The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has launched a major initiative to define the future of certification.
Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future is a collaborative process that brings together multiple stakeholders including physicians, professional medical organizations, national specialty and state medical societies, hospitals and health systems, the general public and patients, the 24 Member Boards of the ABMS, and others.
Board certification and continuing certification are important parts of professional self-regulation and professional identity. In a transparent and open process, the Vision Initiative is designed to assess the current state of continuing board certification and envision its framework for the future.
To do this, the initiative’s Planning Committee has issued a Call for Nominations seeking 21 to 25 individuals to serve on the Commission.
AAPM&R actively advocates on behalf of our members that the certification processes and requirements must be relevant and valuable, and avoid unnecessary and excessive burden on the participant. This Commission is the process designed by ABMS to create a solution for the future structure of certification. We desire to have a strong PM&R leadership voice in this very important Commission, and we highly encourage you to nominate yourself.
Read the official Call for Nominations below and find more details here.
About the Commission and Nominations
Designed to be a collaborative and transparent process, the Commission will bring together multiple stakeholders to assess the current state of continuing board certification and vision its framework for the future.
The initiative’s Planning Committee will identify the construct and membership of the Commission, identify key questions for consideration by that Commission, and oversee a national opinion survey. The Commission will in turn gather information, hold hearings, address key questions, and make recommendations for the future continuing board certification process. Having established the criteria for Commission membership, the Planning Committee is now issuing an open call for nominations for the Vision Commission.
The Planning Committee seeks to identify a diverse group of individuals to serve on the Commission—diverse in background, experience, and thought. Commission members will not be representing organizations or groups of organizations; however, it is expected that some members of the Commission will have experience with different types of organizations engaged in board certification.
The Planning Committee will accept nominations for the Commission from any person or organization. Specialty societies, state medical societies, academic medical centers, hospitals and health systems, other health care organizations, consumer organizations, patient advocacy organizations, ABMS Member Boards, and other groups are encouraged to submit nominations. Physicians, health care professionals, and members of the public may also self-nominate.
Completed submissions must be received by 9 pm (CT) January 8, 2018 for consideration. Commission members will be notified in late January 2018 with a public announcement of participants scheduled in February 2018.
Criteria for potential Commission members, submission requirements, and instructions are available on a newly-launched Vision website. This website serves as a central reference point for the Vision initiative and includes updates, information, and reports from the Planning Committee and eventually the Commission. It allows stakeholders to actively engage in the process by including a section for feedback and input as well as an opportunity to sign up to receive monthly updates and other breaking news about the initiative.
Please take this opportunity to envision the future continuing certification program and ensure that it is relevant and valuable to all stakeholders, including board-certified physicians and the patients they serve, by nominating yourself to serve on the Vision Commission.