title: A report of the ABO Resident Clinical Outcome Study (the pilot study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A 4-year collaborative project between the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) and 15 American orthodontic graduate programs concluded at the ABO Clinical Examination in February 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty recent graduates (the pilot study group) presented cases that were treated in their graduate programs as partial fulfillment of the requirements for ABO certification. The examinees were tested by calibrated ABO examiners and required to satisfy traditional ABO standards. They presented appropriate case reports that contained the ABO's 3 measurement instruments. Thirty-nine practicing orthodontists (the control group) presented cases according to the traditional ABO Clinical Examination process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety percent of the pilot study group and 85% of the control group successfully accomplished ABO certification. There was a difference of 2.38 points between the 2 groups for the mean total scores of the cases that passed. The pilot study group presented cases that met the historic averages for case complexity (discrepancy index).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Residents in orthodontic programs are able to treat cases to ABO standards of quality.
authors.affiliation: American Board of Orthodontics, 401 N Lindbergh Blvd, Suite 308, St Louis, MO 63141, USA. info@americanboardortho.com
authors.forename: Vance J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Dykhouse
authors.forename: Allen H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Moffitt
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Grubb
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Jeryl D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: Barry S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Briss
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: Marvin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kastrop
authors.forename: S Ed
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Owens
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification / Q000379:methods*; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D016014:Linear Models; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000628:therapy; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013044:Specialty Boards; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States