Diplomate Digest - The American Board of Ophthalmology Blog

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Apr 30, 2019
1 min

Emeritus Director Shares Little-Known Facts About Pulitzer Prize Founder's Eye and Vision Health

You may have seen American Board of Ophthalmology Emeritus Director Daniel M. Albert, MD, in a recent PBS documentary on the life of Joseph Pulitzer, the late 19th century newspaper publisher whose fortune funded the launch of the journalism school at Columbia University as well as the famous prizes for writing that bear his name. Ophthalmic history expert and OHSU professor Dr. Albert, who served as an ABO Director from 1998-2005, provided research and commentary for the pro

Apr 25, 2019
1 min

In the News: ABO Emeritus Director Explains What We See When Our Eyes Are Closed

This week, American Board of Ophthalmology Emeritus Director Ivan Schwab, MD, FACS, introduced readers of the Wall Street Journal to entoptic phenomena, or what a person sees with closed eyes. From eighth-century Taoist monks who could generate phosphenes while in a hypnagogic state to modern scientific research on what "visual noise" actually is, Dr. Schwab, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis, explained how and why people are able to sense li

Mar 21, 2019
2 min

Remembering Dr. John T. Flynn, Emeritus Director

The American Board of Ophthalmology extends its deepest condolences to the family of renown pediatric ophthalmologist and educator John T. Flynn, MD, who passed away March 18 at the age of 88. Dr. Flynn served as a Director of the ABO from 1987 to 1995 and was a dedicated Oral Examiner for the Board. Even after his ABO service concluded, Dr. Flynn's training videos on how to deliver the Oral Examination continued to offer guidance to nearly two decades of ABO volunteers and a

Aug 19, 2018
1 min

Honoring Pioneering Women in Ophthalmology's History

American Board of Ophthalmology CEO George B. Bartley, M.D. recently gave a talk on the history of women associated with the ABO at the 2018 Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. The talk honored their pioneering spirits and enduring legacies as the earliest and most influential women linked to board certification in ophthalmology. Dr. Bartley's presentation included information about: Ophthalmologist and researcher Laura A. Lane, M.D., first woman

Jul 23, 2018
1 min

From Jackson to the Journal: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of AJO

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, American Board of Ophthalmology Chief Executive Officer George B. Bartley, M.D., traced the interwoven heritage of the “yellow journal” and the nation’s first medical specialty certification board. According to Bartley’s essay, prominent turn-of-the-century ophthalmologist Edward Jackson, M.D., not only served as the “founding father” of the ABO in the early 1900s, he played a seminal role in th

Jul 5, 2018
4 min

Nine Trailblazers Who Championed Ophthalmology’s Independence in Medicine

The founding Directors of the American Board of Ophthalmology included some of the most prominent ophthalmologists of the day. Directors, who believed in setting high standards for the protection of the profession and the public, represented each of the three founding organizations: the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, the American Ophthalmological Society, and the Section on Ophthalmology of the American Medical Association. The nine original directors o

May 26, 2017
2 min

Remembering Emeritus Director Robert C. Drews, M.D.

Robert C. Drews, M.D., Emeritus Board Director, 1985-1992, passed away, May 9, 2017. He was fondly known as Bob by all who knew him. He was born September 9, 1930 to Leslie C Drews, M.D., also an ophthalmologist, and Sarah E. Drews and lived his entire life in St. Louis, MO. He graduated from Washington University in 1951 from the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine in 1955. Bob trained as an ophthalmology resident from 1956-1959, and as chief resident

Dec 13, 2016
1 min

100 Years Ago Today: Recognizing America's First Board Certified Doctors

Over two cold December days in Memphis, Tennessee, 10 pioneering physicians assembled at the University of Tennessee Medical School to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and experience in ophthalmology—and set the precedent for excellence in American medicine. The written examination, held on December 13, required candidates to answer a series of questions in embryology, anatomy, pathology, and diseases of the eye. On the second day, candidates participated in an oral clini

Dec 9, 2016
1 min

Celebrating a Century of Public Service

One hundred years and 30,000 certificates later, the ABO continues to issue the public’s most trusted credential for specialty knowledge, skills, and experience in ophthalmology. Board certification has left a lasting impact on the quality and standards for training in ophthalmology and in the 23 other medical specialties who have since followed ophthalmology’s lead. The ABO celebrates all doctors who choose higher standards through board certification and looks forward to cr

Nov 28, 2016
1 min

Could You Pass the 1919 Written Exam?

See for yourself with the questions below: Embryology: Describe the development of the eyelids. Anatomy: Describe the lachrymal apparatus. Physiology: Describe the accommodation of the Eye and the method of effecting it. Pathology: Describe the pathology of hypopion keratitis as produced by the pneumococcus. Diseases: What is interstitial keratitis? Name the causes. Give the period of life at which it occurs and the changes in the eye that may accompany it. If you knew these

Nov 25, 2016
1 min

ABO Publishes Journal Supplement to Mark 100 Years

In the September issue of Ophthalmology, the American Board of Ophthalmology contributed a special supplement designed to pay tribute to ophthalmology's 100-year history of professional excellence through board certification. The supplement focused on the past, present, and future of board certification and covered special topics such as patient safety and the global perspective on certification. The issue was edited by Executive Director and CEO John G. Clarkson, M.D., and D