American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians
 | |
| Abbreviation | AOBFP |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1972[1] |
| Type | Professional |
| Headquarters | 142 E. Ontario St Chicago, IL |
| Coordinates | 41°53′37″N 87°37′25″W / 41.8935907°N 87.6235798°W |
Chairman | Joan Grzybowski, DO |
Vice Chairman | Kenneth Heiles, DO |
| Website | aobfp.org |
Formerly called | American Osteopathic Board of General Practitioners |
The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified osteopathic physicians (D.O.) who specialize in delivering comprehensive primary care for patients of all ages, genders, and addressing all parts of the body (family physicians). The board is one 18 medical specialty certifying boards of the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),[2] and was established in 1972. As of April 2012, 6,344 osteopathic family physicians held active certification with the AOBFP.[3]
Board certification
Initial certification is available to osteopathic family physicians who have successfully completed an AOA-approved residency in family medicine, two years of practice, successful completion of written and oral exams, and chart review.
Voluntary recertification was first offered in Fall 1994, and mandatory recertification began in March 1997.[4] Before this time, the initial board certification was permanent and recertification was not required. Since March 1997, if a physician does not recertify every nine years, their board certification status expires.[5][6]
Osteopathic family physicians may also receive Certification of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in the following areas:[7][8]
- Geriatrics[9]
- Sports medicine[9]
- Addiction medicine
- Hospice and palliative care[10]
- Sleep medicine
- Hyperbaric medicine
The Certification of Added Qualifications must be maintained through the process of recertification every 10 years.
For an osteopathic physician to be board-certified in any specialty, they must be AOA members, pay certification fees, and complete at least 120 hours of continuing medical education in a three-year period.[11]
See also
- American Board of Family Medicine
- American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
- AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists
References
- ^ Ayres, RE; Scheinthal, S; Gross, C; Bell, EC (March 2009). "Osteopathic specialty board certification". The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 109 (3): 181–90. PMID 19336771. Archived from the original on 2012-12-21. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "AOA Specialty Certifying Boards". American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Ayres, Ronald E; Scheinthal, S; Gross, C; Bell, E (April 2012). "Changes to Osteopathic Specialty Board Certification". Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 112 (4): 226–231. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to AOBFP.ORG". AOBFP. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Certificates/Longevity". AOBFP. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Osteopathic Family Physicians Society". POMA. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Board Certification". American College of Family Physicians. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Specialties & Subspecialties". American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original on 2015-08-13. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Medical Boards: Osteopathic". Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ^ "Osteopathic Certification". American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Certification of Osteopathic Physicians". American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2012.