Which U.S. medical graduates plan to become specialty-board certified? Analysis of the 1997-2004 national association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire database.
BACKGROUND
Predictors of U.S. allopathic medical-school graduates' board-certification plans have not been characterized.


METHODS
Using multivariable logistic regression, graduates' responses to 11 questions on the 1997-2004 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire were analyzed to identify independent predictors of plans for specialty-board certification.


RESULTS
The proportion of 108,408 graduates planning specialty-board certification decreased from 97.3% in 1997 to 88.4% in 2004. Among 101,805 (93.9%) graduates with complete data, graduates who were Hispanic, rated their clinical clerkships, quality of medical education, and confidence in clinical skills more highly, had any debt, and planned "University-faculty" careers were more likely to plan becoming board certified. Females, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and graduates who planned to practice in underserved areas, planned "other" nonclinical-practice careers, and graduated with MD/other (non-PhD) degrees were less likely to plan becoming board certified.


CONCLUSIONS
Specialty-board certification does not appear to be among the professional goals for a growing proportion of U.S. medical graduates.
Jeffe
Donna B
DB
Division of Health Behavior Research, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Ave., Suite 6700, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA. djeffe@im.wustl.edu
Andriole
Dorothy A
DA
Sabharwal
Rajeev K
RK
Paolo
Anthony M
AM
Ephgrave
Kimberly
K
Hageman
Heather L
HL
Nuzzarello
Angela
A
Jones
Paul J
PJ
Whelan
Alison J
AJ
D002321:Career Choice; D002568:Certification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States