ABMS Issues Statement in Support of
ACGME Approach to Study of Residency Duty Hours

CHICAGO – June 25, 2010 - The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) acknowledges the efforts of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to respond to the 2008 recommendations of the Institute of Medicine regarding the duty hours or physicians in medical residency programs.  The Council’s study of this issue resulted in new draft standards (published online in the New England Journal of Medicine June 23, 2010), and now available for public comment. 

“We look forward to reviewing the recommended standards once they are finalized.  In the meantime, we compliment the thorough, evidence-based approach undertaken by ACGME to address concerns raised about resident duty hours,” said Kevin B. Weiss, MD, president and CEO of ABMS. “The Council’s comprehensive process and willingness to look at all aspects of the issue exemplify their shared commitment to advance graduate medical education and continually raise the bar on the quality of medical care for patients.”

ACGME is an Associate Member of ABMS and certification by an ABMS Member Board requires participation in an ACGME-accredited residency program.

About ABMS
For more than 75 years, American Board of Medical Specialties has been the medical organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. It assists its 24 Member Boards in their efforts to develop and implement educational and professional standards for the evaluation and certification of physician specialists. ABMS Member Boards provide physician certification information to ABMS for its certification verification service programs. ABMS is recognized by the key health care credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of board certification data for medical specialists. Patients can visit www.abms.org or call toll-free 1-866-ASK-ABMS to see if their physician is board certified by an ABMS Member Board. For more information about ABMS visit www.abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

The 24 Member Boards that make up the ABMS Board Enterprise covers over 145 medical specialties and subspecialties include: American Board of Allergy and Immunology, American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Board of Dermatology, American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Medical Genetics, American Board of Neurological Surgery, American Board of Nuclear Medicine, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Board of Ophthalmology, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology, American Board of Pathology, American Board of Pediatrics American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Preventive Medicine, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Radiology, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and American Board of Urology.