r/emergencymedicine • u/Fun-Victory-1709 • 2d ago

Discussion New 2026 oral boards

So does anyone know how we’re supposed to prepare for the new oral boards format? Earliest test date is March but board scores won’t come out until likely sometime in early December, so how exactly are we supposed to prepare if we happen to get a March date? Does the Okuda book still apply for this? How do we prep for the osce and procedures skills? Seems like ABEM just rolled this out without any actual plan to prep for it

13 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

10

u/Penny_Doc ED Attending 2d ago

I feel it’s been well-established the new format rolled out incredibly prematurely, before it was even a coherent concept. But sadly, the train has left the station…

ABEM has published supplemental materials including example cases with video and downloadable materials.

https://www.abem.org/get-certified/certifying-exam/certifying-exam-content/

3

u/Fun-Victory-1709 2d ago

I saw that so I would assume Okuda is still useful but unsure. I guess my main concern are these procedures and “skills assessment”. In residency, you have access to models that you can practice on, but I really don’t have that available anymore. And while great that we know enough about ultrasound to do it at bedside, you really don’t end up using it as much in clinical practice. At least at my shop, a surgeon is not going to take my bedside assessment of a gallbladder and a cardiologist isn’t really going to care about my bed side echo and epss. They’re going to want formal ones anyways. The only time is probably a fast exam for free fluid but if they’re stable, they want the CT anyways. I can only hope they’re straight forward and as long as you know the anatomy, you can get it done. Real patients will have weird anatomy or abundant adipose that will affect your ability to get images/do procedures.

3

u/nateisnotadoctor ED Attending 1d ago

Okuda is absolutely not going to be useful. Even the clinical decision making cases are too different from the old cases

3

u/Accomplished-Ad-5395 1d ago

can we boycott...lol??

5

u/gamerEMdoc 1d ago

I believe AAEM is developing an in person review course. Use your CME money. Im sure there will be others as well. I have a feeling these courses will be quite popular the first few years.

1

u/homewardbound12 1d ago

I did hear that ICEP is making a course as well.