A report of the ABO Resident Clinical Outcome Study (the pilot study)

Introduction: 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.