Does taking the fellowship in-service hematopathology examination and performance relate to success on the American Board of pathology hematology examination?

Objectives: The biannual Fellow In-Service Hematopathology Examination (FISHE) assesses knowledge in five content areas. We examined the relationship between taking the FISHE and performance on it with outcomes on the first attempted American Board of Pathology Hematology subspecialty certifying examination (ABP-HE). Methods: The pass rate between the ABP-HE candidates who took the spring FISHE and those who did not were compared. The likelihood of fellows passing the ABP-HE based on their percentiles on the FISHE was also assessed. Results: ABP-HE candidates who took the spring FISHE had a higher pass rate (96.4%) than those who did not (76.1%, P<.001). Spring FISHE performance, including total percentile and percentiles in four of five FISHE content areas, was only a weak predictor of passing the ABP-HE. Conclusions: Candidates who take the spring FISHE do better on the ABP-HE than those who do not. Most fellows passed the first attempted ABP-HE regardless of FISHE performance. Whether this is due to fellows making use of the FISHE as a self-evaluation tool to help identify and then correct their knowledge deficiencies remains to be determined.