ABEM Sets In-Person Certifying Exam
The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) is requiring a new in-person certifying exam in 2026 as the second step for physicians to become certified. Exam-takers will need to appear in-person at the AIME Center, a professional assessment center in Raleigh, NC. After 2025, the current virtual oral certification exam will no longer be available. The qualifying (written) exam will still be required for certification.
According to ABEM, the new certifying exam will be innovative, assess additional competencies valued by the specialty and important to patient care, and maintain the highest standards in the EM specialty. More information can be found here and on abem.org.
EMRA has released a statement on ABEM’s new certifying exam; the statement can be found here and on emra.org.
Here’s Your Chance to Fly High, Residency Applicants!
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, TX, has launched the first-of-its-kind emergency medicine/aerospace medicine combined residency program. ABEM and the American Board of Preventive Medicine recently approved the 4-year joint residency program, which integrates essential aspects of EM and aerospace medicine for a unique educational and training experience.
This program will equip trainees with a dual skill set in preparation for emergency medical care both on Earth and in space. Curriculum includes immersive rotations, hands-on experiences, and collaborations with experts and organizations in the field. Residents will engage in cutting-edge research, policy development, and training to provide support for space missions.
Applications are being accepted for the inaugural class, which will consist of 2 EM/AM residents and will begin in July. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. For more details about additional eligibility criteria and the application process, visit the program website or utmb.edu. Interested candidates should also email Dietrich Jehle, MD, FACEP, RDMS, atdijehle@utmb.edu and Yvette Schultz at ryschulz@utmb.edu to express their intent to apply.
FoEM Selects Resident Director
Chinwe Anyanwu, DO, MPH, has been appointed the first EMRA representative to serve on the Foundations of EM (FoEM) directors team. Dr. Anyanwu will focus on resident advocacy during her 1-year term.
Dr. Anyanwu is a resident at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth and a graduate of University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Chinwe Anyanwu, DO, MPH
As resident director, Dr. Anyanwu will serve as a spokesperson for resident priorities related to FoEM curricula and projects. She also will lend her perspective to optimize the resident experience by coordinating learning resources and FoEM collaborations, among other duties.
FoEM is a national, free, open-access, online EM curriculum that has been widely adopted in the United States. FoEM offers standardized, level-specific, core content courses for EM residents utilizing learner-centric educational strategies.
ABEM: PDs Must Complete New Attestation for Graduating Residents
The ABEM Board of Directors has approved a new attestation that program directors will be required to complete for each graduating resident beginning in 2024. The new attestation must be completed in addition to questions listed on traditional verification forms. The updated online attestation form requires program directors to attest to the successful completion of individual competencies.
In 2024, responding negatively about a resident’s individual competencies will not affect that resident’s eligibility to apply for initial certification. The 2024 data will help inform ABEM about whether changes should be made, if any, to the verification form that will go into effect in 2025 and count toward board eligibility.
A copy of the attestation can be found here. For more information, visit abem.org.
ABEM Executive Director to Retire
Earl J. Reisdorff, MD, will step down as ABEM executive director after serving in that role for 14 years. His retirement is effective Dec. 31.
Dr. Reisdorff joined ABEM in 2010 as its third executive director in 31 years. He actively sought innovations that would make certification more relevant and convenient for emergency physicians and implemented a system of physician-focused engagement and service.
The search for a new executive director is underway.