Requirements for Sleep Boards, ABIM

[HomerSD]

Can someone help clarify some of the requirements for sitting for the Sleep boards for the ABIM? My current understanding is starting with the 2009 admin of the boards, applicants who complete their training after June 1, 2008 cannot apply via the practice pathway and must complete an ACGME accredited sleep fellowship (training pathway).

However, the ABIM website notes:
"For the first five years, the first three examinations, (2007, 2009, 2011), ABIM diplomates who have not completed 12 months of formal training in sleep medicine following training in internal medicine or a subspecialty will be eligible to apply for the sleep medicine examination"

So, if I don't complete formal training and simply satify the PSG and patient pre-reqs, I'll be eligible? My current institution does not have a formal fellowship and wishes me to stay and do my training informally.

Thanks for any help.

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[michaelrack]

You'll be elgible for the practice pathway through 2011. However, all of the patients/sleep studies used to meet the practice pathway requirements must be done outside of a fellowship program. In other words, you can't use time spent in pulm fellowship or unaccredited sleep fellowships to meet practice pathway requirements, you must only count time spent in private practice or as an academic attending.

 

[HomerSD]

Dr. Rack:

Thanks for the helpful reply. You mentioned any clinical sleep work done as an attending would count towards the Practice pathway. So, if I stayed on as a junior faculty member and happened to see sleep patients, this would be acceptable (as opposed to a 4th year pulm fellow working in an unaccredited sleep fellowship)? Would it matter that I was staffing all patients with a sleep attending? My concern would be that in either situation, I would be working essentially in an unaccredited sleep fellowship, with the only difference being having my title be a fellow vs a junior attending.

 

[michaelrack]

Dr. Rack:

Thanks for the helpful reply. You mentioned any clinical sleep work done as an attending would count towards the Practice pathway. So, if I stayed on as a junior faculty member and happened to see sleep patients, this would be acceptable (as opposed to a 4th year pulm fellow working in an unaccredited sleep fellowship)? Would it matter that I was staffing all patients with a sleep attending? My concern would be that in either situation, I would be working essentially in an unaccredited sleep fellowship, with the only difference being having my title be a fellow vs a junior attending.

If your title is fellow, that time wouldn't count towards the practice pathway.. I think that being a junior faculty member would count, even if you're staffing the patients, as long as you are no longer "in training." Not sure, though. sorry. you may want to contact the ABIM.