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Examination Dates: August 2009
(exact
dates TBD) |
Application Deadline:
November 28, 2008 |
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Examination Location: Thomson Prometric |
Exam Essentials
Exam Information
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Examination Site Issues
If problems arise at the test center, it is the
candidate’s responsibility to inform the test
administrator of any difficulties encountered at the
examination site. In addition, candidates must inform
the ABMG Administrative Office in writing within one
week of the examination of any such difficulties
encountered at the examination site. If a problem
arises, do not leave the test center. Contact the ABMG
Administrative Office at (301) 634-7315. ABMG will do
its best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
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Description of the Examinations
The ABMG examinations consist of one general examination
and four specialty examinations. It is possible for one
individual to take as many as five examinations. The
minimum for all examinees is two examinations: the
General Examination and at least one specialty
examination.
The
General Examination consists of multiple-choice
questions that are distributed among the items included
in the content outline. Each specialty examination
[Clinical Genetics, Clinical Biochemical Genetics,
Clinical Cytogenetics and Clinical Molecular Genetics]
also consists of multiple-choice questions
The
questions have been devised to test not only the
candidate's knowledge, but also the subtler qualities of
discrimination, judgment, and reasoning necessary in a
medical genetics setting. Questions are used that also
evaluate the candidate's judgment as to whether cause
and effect relationships exist. Descriptions of
laboratory situations or problems presented in
narrative, tabular, or graphic form are followed by
questions designed to determine the candidate's
knowledge and comprehension of the situation described.
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Subject Outlines
The General Examination and specialty examinations are
based on the content outline, which can be viewed on the
ABMG website. Please note that the topics are not
intended to be comprehensive lists of test content.
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Specialty Examinations
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Clinical Genetics: The specialty examination
in Clinical Genetics is intended for individuals
with an MD or DO degree (or their equivalent). It is
designed to assess the knowledge, understanding, and
skills required for the competent diagnostic
evaluation, management, and genetic counseling of
patients with genetic disorders and their families.
Examples of knowledge to be tested are provided in
the Content Outline.
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Clinical Biochemical Genetics: The specialty
examination in Clinical Biochemical Genetics is
intended for persons holding a doctoral degree in
medicine, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics,
or a related biological science who have had
appropriate laboratory experience as outlined in the
eligibility requirements. Such experience should
involve a significant amount of clinical interaction
as related to human biochemical genetic
abnormalities. The examination will assess an
individual's competence to serve as a consultant in
the diagnosis and management of patients and
families referred for testing for inborn errors of
metabolism. Examples of knowledge to be tested are
provided in the
Content Outline.
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Clinical Cytogenetics: The specialty
examination in Clinical Cytogenetics is intended for
persons holding a doctoral degree in genetics,
medicine, or a related biological science who have
met the eligibility requirements. It is designed to
assess the basic knowledge and technical and
interpretive skills required to direct a clinical
cytogenetics laboratory providing diagnostic
services. The examination will assess an
individual's competence to serve as a consultant in
the diagnosis and management of patients and
families referred for chromosomal testing, including
those with constitutional or acquired cytogenetic
abnormalities. Examples of knowledge to be tested
are provided in the Content Outline.
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Clinical Molecular Genetics: The specialty
examination in Clinical Molecular Genetics is
intended for persons holding a doctoral degree in
medicine, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics,
or a related field who have had appropriate
laboratory experience as outlined in the eligibility
requirements. Such experience should involve a
significant amount of clinical interaction as
related to human molecular genetic abnormalities.
The examination will assess an individual's
competence to serve as a consultant in the diagnosis
and management of patients and families referred for
molecular genetic testing. Examples of knowledge to
be tested are provided in the
Content Outline.
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Examination Schedule
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The examinations will
take place in August 2009
(exact dates to be
determined). |
|
August 2009 |
Clinical Genetics examination |
| August
2009 |
Biochemical
Genetics examination |
| August
2009 |
General examination |
| August
2009 |
Cytogenetics
examination |
| August
2009 |
Molecular Genetics
examination |
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Test Centers
The examinations can be taken at any time during regular
business hours. Once your application has been approved
and you receive your scheduling permit, you can contact
Thomson Prometric for the hours of the local test center
near you.
The
examinee must contact Thomson Prometric as instructed on
the permit to schedule each examination at an available
time slot on the dates specified above. While most
examinees will be able to take their exams as scheduled,
each center is different and there may be unanticipated
circumstances which delay the start time for an
examination on the scheduled date. Examinees are
encouraged to build some flexibility into their personal
schedules to account for this possibility.
Keep in mind that you will not be admitted into the
test center without your permit and a valid
government-issued photo identification. Do not lose
your scheduling permit!
Note: No special consideration will be given to
examinees who experience delayed start times which do
not compromise the total allotted time available to
complete an examination. Should difficulties at a test
site or other emergencies prohibit an examinee from
taking an examination on his/her scheduled date, the
examinee must contact the ABMG Administrative Office in
writing within one week after the examination. It is,
however, preferable that you contact the ABMG
immediately. Examination irregularities or other
circumstances warranting special consideration will be
reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion
of the ABMG.
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General Test Center Instructions
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Arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes
prior to your scheduled testing time. If you arrive
late you may not be admitted. If you arrive more
than 30 minutes past your testing time you will not
be admitted.
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Bring an unexpired, government-issued form of
identification card (such as a current driver's
license, federal or state identification card, or
passport) that includes your photograph and
signature to be admitted to the examination site.
The first and last name on your identification must
exactly match the name on your admission letter.
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Place all of your personal belongings, including
cellular telephones, pagers, wallets, food and
beverages, in a locker.
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Sign in and a photograph will be taken of you at the
test center.
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Be aware that the standard course of business at
Thomson Prometric is to videotape all testing
sessions.
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You are not allowed to eat, drink, or smoke in the
testing room.
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You are not allowed to bring materials into or take
materials from the testing room.
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Test center staff will supply you with a dry erase
board and marker.
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The ABMG examinations do not include scheduled
breaks. Bathroom breaks may be taken at your
discretion, but testing time does not stop for
breaks. No additional time is provided.
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Books, notes, scratch paper, calculator, watches,
cellular telephones, beeper/pagers, etc. are not
permitted in the testing room. Only an analog watch
(without readouts) can be worn in the testing room.
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Communication between examinees is not permitted
during the examination. An examinee suspected of
trying to give or obtain aid shall be subject to
possible invalidation of scores or other appropriate
action.
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Examinees who complete an examination before the end
of the session may be permitted by the proctor to
leave quietly without disturbing others.
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All fees will be forfeited if the examinee fails to
appear for all or any part of an examination.
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Test-Taking Suggestions
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Pace yourself; you will have an average of 1.2
minutes per question. Do not spend a long time on
one item. If you are unsure of an answer, mark what
you believe to be the correct answer and return to
reconsider it later if you have extra time. Set up
checkpoints during the examination to determine how
well you are pacing yourself.
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Practice using the tutorial provided
so that you are familiar with the computerized
examination format.
 Download
Tutorial
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MARK AN ANSWER FOR EVERY ITEM. Each item answered
correctly is scored as one point. All items are
weighted equally. There is no penalty for wrong
answers. You will be able to go back and modify your
answers before closing that portion of the
examination.
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When you finish the examination, check your work. Be
sure that you marked an answer for each question.
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Have a light meal before the examination. Avoid a
large, heavy meal, which might make you drowsy.
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Wear comfortable clothes and dress in layers.
Testing room temperatures can fluctuate so dressing
in layers allows you to remain as comfortable as
possible. Note that if you bring a jacket or
sweater, the testing center may require you to wear
it or tie it around your waist or shoulders.
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Get plenty of sleep before the examination. Avoid
the use of stimulants.
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A well-planned and extensive review will prepare you
for this examination better than intensive
"cramming."
Scoring
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Scoring the Examination
In this type of examination, no candidate is expected to
know the correct answer to every question. Even if a
candidate is not familiar with all aspects of a
particular question, he or she should answer all
questions, marking for each what is considered to be the
best alternative. There is no additional penalty for a
wrong answer. Blank answers are treated as incorrect
answers.
On
the basis of reliable scoring and reporting techniques
with a variety of checks and verification procedures,
the ABMG is confident that the scores reported for each
examinee are an accurate reflection of the answers
marked. Since this is a computer examination, we do
not offer hand-checks of the answers.
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Reporting of Scores
Official notification of examination results are sent in
writing four months after the examination is
administered. In the interest of maintaining
confidentiality of examinee information, examination
results are not given over the telephone, via fax, or
e-mail.
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Integrity of Scores
The giving or obtaining of unauthorized information or
aid, as evidenced by observation or statistical analysis
of answer, constitutes sufficient cause to invalidate a
candidate's score and to take other appropriate action.
The
integrity of the results reported to candidates for
their performance on these examinations is protected by
every means available. Any score that is deemed not
representative of a reasonable assessment of the
candidate's knowledge or competence as sampled by the
examination shall be deemed irregular. The answers of
all candidates are monitored and may be analyzed
statistically for purposes of detecting irregular
scores.
If
evidence suggests that scores may be irregular, the ABMG
may withhold a candidate's report of results until
determination is made as to whether, in the opinion of
the ABMG, the performance of a candidate is a reasonable
assessment of the knowledge or competency assessed by
the examinations. If the ABMG determines that a score is
irregular, it may invalidate the results and then notify
the candidate of the basis of its decisions.
All
candidates for these examinations must acknowledge that
they are aware of these regulations for maintaining the
integrity of individual scores by signing a statement
included in the examination book.
Board Review Course
The ABMG neither administers nor endorses review courses for
ABMG certification examinations. Furthermore, the ABMG does
not provide content or guidance to organizations offering
review courses. Board members do not participate as faculty
in such courses nor are practice questions abstracted from
previous Board examinations. Participation in review courses
does not ensure successful completion of the certification
examination.
Tutorial
The
tutorial, consisting of practice questions and instructions
for the computer-based examination, has been developed by
the NBME (National Board of Medical Examiners). The
tutorial, which is DOS-based, has been designed specifically
for computers using the Microsoft Windows operating system.
It may not be usable on all computer types.
This
tutorial is a practice exam; the content of this examination
is not to be used as a study guide.
To use
the tutorial on your computer, you must follow three
sequential steps:
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Download the tutorial (.zip format)
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Unzip the file to a directory on your computer. (Download
WinZIP File Compression Utility)
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Start the tutorial by double-clicking on the file "Runtest.bat".
Download
Tutorial (1mb)
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