Inside ABEM's New Certifying Exam: Strategies for Success for Examinees and Educators
This session, sponsored by the SAEM Education Committee, is an opportunity to reveal insights into the new and upcoming American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) Certifying Exam. This interactive discussion will allow audience members to hear from and interact with a remarkable panel of leaders who are directly involved in the creation and delivery of the new ABEM Certifying Exam. Speakers include ABEM President Jim Thomas, Chair of the Certifying Examination Committee Kim Feldhaus, ABEM examiner Mark Silverberg, and faculty educators Jon Smart and Danielle Sultan, who have either participated in the practice exam or developed preparation curricula. Their combined perspectives will give participants a rare and comprehensive look at how this new assessment works and what examinees and training programs should expect.
The discussion will review key elements of the redesigned exam process, including the testing site, travel considerations, lodging, and the structure of the various case types. The panel will address key concerns about the new format and will clarify how the exam will be delivered, how examinees interact with examiners and role players, and what information ABEM can share about performance expectations. Educators on the panel will discuss how programs can prepare learners through case design, mock sessions, and the use of available study resources. This includes strategies for building curricula, identifying useful tools, and understanding how case types differ from past formats.
Attendees will leave with clear guidance that supports both examinees and educators as they navigate the transition to this new certifying exam. If you are about to take the new certifying exam or are in program leadership, this session is a can't miss opportunity!
Presenters
Kim M. Feldhaus, MD
Jim Thomas, MD
Panelists
Mark Silverberg, MD
Jon Smart, MD, MSEd
Danielle Sultan, DO
Panel Moderator
Katie Pettit, MD
Host
Guy Carmelli, MD, MSEd
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Kim M. Feldhaus, MD
Chair, Certifying Exam Committee
American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)
Kim M. Feldhaus, MD, was elected to the Board of Directors for the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) in July 2021. She is a community emergency physician practicing in Boulder, CO. Dr. Feldhaus is originally from South Dakota and graduated from Baylor College of Medicine prior to completing an emergency medicine (EM) residency at Denver Health Medical Center. She then remained in academic medicine at Denver Health for 10 years following graduation. In 2003, she transitioned to community medicine, joining the independent EM group at Boulder Community Health.
Dr. Feldhaus has been actively involved with ABEM for over 25 years. She is currently the Chair of the Certifying Exam Committee and an At-large Member of the Executive Committee. Despite many years in EM, and many changes in the practice of medicine, she is still passionate about providing exceptional care to her patients.
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James Thomas, MD
President, Board of Directors
American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)
James Thomas, MD, is the current President of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) Board of Directors. Dr. Thomas is an ABEM-certified physician and practices emergency medicine (EM) at St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River, MA. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, completed residency training at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo OH, and has been an ABEM oral examiner for over 20 years. -
Mark Silverberg, MD
Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine
SUNY Downstate School of Medicine
Mark Silverberg, MD, is an attending physician at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. He has spent more than two decades in that prestigious institution starting with medical school in 1993. After completing his emergency medicine (EM) residency at Kings County Hospital, he stayed on to join the faculty as well. He then began his academic career at SUNY Downstate as the Director of Student Education, but soon became the Assistant Residency Director and then the Associate Residency Director. With COVID-19 looming in the background, he held the title of Director of Disaster Preparedness for the Emergency Department. Dr. Silverberg has also joined the EM lecture circuit and combines his love of scuba diving and underwater photography with EM. Dr. Silverberg also heads the wilderness medicine division of the Emergency Medicine Department at Kings County Hospital. -
Jon Smart, MD, MSEd
Assistant Clinical Professor
University of California-Irvine
Jon Smart, MD, MSEd, is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine (EM) at the University of California, Irvine, where he currently serves as Assistant Program Director (aPD) for the residency program, Chair of the residency's Clinical Competency Committee (CCC), as well as a Dean's Scholar at the UCI School of Medicine.
Dr. Smart earned his medical degree from LSU-New Orleans and completed his EM residency at UT Health San Antonio. He went on to complete a medical education fellowship with a focus on Multimedia Design and Education Technology at UCI, and earned a Master's in Education from Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Digital Age Learning and Technology.
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Danielle Sultan, DO
Physician
UMass Chan Medical School
Danielle Sultan, DO, is an emergency medicine (EM) physician and medical education fellow at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA. She has led and developed high-impact educational initiatives, including the creation of a comprehensive oral boards preparation course focused on high-fidelity, skills-based assessment for EM residents including the creation of over 30 novel case series and rubrics. Dr. Sultan serves on the Council of Residency Directors Certifying Exam Committee, which aims to generate a peer reviewed case bank to prepare trainees for the certifying exam. She is currently pursuing a Master's in Education in the Health Professions to deepen her expertise in curriculum design, assessment, and educational leadership. -
Katie Pettit, MD
Vice Chair of Education
Indiana University School of Medicine
Katie Pettit, MD, completed her emergency medicine (EM) residency at Indiana University School of Medicine. She is board-certified in EM and serves as clinical faculty in the IU Health Methodist Emergency Department. Dr. Pettit spent seven years as Associate Program Director for the EM residency program and is now in her sixth year as the Vice Chair of Education. For the past year, she has also served as the Executive Vice Chair overseeing operations across the department.
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Guy Carmelli, MD, MSEd
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
University of Massachusetts
Guy Carmelli, MD, MSEd, received his medical degree at USC's Keck School of Medicine and completed residency and education fellowship at Kings County/SUNY Downstate. He completed a Master's in Medical Education at UPenn. His interests are in resident/medical student education, curricular design, innovative digital design, and cardiovascular emergencies.