Diplomate Digest

Newly recertified Diplomates share their exam-preparation steps and tips

Dr. Leigh Curtis of Fort Walton Beach, FL, became a Diplomate of the ABO in 2007 and successfully recertified in November 2010.

Dr. Curtis, who has been in practice for six years, began preparing for her recertification by taking the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics’ Clinical Exam Preparatory Course. She then started reviewing her cases. “I began looking at all of my debanded cases and pulling aside potential board cases about 10 to 12 months prior to the exam,” Dr. Curtis said. “I selected an exam date that worked best for me, my family and practice. Once the date was set, I focused on the ABO website and used the guidelines and information to narrow the cases down.”

Four to five months before the examination, Dr. Curtis spent 3 to 4 hours every Friday, a non-patient day, to focus on her board cases. “I then spent countless hours checking all details,” she said. “I used every aspect of the ‘preparing for the clinical exam’ portion of the ABO website. It was very useful.”

She recommends that doctors register for an examination before delving into the preparations. “It helps you focus and gives you a goal to work towards.”

In the end, completion of the examination “has boosted my confidence, and we are promoting it in the community,” Dr. Curtis said. “We are receiving very positive feedback.”

Dr. Chad Webb of Medina, OH, became a Diplomate of The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) in 2005. From that point forward, he began preparing for his recertification examination, which he completed in November 2010.

To stay organized, Dr. Webb tagged cases that met the ABO’s examination criteria. He kept a running list of these cases and noted transfers out of his practice. By doing so, he knew he had the correct case categories fulfilled and the necessary records for an optimal recertification outcome.

As he went through his preparations, he consulted with his peers who had taken and successfully completed the exam to gain insight. Dr. Webb estimates he devoted “a healthy time commitment of 45 hours” to prepare for the examination. He also hand-traced all of his cephalograms and superimpositions.

His advice for those preparing for the recertification examination: “Do not wait; start early. Read the instructions and criteria thoroughly; then identify cases that meet the ABO case criteria and ensure excellent and appropriate records. Complete your case write-ups and review any treatment modalities you incorporated to ensure your write-ups support your outcomes, i.e., ceph numbers/changes and Herbst therapy, etc. If they do not, understand why and have a talking justification/plausibility for the discrepancy. Determine what you could have done to improve the case/cases. Be thorough and be concise.”

He also encourages Diplomates to contact the ABO office with questions and when clarification of a particular case or situation is necessary. “They are very understanding and helpful,” he said.

“My certification has substantiated my belief that I provide board-quality treatment not only for my patients but also for the referring doctors and professionals with whom I associate,” Dr. Webb said.

Dr. Kyle Wendfeldt of La Jolla, CA, became a Diplomate of the ABO in 2006 and successfully recertified in November 2010.

To prepare for his recertification, Dr. Wendfeldt began identifying board cases immediately. “I had seven previous ABO cases transfer out due to moves to distant states and did not want to get caught in a bind counting on ‘the best case ever if only they hadn’t moved to another state.’”

During initial patient examinations, he would inform his clinical staff if a particular patient might qualify for a board case. “The staff then takes extra special care to get the best photos, radiographs and initial impressions AND to set them aside in a special area so they can be reviewed prior to banding and bonding.” If records need to be remade prior to starting treatment, Dr. Wendfeldt informs the patient that his/her case will be part of his examination portfolio. “After explaining what that means, the patient feels extra special throughout treatment because their case is getting extra attention.”

Dr. Wendfeldt spent approximately 90 to 100 hours preparing for his recertification. “If you already have segregated the ABO cases from the others in the practice, then the frustration level goes way down,” he said. He encourages others to “spend time on the model grading criteria and ‘know the case’ prior to writing the written case report to avoid rewrites.”

Dr. Wendfeldt also appreciated being able to write and save his Written Case Report on the ABO Web site. “I could access each case from anywhere my travels took me and did not have to wonder if I saved my most recent version on my home or work computer.”

“I like being associated with a group of professionals who continuously strive to evaluate and improve the quality of their own work,” he said. “I am glad the ABO has worked so hard to create a set of objective criteria for orthodontists to judge their own work, and then we can share the good news with patients that we are deemed worthy of recognition for excellent clinical work. Patients can then be confident that they have chosen a provider who has proven they can demonstrate clinical excellence to a non-partisan board of their peers.”