Resources for Exam Preparation
General Information
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) exam is administered by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) through Pearson VUE Testing Centers on behalf of all of the co-sponsoring boards. AAHPM is not involved in the development of the ABMS certification exam. The following suggestions are to help provide a broad knowledge base in hospice and palliative medicine that may benefit you in your review for the exam.
Who should take the exam?
Certification by an ABMS Member Board has long been considered the gold standard in medical specialty certification. By pursuing board certification, physicians elevate themselves into the ranks of physicians committed to maintaining the highest possible standards for healthcare. ABHPM diplomats who wish to continue to be certified after expiration of their ABHPM certificate will need to take the new certification examination offered by ABMS within the grandfathering period of 2008 – 2012.
Suggested Preparation
1. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH EXAM CONTENT AND BLUEPRINT
ABIM has posted the hospice and palliative medicine certification exam blueprint which includes the content areas covered, their relative percentages, and the approximate number of questions in each area to expect on a typical exam.
2. TAKE THE ABIM SAMPLE TUTORIAL
ABIM has provided a sample on-line tutorial so candidates may familiarize themselves with the look and feel of the computerized testing process.
3. REVIEW TEXTBOOKS
Hospice and Palliative Care Training for Physicians: UNIPAC, 3rd Edition
The Hospice/Palliative Care Training for Physicians self study program. The 3rd edition of this program consists of nine self-study books that may be ordered individually or as a complete set. These introductory level texts are designed to orient the reader to the field. They are not sufficient by themselves to serve as comprehensive review for the exam, but are an excellent resource, especially for practitioners new to the field.
A list of specialty texts that had formerly been recommended by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine for review purposes in listed below in Other Suggested Resources and Study Guides.
4. TAKE AN ONLINE COURSE- Several comprehensive online courses are available:
The Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Oncology (EPEC-O) CD-ROM
EPEC
Curriculum contained on this CD-Rom is a comprehensive curriculum in palliative and end-of-life care developed specifically for clinicians caring for persons with cancer. Available for order at http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/epeco. Other EPEC workshops and on-line learning tools are available at the EPEC Project website: http://www.epec.net/EPEC/Webpages/index.cfm.
Stanford End-of-Life Care Curriculum for Medical Teachers
Stanford University
The Stanford Faculty Development Center developed a 16 hour faculty development course incorporating basic material designed to be used by physicians in any area of expertise. This Web-based course is an adaptation of materials developed for that course.
5. REMAIN UP-TO-DATE
Continue to keep abreast of the current evidence in the field.
PC-FACS (Fast Article Critical Summaries for Clinicians in Palliative Care)
Remain up-to-date with the current evidence in the field with these concise summaries of important findings from more than 30 medical and scientific journals.
Fast Facts
Fast Facts - free, one page summaries for 195 critical topics in Hospice & Palliative Medicine. Peer reviewed, evidence based and can be searched using keywords; a good place to search when looking for resources on a specific topic.
Palliative Care JournalClub
Pallimed - A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog
6. ATTEND A REVIEW COURSE
AAHPM - Current Concepts in Palliative Care: Update and Review Course - Registration Closed
Date: August 28-30, 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
This annual course provides a thorough review of the current practice of palliative medicine, including clinical advancements and research updates. The purpose of the course is to improve the quality of patient care by preparing physicians and other health care providers to integrate palliative care into all health care for serious or life-threatening conditions and to ensure that pain and symptom control, psychosocial distress, spiritual issues and practical needs are addressed with patients and their families throughout the continuum of care.
AAHPM - Current Concepts in Palliative Care Course CD-ROM - Enduring Material Available
Updated version with content from the 2008 course will be available mid-September. This CD-ROM provides a thorough review of the current practice of palliative medicine, including clinical advancements and research updates.
Hospice & Palliative Care Practice Review Course
Sponsor: University of South Florida
Date: September 13-14, 2008
Location: Clearwater, Florida
This course is for physicians interested in preparing for the ABMS certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, needing a comprehensive review and update on current practice. It is also for physicians interested in reviewing the practice of hospice and palliative medicine, and assessing their competency in the 8 domains of Hospice and Palliative Medicine used for the HPM Certification Exam blueprint, including case-based sample test questions.
Intensive Board Review Course in Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Sponsor: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Date: September 30 - October 2, 2008
Location: Houston, Texas
Practical Aspects of Palliative Care Course
Sponsor: Harvard Medical School
Date: October 10-12, 2008
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
This three-day course is designed to offer physicians and other clinicians the information and skills needed to provide high-quality, specialist-level palliative care to patients with life-threatening illnesses in a variety of practice settings. Through plenaries and workshops, participants will develop a toolbox of palliative care competencies and will learn form colleagues facing similar practice challenges. The course will address the assessment and management of physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and existential sources of suffering experienced by patients and their families.
7. TAKE THE PRACTICE TEST
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician Assessment and Self-Study Tool (HPM PASS)
The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician Assessment & Self Study Tool includes up to 150 test questions to help assess your knowledge in key areas of hospice and palliative medicine and uncover areas where additional review may be helpful.
8. STAY CURRENT - with the Rules and Logistics for Taking the Examination
Read carefully everything that you receive from your primary board concerning the instructions for registering for the exam.
Other Suggested Resources and Study Guides
Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine, Third Edition
Doyle D, Hanks G, Cherny N, Calman K, 2003
ASCO Curriculum: Optimizing Cancer Care - The Importance of Symptom Management
American Society of Clinical Oncology
EPEC Project: Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine
StopPain.org
Beth Israel Medical Center Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care
Principles and Practice of Palliative Care and Supportive Oncology, Third Edition
Berger A, Shuster J, Von Roenn J, 2006
A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients, Second Edition
Abrahm, J 2005.
Palliative Medicine: Evidence-based symptomatic and supportive care for patientes with advanced cancer, Fourth Edition
Woodruff R, 2004
Pain, 2nd Edition - Clinical Manual
McCaffery M, Pasero C, 1999
Palliative Medicine: A Case-Based Manual
MacDonald N, 1998.
Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, Care of Terminally Ill Patient
Schonwetter R, 1996
Textbook of Pain
Wall P, Melzack R, 1997
Topics in Palliative Care, Vols. 1-5
Portenoy R, Bruera E
Center to Advance Palliative Care Additional Resources and Websites
CAPC
Palliative Care & Rehabilitation Medicine Resources & Links
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Palliative Care Specialty Journals
Journal of Palliative Medicine
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Journal of Palliative Care
Palliative Medicine
Palliative and Supportive Care
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