Certification in neuromuscular medicine: A new neurologic subspecialty

Current status and trends in subspecialty certification in physical medicine and rehabilitation

BACKGROUND

There is a need to better understand the overall state of sub-specialization in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R).

OBJECTIVE

To examine the status and trends in subspecialty certification for each of the seven subspecialties approved for American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) diplomates.

DESIGN/SETTING

Retrospective analysis of deidentified information from the ABPMR database.

PARTICIPANTS

Physicians certified by ABPMR through 2019.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

For each subspecialty, we examined: (1) the number of certificates issued to ABPMR diplomates; (2) the recertification rate; (3) the yearly trends for total active, new, and expired certificates; and (4) for ABPMR-administered subspecialties, recertification rates for those entering the subspecialty through fellowship completion versus a "grandfathered" practice pathway.

RESULTS

Of 11,421 ABPMR diplomates in the United States in 2019, a total of 3560 (31.2%) had 3985 active subspecialty certificates. Pain Medicine (PM) was the most common subspecialty certification (15.5% of all ABPMR diplomates) followed by Sports Medicine (SM, 6.6%), Brain Injury Medicine (BIM, 4.8%), Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM, 4.2%), Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM, 2.5%), Neuromuscular Medicine (NMM, 0.7%), and Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM, 0.5%). For diplomates with more than one subspecialty certification, PM and SM was the most frequent combination. Both the recertification rate and the end of practice track eligibility influenced certification trends differently for individual subspecialties. The average number of new certificates added annually for every subspecialty was higher before than after the temporary practice track-based eligibility ended; the difference was statistically significant (p < .05) for SCIM, PM, SM, and NMM. The recertification rate for all subspecialties combined was 73.4%. For the subspecialties (SCIM, PRM) for which these data were available, fellowship candidates had higher recertification rates than those grandfathered through a practice track.

CONCLUSION

This report informs stakeholders about the state and evolution of subspecialty certification in PM&R over time.

The American Board Of Psychiatry and Neurology: historical overview and current perspectives

The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1934 to serve the public interest and promote excellence in the practice of psychiatry and neurology. The ABPN is one of 24 American Board of Medical Specialties boards that have helped develop processes that identify qualified specialists through rigorous credential and training requirements and successful completion of respective certification examinations. The ABPN has had an enormous influence on the practice of psychiatry in America and the world and this influence continues to grow. Here we provide an historical overview of the ABPN, its formation, mission, roles, and changes that have taken place over the years in the certification, recertification, and maintenance of certification process.