2026 Application for ACR In-Training Examination (ITE) Subcommittee Survey

Application Deadline: June 15, 2026

The Adult Rheumatology In-Training Examination (ITE) allows program directors to identify areas of strength and weakness in their program and allows fellows in training (FITs) to evaluate their progress and compare results against national outcomes as reported in the score reports.

In-Training Exam (ITE) Subcommittee Responsibilities
The ACR In-Training Exam is a partnership agreement with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), which coordinates the writing assignments and facilitates the virtual or face-to-face meetings. The Subcommittee is responsible for writing the questions that are on the Adult Rheumatology In-Training Exam.

Subcommittee Members are Responsible For:
- Writing an assigned number of questions
- Submitting their written questions by a deadline
- Participating in a Testing Materials Development Committee (TMDC) meeting in Philadelphia every May to edit, review, and discuss questions from the subcommittee. The TMDC in 2027 could be virtual or in-person.
- Participating in an Item Writing Workshop*as a new ITE Subcommittee member held in September.

*IWW format combines a structured, asynchronous pre-work component (1-1.5 hours), with a live 2.5-hour workshop that is more focused on collaborative review and discussion. Participating in the Virtual Item Writing Workshop in September is required.

*This workshop is planned to take place as a video teleconference meeting. Participation in this meeting is mandatory for new members. Please ensure you can participate if invited to join the subcommittee.

Term Length
Three year commitment on the ITE Subcommittee.

Required Supporting Documents:
1) Curriculum Vitae (NIH format) limited to the equivalent of four pages. Any pages after four will not be reviewed
2) One multiple choice question and five answer options (additional guidance to help with question development is provided on following page).

We appreciate that you are taking time to complete this application. You can complete this application any time before 11:59 pm ET on June 15, 2026 Please contact ITE@rheumatology.org with any questions about the survey or subcommittee

You are encouraged to review and consider the information below, which explains Application of Knowledge, before developing and submitting your sample question. This information is an excerpt from NBME's Item Writing Guidelines for the ACR In-Training Exam and is provided to help subcommittee members develop questions for the ITE.

APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE
What is application of knowledge?

Items can be classified as requiring recall or application of knowledge. Recall items test an
examinee's knowledge of isolated facts (e.g., Which of the following is a symptom of disease X?).
Application of knowledge items present a situation and require the examinee to interpret
information given in the stem, recall facts, and apply the interpreted and recalled information to
arrive at a conclusion.

A short vignette detailing a patient's condition is the typical format for application of knowledge
questions. The examinee may be asked to indicate the most likely diagnosis, identify the most
appropriate next step in treatment, distinguish anatomic structures viewed on echocardiography,
select the type of study that is most likely to establish the diagnosis, identify the most common
finding in a disorder, or calculate measurements relevant to the practice of echocardiography.
Typically, this type of item requires examinees to synthesize information rather than merely recall
isolated facts that can be looked up in a textbook.

Common lead-in stems for the ACR include:

1. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

2. Which of the following is the most appropriate management?

3. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's symptoms?

4. Which of the following is most likely to establish/confirm this patient's diagnosis?

5. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy?

6. Which of the following antibodies is most likely to be positive in this patient?

7. Which of the following factors most increases this patient's risk for __________?

8. This patient's laboratory studies are most likely to show which of the following
additional findings?

9. Initiation of which of the following medications is most appropriate at this time?

10. The most appropriate treatment for this patient targets which of the following?

BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION

1.ACR Member ID #(Required.)

2.First Name(Required.)

3.Last Name(Required.)

4.Degree(Required.)

5.Email Address(Required.)

6.Primary Phone Number(Required.)

7.Institution
No abbreviation. Please list full name of institution.(Required.)

8.Position at Institution
Primary position(Required.)

9.Please describe any previous ACR, ARP, and/or Foundation committee experience you have.(Required.)

10.Please describe other experience you have that may be relevant to volunteer work on an ACR and/or Foundation committee (i.e. committee or board membership in other specialty societies, state, and local medical societies, medical staff, etc.)(Required.)

11.Please highlight your particular area(s) of interest.(Required.)

12.Please list previous experience writing exam or test questions.(Required.)

13.Please explain why you are interested in joining the ACR In-Training Examination Subcommittee.
Please limit to one brief paragraph
(Required.)

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