acific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2018 - 18

PCSO Business

American Board of Orthodontics Report,
Summer 2018
Dr. Jae Hyun Park
Director, American Board
of Orthodontics

Clinical Exam Update
In January 2018, the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) announced a change in the board
certification process to a Scenario-based Oral
Clinical Examination.
This decision was based on extensive research,
specialty board reviews, and collaboration with
industry leaders that identified the need to
improve our testing methodology to better
assess clinical competency and critical thinking
skills. The new examination format includes
assessments in four domains. Benefits of the
exam include improved testing methodology,
testing of critical thinking skills and clinical competency, removal of unnecessary barriers, and a
more level playing field.
The change was communicated via email, in an
AAO podcast, and in an article in the AJO-DO. In
addition, the ABO hosted open house/info sessions during the 2018 AAO Annual Session in
Washington, DC, which were very well attended.
ABO directors were on hand to answer questions
on the examination and provide sample cases
and a study guide for review. In addition, a workshop for educators and advocates provided additional details on the examination format.
Traditional Clinical Examination, with case submission requirements, will be offered by petition
only in September 2018 and February 2019. The
Scenario-based Oral Examination will be offered
starting with the February 2019 examination.
The ABO encourages examinees to continue to
work through patient cases and utilize the tools
created by the ABO, including the Discrepancy
Index (DI), Cast-Radiograph Evaluation (CRE), Case
Management Form (CMF), and cephalometric
superimpositions, to assess care outcomes.

The ABO conducted Clinical Examinations in February, September 2017, and February 2018. A total
of 335 examinees were certified or recertified at
these exams. A complete listing of newly certified or recertified orthodontists by constituent
can be found on the News page of the ABO website. Upcoming examination dates and fees are
also listed on the website.
Please visit www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com for
additional details on the above items.
Written Examination Update
The 2018 ABO Written Examination was administered April 10-13, 2018, to 414 examinees at Pearson Vue Testing Centers throughout the U.S. and
Canada. The reliability of the examination was
92%, with a 96% pass rate. The next Written
Examination will be offered April 9-12, 2019. Eligible individuals may register for this exam starting on September 4, 2018.
Educational Update
Elements of the educational toolkit have been
updated to reflect the new Scenario-based Oral
Clinical Examination, including:
 Consumer Brochure
 ABO Gauge Brochure
 ABO Pyramid

These password-protected items may be found
on the ABO website for use by board-certified
orthodontists only.
The ABO launched new software to enhance the
functionality of the ABO website. Benefits of the
upgrade include an enhanced orthodontist locator, an option to add a professional headshot
to oneís profile, an option to edit/add personal
and practice information with unlimited offices,
increased security, user-specific dashboard notifications, an option to view payment history, an
option to upload and track CE credits, and an
option to print a complimentary verification letter.

PCSO Bulletin  Summer 2018

http://www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com http://www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com http://www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com http://www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com http://www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com http://www.AmericanBoardOrtho.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of acific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2018