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Sports medicine subspecialty certification approved
American Board of Medical Specialties approves orthopedic subspecialty certification in sports medicine.
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ROSEMONT, Ill. — Practiced by doctors for more than 30 years and practically a universally recognized term, sports medicine is now an officially certified subspecialty of orthopedics.
“Subspecialty certification is a critical milestone that will elevate the level of postgraduate education in orthopedic sports medicine,” according to Peter J. Fowler, MD, president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved subspecialty certification in orthopedic sports medicine on March 20.
“We applaud the ABMS decision and believe that ultimately it will enhance the care of athletes,” Fowler said.
The decision was not unexpected. Nearly 200 people a year pursue specialized training in one of 95 orthopedic sports medicine fellowships.
Fowler said the new subspecialty certification would provide a universal measuring stick for their educational accomplishments and help ensure high standards.
He noted the value of educational standards in enhancing the profession. Subspecialty training allows orthopedists the opportunity for professional growth without the more weighty commitment of postgraduate training, Fowler said.
Divisions likely
Edward M. Wojtys, MD, director of sports medicine and surgery professor at the University of Michigan, said doctors would likely be split into two camps regarding the certification – those who favor it and have been waiting for it, and those who believe it simply will add more levels of unwanted bureaucracy and possibly prompt discrimination.
“It’s pretty clear that it’s going to be a divided camp,” said Wojtys, the Sports Medicine section editor of the Orthopedics Today editorial board.
He said age and education likely would drive most doctors’ decisions, with younger, recently trained doctors expected to seek the certification.
Wojtys described the approval of the new subspecialty as good for standards but possibly bad for some established physicians. He is concerned that competent, reputable physicians who choose not to earn the certification may be discriminated against.
“As long as certification enhances expertise and is used in a positive light, not excluding good doctors, certification will be a good thing,” Wojtys said.
Planning ahead
Hoping to avoid or at least minimize divisiveness, more than two years ago the AOSSM adopted a policy designed to help prevent the certification from creating a rift in the orthopedic sports medicine community.
The crux of the policy states that the AOSSM “strongly supports the right and ability of all orthopedists, regardless of post-graduate training and education, to provide sports medicine services in the team, clinical and surgical settings.”
Also, the AOSSM has told its members that a lack of subspecialty certification should not increase orthopedists’ exposure to liability, which becomes a problem when physicians deviate from established practice standards.
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) will administer the new subspecialty certification, which will be earned via a one-day written exam for qualified candidates.
Over the next two or three years, ABOS will develop and validate the exam. A date for the initial exam has not been set.