Board Certification in Child Neurology and Neurology: Cohort Study

Abstract

This study followed the progress of a cohort of child neurology and neurology graduates who sought certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). The 211 candidates were recent graduates when they initiated the certification process in October 1994, and 92% of them have achieved certification. First-attempt performances on the Part I and Part II examinations were related; 62% of those certified passed both on their first attempts. Of those who were certified, 24% also achieved certification in at least one additional ABPN specialty (psychiatry) or subspecialty (clinical neurophysiology, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and pain medicine). Overall, it was estimated that 82% of the 1994 child neurology and neurology graduates sought ABPN certification, and of these, 82% were successful.