Overview of ABP Training Requirements for Subspeciatlty Certification

• ABP Charge to Local SOC Committees
• ABP Definition of Scholarly Activities
• ABP Examples of Work Product of Scholarly Activity
  
  

UCSF SOC Expectations for an Acceptable Work Product of Scholarly Activity

• ABP Requirements for Application for Board Certifying Exam
• ABP Comprehensive Overview of Board Certification Process [PDF]
• ABP Training Requirements for Subspecialty Certification [PDF]
  
  

• Year 1 Fellowship
• Year 2 Fellowship
• Year 3 Fellowship

The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) instituted new requirements for subspecialty certification for all fellows beginning their training July 1, 2004, and thereafter. In this the ABP reaffirmed that the “goal of fellowship training will continue to be the development of future academic pediatricians” and that “a clinical-only pathway is not acceptable to the ABP. All fellows must demonstrate evidence of scholarly activity.” New to these requirements was the decision that the review of scholarly activity would occur at the local level by a Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC) consisting of three or more individuals, at least one of whom is outside the subspecialty discipline. The trainee’s mentors and program director can advice but cannot be a standing member of the oversight committee.

ABP Charge to Local SOC Committees

• Determine whether a specific activity is appropriate to meet ABP guidelines for scholarly activity
• Determine a course of preparation beyond the core fellowship curriculum to ensure successful completion of the project
• Evaluate the fellow’s progress as related to scholarly activity
• Meet with the fellow early in the training period and regularly thereafter
• Require the fellow to present/defend the project related to his/her scholarly activity
• Advise the program director on the fellow’s progress and assess whether the fellow has satisfactorily met the guidelines associated with the requirement for active participation in scholarly activities

ABP Definition of Scholarly Activities

The ABP requirements state:

“All fellows will be expected to engage in projects in which they develop hypotheses or in projects of substantive scholarly exploration and analysis that require critical thinking. Areas in which scholarly activity may be pursued include, but are not limited to: basic, clinical, or translational biomedicine; health services; quality improvement; bioethics; education; and public policy. Fellows must gather and analyze data, derive and defend conclusions, place conclusions in the context of what is known or not known about a specific area of inquiry, and present their work in oral and written form to their SOC. Involvement in scholarly activities must result in the generation of a specific work product.”

ABP Examples of Work Products of Scholarly Activity

• A peer-reviewed publication in which a fellow played a substantial role
• An in-depth manuscript describing a completed project
• A thesis or dissertation written in connection with the pursuit of an advanced degree
• An extramural grant application that has either been accepted or favorably reviewed
• A progress report for projects of exceptional complexity, such as a multi-year clinical trial
  
  

It is important to note the guidance from the ABP. The SOC is responsible for determining whether a specific activity is sufficient to meet the ABP guidelines for scholarly activity. Under the new guidelines the SOC is required to approve the written work product as completion of fellowship training (in most cases this will be at the end of year 3 of fellowship).

At times, recent graduates from multiple UCSF Pediatric Fellowship programs have pursued research that is part of a long term project, where publication of results at the end of fellowship would be premature. The SOC shall ensure that the nature of this research clearly fits the ABP requirements for fellows to “engage in projects in which they develop hypotheses, and that require critical thinking.”

The UCSF Department of Pediatrics Professional Development Committee, which coordinates the SOC committees, unanimously determined that the intent of the ABP requirements is not to dissuade fellows from pursuing high-risk/high-yield, challenging research that will ultimately best prepare them for the rigors of an academic career in favor of projects that lead to an easy, less sophisticated publication. Thus, the Professional Development Committee, in coordination with the SOC, have established the following minimum criteria for an acceptable work product for those completing their fellowships at UCSF and who do not yet have a peer-reviewed manuscript, hypothesis-driven scholarly work. For such fellows, an acceptable written work product of scholarly activity can include a written progress report of their work to date. This written report will supplement the oral presentation of the project to the SOC. This document should be in the format of a journal article typical for the chosen field. Five pages plus references at a minimum shall be sufficient to demonstrate to the SOC that the work product fulfills the ABP requirement of hypothesis-driven work and analysis that requires critical thinking. This document shall include:

• Abstract of Progress Report: Must include clear statement of hypothesis tested
• Introduction: Should succinctly summarize the field and place importance of question addressed by work in context
• Materials and Methods/Research Design: Brief description in format typical of journal articles for field
• Results: Summary of major findings to date. Figures may be incorporated into text or in appendix
• Discussion: Interpretation and critical analysis of findings in relation to field. Should address any unexpected results/controversies/potential pitfalls
• Future Directions: Discussion of future experiments/plans for extension of work
• References
• Abstracts: Attach any abstract(s) if any, that were generated by fellow in direct relation to the project
• Short-term and long-term plan for conclusion of the project: This should include plans for subsequent publication, application for on-going funding and/or subsequent project development
  
  

The fellow and their respective program director coordinate the development of the ABP packet. Upon completion for subspecialty certification, the ABP will require:

• Verification from the program director that clinical and scholarly skills requirements have been met
• Personal statement: Upon completion of subspecialty training the ABP requires that the fellow submit a comprehensive document describing the scholarly activity that includes a description of the fellow’s role in each aspect of the activity, and how the activity relates to the fellow’s own career development plan.
• Submission by the fellow to the ABP of the actual “work product” of the scholarly activity as described above
• Signature of the fellow, program director, and members of the fellows’ Scholarship Oversight Committee on the submitted documents described above