Diplomate Digest - The American Board of Ophthalmology Blog

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Nov 20, 2019
5 min

Congratulations, New Diplomates!

The American Board of Ophthalmology is pleased to welcome the following newly board-certified ophthalmologists to our diplomate community following the Fall 2019 Oral Examination in Rosemont, IL. -A- Walid Abdallah, M.D., Alhambra, CA Osemelu Aburime, M.D., Atlanta, GA Christopher Adam, M.D., Detroit, MI Mona Adeli, M.D., Columbus, OH Esen Akpek, M.D., Baltimore, MD Tomas Aleman, M.D., Croydon, PA Rashed Alhabshan, M.D., McAllen, TX Mouhab Aljajeh, M.D., Newburgh, IN Erica Al

Jul 31, 2019
4 min

New Timelines Introduced for Written, Oral Examinations

A new examination timeline in place at the American Board of Ophthalmology provides graduating residents with the opportunity to achieve board certification within nine months. The Written Qualifying Examination (WQE), traditionally given in the spring, has been moved to September. The Oral Examination, previously offered two times per year, will be held once annually in March, starting with the 2020 administration. Under the old certification timeline, graduating residents r

Jul 3, 2019
4 min

Congratulations to the Newest American Board of Ophthalmology Diplomates

The following ophthalmologists achieved certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology following the June 2019 Oral Examination held in Rosemont, IL: -A- Musa Abdelaziz, M.D., Washington, DC Daniel Agarwal, M.D., New Haven, CT Faheem Ahmed, M.D., Herndon, VA Syeda Ahmed Naqvi, M.D., Cincinnati , OH Alaa AlAli, M.D., Toronto, ON Daniel Albertus, M.D., Falls Church, VA Sulaiman Alhumaid, M.D., miami, FL Mohsin Ali, M.D., Durham, NC Zegary Allen, M.D., Montgomery, OH Zane

Jun 6, 2019
3 min

Thank You, June Examiners!

The American Board of Ophthalmology thanks the diplomates listed below for volunteering to examine candidates at the June 7-9 Oral Examination in Rosemont, IL. Examiners are diplomates selected by the ABO to help develop and administer the Oral Examination. Examiners are selected based on a strict ABO evaluation and a strong commitment to providing quality ophthalmic care. The ABO is grateful to the many current Examiners who assist in the examination process and who do so wi

Dec 6, 2018
3 min

Moving the Goalposts

“Please stop moving the goalposts.” That was the request of a colleague who attended the ABO’s Learning Lounge session on Maintenance of Certification (MOC) at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Chicago this past October. There is no denying that much has changed at the ABO during the past couple of years – and that much change is afoot. And there is no doubt that change sometimes can be uncomfortable and annoying. So, please allow me to explain why movin

Dec 5, 2018
5 min

11 Ways To Get Involved With the ABO

The impetus for board certification in American medicine did not come from the federal government or even public watchdogs. It arose more than a century ago from practicing physicians like you who wanted to address concerns about the qualifications and training of individuals claiming to be specialists in ophthalmology. In the early 1900s, leaders of our profession came together and established a framework for board certification in a medical specialty that would go on to set

Nov 1, 2018
5 min

Congratulations and Welcome to Our Newest Diplomates (Fall 2018)

The American Board of Ophthalmology diplomate community officially grew 284 members stronger today. Please join us in congratulating the following newly board-certified ophthalmologists on their professional achievement in having recently passed both the Written Qualifying Examination (WQE) and Oral Examination. -A- Frances Acosta, M.D., Tampa, FL Matthew Adams, M.D., Rochester, MN Mariam Ahmad, M.D., Denver, CO Shazia Ali, M.D., Manvel, TX Joseph Alsberge, M.D., San Francisc

Oct 10, 2018
2 min

Dr. Martha Wright Receives American Board of Ophthalmology's Goldfeller Volunteer Service Award

On October 5, 2018, the American Board of Ophthalmology recognized the extraordinary dedication of diplomate Martha M. Wright, MD, of Minneapolis, who has served as an Examiner at 20 Oral Examinations. For her long record of service, she was presented with the ABO’s Goldfeller Award. Dr. Wright became an Examiner for the first time in 2001 and has participated in exam development every year since 2013. (Dr. Wright is pictured with ABO Chair Dale Heuer, MD.) Dr. Wright is a pr

Oct 9, 2018
2 min

ABMS Releases Certification Report

More than 880,000 physicians in the United States are board certified; California, New York, and Texas are the states with the largest number of active physician certificates; and Neurological Care is the newest approved subspecialty certification. These are just a sampling of facts and statistics found in the latest ABMS Board Certification Report released by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). (The American Board of Ophthalmology is one of 24 Member Boards of

Sep 18, 2018
4 min

Financial Transparency: How the ABO Manages Expenses & Revenue (2018)

What is the ABO’s annual budget? What are its sources of revenue and how is the money spent? As depicted in the accompanying graphic, the ABO’s sole source of income is fees for its examinations (written, oral, and Maintenance of Certification), totaling approximately $4.8 million annually. On the expense side, approximately $2.5 million is required to conduct the initial written ($815,000) and oral ($1.68 million) certifying examinations. Expenses to administer the Maintenan

Sep 11, 2018
2 min

A Test Scientist Explains: What’s Going to Be on the Test?

One of the main responsibilities of the American Board of Ophthalmology’s psychometric and examination development team is determining what questions will appear its assessments. Every few years, the ABO undergoes a process to evaluate the content specifications for each examination. Content specifications (also called the content outline or test blueprint) indicate what percentage of the examination is allocated to each subject area. These specifications may also dictate wha