Cihan Demir gets internship with American Board of Internal Medicine

A doctoral candidate with Washington State University’s College of Education has obtained a national internship with the Philadelphia-based American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

Cihan Demir, a doctoral student in the college’s Educational Psychology program, will spend two months in Philadelphia while completing his in-person internship. 

Founded in 1936 as a non-profit, ABIM is an independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

Its mission has been to enhance the quality of health care by certifying internists and subspecialists who demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for excellent patient care.

Demir’s work will consist of utilizing psychometric techniques to improve the quality of ABIM’s certification tests, aligning with the organization’s mission to refine certification programs and ultimately improve patient care. 

Demir says his research interests center around applying statistical and psychometric methods to analyze complex data structures and patterns.

“Specifically, I’m interested in applying methods such as factor analysis, item response theory, data mining, and mixture modeling,” Demir said. “Through these methods, I aim to enhance decision-making in various fields.”

Demir said he is excited about the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, contribute his skills to the organization, and grow both personally and professionally.

Demir’s advisor, Brian French, offered high praise when talking about this upcoming internship. 

“He is deeply committed to the topic of educational and psychological measurement, data science, and fair decisions for individuals through score use,” French said. “Cihan has a high level of motivation, curiosity, and desire to succeed, all evident in his work.”