About Fellows Training Series and the In-Training Exam
What is Fellows Training Series?
Fellows Training Series is a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide support to fellows and program directors around the globe. With a collection of educational modules spanning all the topics under the Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism specialty and resources for educators, Fellows Training Series is the premier tool in the field to train the next generation of endocrinologists.
What is the In-Training Exam?
The In-Training Exam is the leading self-assessment for clinical endocrinology fellows. Created each year by a panel of expert endocrinologists and educators, the In-Training Exam features 90 questions designed to gauge how well a fellow is progressing through their clinical education. The exam is a case-based tool that covers all of the topics that appear on the ABIM Board Exam, and is a great resource to identify areas for additional training. Available from mid-January to mid-February each year, you don't want to miss out on the premier tool in the field!
When is the In-Training Exam available each year?
The exam is available from mid-January to mid-February each year, although the actual dates will change. Programs can proctor the exam at any point during this period. The exam is administered online, and can be accessed on any major browser - although Chrome and Firefox work best. Please contact your program administrators regarding which day and time your program will be proctoring the exam.
Note that real-time technical support is available M-F, 9am-5pm ET.
How do I access the exam?
The In-Training Exam is completely web-based, and can be accessed via any major browser - although Chrome and Firefox work best. At the date and time of your exam, login to education.endocrine.org, click on the "By Invitation" tab, and enter the Invitation Code provided by your Program Administrator and click "Enroll." After you enter the Invitation Code you will be taken to the In-Training Exam course page, where you can view instructions and other information. When you are ready to proceed, click on “Get Started”.
What should I expect on the day of the exam?
On the date and time of your program's selected exam date, arrive or sign in 30 minutes prior to the start of your exam to ensure you can login and navigate through the system prior to the start of your exam. Once you've logged in, click on the "By Invitation" tab, and enter the Invitation Code provided by your Program Administrator and click "Enroll." After you enter the Invitation Code you will be taken to the In-Training Exam course page, where you can view instructions and other information. When you are ready to proceed, click on “Get Started”. Fellows will have a four-hour time limit to complete. Please contact education@endocrine.org if you need any reasonable accommodations.
Note that answers may be changed up until you have fully submitted the exam, at which point you will no longer be able to change your answers.
How do I answer exam questions? How do I submit the exam?
Answering exam questions is easy - each question will feature a short case vignette followed by a question and 4-5 answer options. You will select the answer you think best answers the question, and automatically move onto the next question. If you want to go back to a question, use the navigation arrows to do so.
To submit the exam after you have answered all of the questions, click the Submit button after the last question. Note that you will not be able to change your answers once submitted.
What content does the exam cover?
The exam is based on ABIM's blueprint for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. The expert panel that develops the exam uses this blueprint to develop the questions, with a mind to the distribution of topics accordingly. The general breakdown is as follows:
- Adrenal - 10%
- Pituitary - 10%
- Lipids/Obesity - 12%
- Female Reproduction - 7%
- Male Reproduction - 7%
- Diabetes - 24%
- Bone - 15%
- Thyroid- 15%
I'm a fellow who graduated this year and I need continued access to the curriculum to study for Boards.
Fellows who graduated over the summer can retain access to course materials through 12/31 to study for Boards. Please email education@endocrine.org with your program name, your name, and when you graduated from your training program so we can enroll you in the appropriate graduate bundle. Please note that graduated fellows only maintain this access through 12/31.
After the Exam
When are exam results available?
Exam results will be made available in late-March of each year. These results can be used to guide remedial learning, as they outline the specific topic areas and learning objectives you could improve in. Fellows cannot access results directly and will need to request the results from their program administrators.
What reports do program administrators receive?
Program administrators will have access to 2 main reports: the group assessment report, which outlines how your program performed as a whole; and the individual assessment report for each fellow, which outlines how each fellow performed, which questions they got correct, and what topics they were strongest in. Fellows will need to request their reports from their program administrators.
What is included in the group report vs the individual report?
The group report includes statistics comparing your overall program to the other programs participating in the exam, both overall and by fellowship year. It also includes how your program performed overall within each topic area; the individual scores of each of your fellows; and how many fellows answered each individual question correctly.
The individual report, available for each fellow, includes the fellow's score, how many questions they answered, and how they did compared to other fellows in thier cohort. It also includes how that fellow did within each topic area, compared to how other fellows did in that area; and which questions they got correct along with the learning objectives.
How are my results used?
The In-Training Exam is designed to:
- Provide endocrine fellows an opportunity for self-assessment;
- Identify areas where fellows need additional learning;
- Provide program directors the opportunity to evaluate their programs.
Fellows may find exam results useful to identify areas of deficiency that require further learning and to compare their performance to that of their peers. Program Directors may find the results useful to provide additional mentoring to fellows, develop curriculum, and validate the need for planned curriculum changes.
Please note that Endocrine Society does not share individual learner information with any third parties for marketing or list serve purposes.
Who can access exam results?
Exam results can only be accessed by program administrators - the director, associate director, or coordinator. Fellows must request their reports from their program administrator, and we strongly encourage the program director to review the report with the fellow to facilitate the remediation process.