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. Method 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. Conclusion Specialty-board certification does not appear to be among the professional goals for a growing proportion of U.S. medical graduates.