A report by CNN is adding dermatologists to the list of doctors who allegedly have memorized, written down, and shared questions recalled from board certification exams after taking the test.
Just last month, CNN published an article regarding similar allegations of widespread use of answer sharing among prospective radiologists. CNN's report asserted that use of recalls occurs despite the fact that radiology residents must agree not to share test material before taking the exam.
CNN's most recent report cites dermatology residents as confirming that the practice has been widespread, but the value of the exam answers varies depending on the accuracy of the memorization.
According to the news service, the dermatology board varies approximately 300 questions from test to test to make it more difficult to memorize them, with about 20% of the questions recycled from previous tests, compared with approximately 50% for the radiology exam.
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) said that it "takes every precaution" to prevent sharing of answers from board certification exams, which violates "exam security, professional ethics, and patient trust in the medical profession."
