Diplomate Digest - The American Board of Ophthalmology Blog

The year-end holidays remind us to give thanks for the past year, to celebrate all that is good in our lives, and to look forward to the opportunities ahead. As I conclude my first year as Chief Executive Officer of the American Board of Ophthalmology, I am grateful, joyful, and hopeful. First, I wish to share our thanks to you, the members of the ABO diplomate community, for engaging with us to help design and create a better board certification process. We particularly appr

“ABO diplomates are professionals and colleagues, and we honor them accordingly.” For me, this is the most personal and, arguably, the most important of the ABO’s guiding principles. In the nine months since I assumed the role as CEO of the ABO, I have been impressed by the breadth and depth of our diplomates’ perspectives about board certification. At one end of spectrum, there is a dedicated core of volunteers who ardently believe in our mission and support it with their ti

“Busy busy.” That’s the usual answer I get from my 82-year-old mother when I ask her how she is doing. One often hears the same refrain from colleagues who have retired, as they inexplicably find their schedules more crowded than when they were working. And it is a universal theme amongst the diplomates who have participated in the multiple focus groups we have conducted during the past several months. We had that truism in mind when we drafted our fourth mission-supporting p

In June we looked at the ABO’s commitment to financial transparency and integrity, and last month we examined our goal of making the certification process an aspirational goal. In this column I will comment on our principle: “The ABO is an independent certifying board of practicing ophthalmologists who collaborate whenever possible with professional societies, organizations, and other stakeholders who strive to advance excellence.” A quick word about the first ten words. It s

Today, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the umbrella organization for the nation’s 24 medical specialty certification boards including the American Board of Ophthalmology, announced the creation of “Area(s) of Focused Practice” within board certification. An Area of Focused Practice differs from a subspecialty. According to the ABMS definition, a subspecialty requires fellowship training and comprises a distinct and definable patient population, a precise car

Last June, the American Board of Ophthalmology announced its commitment to transition Maintenance of Certification (MOC) to a program of continuous certification focused on recognizing professional achievements that are more closely linked to the needs of our patients and the diplomate community. Today, I’m pleased to describe three important developments that move us closer to this goal. Effective immediately, Periodic Ophthalmic Review Tests (PORTs) are no longer required a

Today marks the centennial of the first American Board of Ophthalmology examination. A century on, does board certification matter? The intent of certification, simply put, is to serve the public by certifying physicians by verifying competency. Such a mission -- to improve the common weal -- seems appropriate and, some might argue, even admirable. But can’t participation in continuing medical education (CME) courses, along with maintenance of an unrestricted license to pract

In 2016, American Board of Ophthalmology Directors appointed George B. Bartley, M.D., to the position of CEO, effective January 1, 2017. Dr. Bartley, a board certified ophthalmologist and Mayo Clinic surgeon, professor, and administrator, will succeed retiring Executive Director John G. Clarkson, M.D. “Dr. Bartley possesses a powerful combination of ophthalmic expertise and business experience,” said Nancy A. Hamming, M.D., ABO Chair. “His impressive record of accomplishment