Comments on: ABIM: Maintenance of Certification – For the public

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:55:19 +0000

I have recently recertified in my primary specialty of Internal Medicine to get specialty certification in Hospice and Palliative care. I wound NOT have re certified despite my time limited certification status had it not been for the fact that I could not sit for the hospice specialty board without certification in my primary specialty. I found the process of recertification arduous, expensive and completely irrelevant to my practice of medicine. I have a significant primary care practice, I care for my own hospital patients, I direct and care for patients on an inpatient hospice unit, and I am the Chairman of Medicine in my small urban community hospital. I give a grand rounds morbidity and mortality lecture once monthly, and attend grand rounds regularly. I supervise and train medical students, nurse practitioners and residents. No patient in 12 years of practice has ever asked me if I am Board Certified, and the certificate is not hanging in my office. I agree 100% with the second opinion in the NEJM. The process is flawed and needs to be completely revamped. In these difficult financial times for hospitals and doctors, it is utterly disingenuous that for more that one thousand dollars and countless hours spent studying which comes out of practice and family time that the ABIM cannot prove their case in an evidence based fashion. It clearly displays how out of touch the ABIM is with the realities of the practice of Medicine in 2010. Moreover, that the board can pocket such exorbitant fees at tremendous profit without expending a dime on adding to the literature in an evidence based fashion that the recertification process is worthwhile shows how unfair the ABIM’s monopoly on internal medicine truly is. Given the fact that most quality of care issues in hospitals are dependent on physicians, and the public outcry for better performance, it is time the ABIM took a dose of its own medicine.

By: Marc S Frager

Marc S Frager — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:24:19 +0000

It seems very disingenuous for Dr. Cassel to comment that physicians in practice may balk at having to prove their ability to a certifying board. Perhaps the board is balking at proving its worth to those subject to its machinations. Furthermore, while Dr. Cassel feels that $170/yr is reasonable, she does not comment on the huge amount of money ABIM contributed to its foundation, whose only apparent purpose is to define “professionalism” as a physician who recertifies.

By: BobBapaso

BobBapaso — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:48:48 +0000

When I have been referred to specialists I have never been told whether or not they were certified. I was just told the locations of their offices and when to be there. I have never asked and never noticed it posted on their walls. Though the walls were nicely decorated. That I am writing this suggests that their treatment has been effective.

The public certainly wants its doctors to be as up to date as its airline pilots. But Pilots have a more effective and humane system. It is dictated by a federal agency, the FAA. They read books and get lectures, like we get CME, but they prove their ability by actually flying, a plane or simulator, with a certified examiner looking on, ready to save them both if the examinee blunders. And they get paid for their time.

By: tgottsdo

tgottsdo — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:23:02 +0000

I’m in the process of recertifying with ABIM… unfortunately I had to let my certification lapse due to the cost. I simply couldn’t afford it. I think the ABIM modules are worthwhile and most importantly can be done on my schedule. Primary Care doctors are getting hammered from every direction… we need help from the Board not more hoops to jump through.

BTW, 64% of American’s believe that aliens from outer space have visit our planet, 50% believe they have abducted humans and 34% believe they’ve contacted the US government… according to a CNN/Time poll. The point is why should ABIM care about a poll of people who have no concept of what the recertification process is and are just as likely to believe in aliens or that 9/11 was an inside job? The MSNBC poll means nothing other than the fact that the general public is ignorant to the reality of board certification… maybe you should educate THEM.

If Board Cerfification is such a valuable service to the public why don’t you give it away for free?

By: The Happy Hospitalist

The Happy Hospitalist — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:05:00 +0000

Here’s what I don’t get. If certification is “for the patients”, certification should be considered a marker for meeting the standards of excellent. Why then do we have board certified doctors being sued millions of times a year for failure to diagnose and other claims of malpractice.

If board certification implies competence, should not the ABIM be sued for certifying doctors who are aren’t, when claims of negligence are brought about? Or should certification protect doctors from claims of negligence.

How can we have a board certified physician also being sued for not practicing up to the standards of their scope of practice, when their board says they are. You just can’t argue both ways. Either the certification should protect physicians from claims of negligence or the certifying board should be sued for certifying negligent physicians when patients sue.

By: Gary Levin

Gary Levin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:28:59 +0000

My comments are all of the above. All PCP and specialty face this conundrum. We pay medical license fees on California that are supposed to go to only medical licensing affairs. These funds are now tapped to make up for the financial incompetence of California’s legislature.

By: alex

alex — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:43:39 +0000

Just another tollbooth for forcibly extracting money in order to continue to work as a physician. Another cottage industry that will, in the fashion of true bureaucracy, slowly creep out and add more requirements and more expenses. Add it to the state licensing fees, board certification fees, USMLE step fees and all the others…

By: John Schumann, M.D.

John Schumann, M.D. — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:20:52 +0000

“Many of the thoughtful comments by physicians in the Journal will help the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) to improve and increase the relevancy of the program…”

She calls it “relevancy”; I call it “revenue.”

By: Dr. Mary Johnson

Dr. Mary Johnson — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:18:18 +0000

It always sounds like these guys/gals are trying to convince themselves of their own arguments – albeit with “non-scientific” polls.

I totally do not mind doing CME (which I already do in order to maintain state licensure & hospital privileges). Likewise, I totally do not mind re-certifying (key prefix RE) . . . IF the process is not stressful (in other words, CAN the timed/closed exams – because baby, I already gave at that office) . . . kind to my schedule (since 30+ million more Americans are going to be on our schedules) . . . and inexpensive (because I’m sick & tired of being bled dry – by everybody – and being told it’s for my own good).

In short, much like the process that was good enough the first time I re-certified for the ABP.

But this jump-through-a-half-dozen-hoops-then-start-all-over-again garbage is for the birds.

And yes anon, the grandfather issue spits in their own wind.

By: The Happy Hospitalist

The Happy Hospitalist — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:06:46 +0000

Can I take the nurse practitioner recertification instead, once no clinical difference exists in their practice limitations when compared with MD trained primary care physicians.

Wait a minute. Is there such a thing?