modules Go to Listening to the diplomates: physicians’ feedback on Self-Assessment Modules 2025 Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment Go to Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment 2011 Performance on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination: are superior test-taking skills alone sufficient to pass? Go to Performance on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination: are superior test-taking skills alone sufficient to pass? 1993 Performances of family practice diplomates on successive mandatory recertification examinations Go to Performances of family practice diplomates on successive mandatory recertification examinations
Author(s) O’Neill, Thomas R, Peabody, Michael R, and Puffer, James C Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise Volume Annals of Family Medicine Source Annals of Family Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2005 Listening to the diplomates: physicians’ feedback on Self-Assessment Modules Go to Listening to the diplomates: physicians’ feedback on Self-Assessment Modules 2025 Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment Go to Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment 2011 Performance on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination: are superior test-taking skills alone sufficient to pass? Go to Performance on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination: are superior test-taking skills alone sufficient to pass? 1993 Performances of family practice diplomates on successive mandatory recertification examinations Go to Performances of family practice diplomates on successive mandatory recertification examinations
2005 Listening to the diplomates: physicians’ feedback on Self-Assessment Modules Go to Listening to the diplomates: physicians’ feedback on Self-Assessment Modules
2025 Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment Go to Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment
2011 Performance on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination: are superior test-taking skills alone sufficient to pass? Go to Performance on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination: are superior test-taking skills alone sufficient to pass?
1993 Performances of family practice diplomates on successive mandatory recertification examinations Go to Performances of family practice diplomates on successive mandatory recertification examinations
