Certification Requirements

Certification Requirements

Obesity Medicine Physician

• An obesity medicine physician is a physician with expertise in the sub-specialty of obesity medicine. This sub-specialty requires competency in and a thorough understanding of the treatment of obesity and the genetic, biologic, environmental, social, and behavioral factors that contribute to obesity.

• The obesity medicine physician employs therapeutic interventions including diet, physical activity, behavioral change, and pharmacotherapy.

• The obesity medicine physician utilizes a comprehensive approach, and may include additional resources such as nutritionists, exercise physiologists, psychologists and bariatric surgeons as indicated to achieve optimal results.

• Additionally, the obesity medicine physician maintains competency in providing pre- peri- and post-surgical care of bariatric surgery patients, promotes the prevention of obesity, and advocates for those who suffer from obesity.

Certification Requirements

2012 2013 20140

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450

Endocrinology

Family Medicine

Internal Medicine

Obstetrics-Gynecology

Pediatrics

Surgery

Other

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Number of Physician Candidates Average Distribution of Medical Specialties

Certification Requirements

Qualifications for CertificationCME Pathway and Fellowship Pathway

• Proof of an active medical license in the U.S. or Canada.

• Proof of completion of U.S. or Canadian medical residency.

• Active board certification in an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board or osteopathic medicine equivalent.

Certification Requirements

Qualifications for CertificationCME Pathway

• A minimum of sixty (60) credit hours of continuing medical education (CME) recognized by the American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award (AMA PRA) Category 1 Credits on the topic of obesity are required for certification. At least thirty (30) credit hours must be obtained by participation and attendance at a conference. The other thirty (30) credit hours may be obtained by at-home CME activity. The sixty (60) credit hours can be completed within the thirty-six (36) months preceding the final application deadline. A copy of the applicant’s CME certificates should accompany the application.

Certification Requirements

Qualifications for CertificationFellowship Pathway

• Have successfully completed an on-site clinical fellowship with an obesity component where the fellowship director attests to at least 500 hours on the topic of obesity or obesity-related conditions.

Certification Requirements

Primary Obesity CME Partners• American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP)• Harvard Medical School Blackburn Course in

Obesity Medicine• Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition• The Obesity Society (TOS)Obesity-Related CME Partners• Canadian Obesity Network (CON)• Cardiometabolic Health Congress (CMHC)• Cardiometabolic Risk Summit (CRS)• Cleveland Clinic Obesity Summit• Let’s Go• Mayo Clinic: Nutrition & Wellness in Health &

Disease• USF: Treatment Guidelines for obesity• World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes &

Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC)• Mass. General Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition

Institute (OMNI)American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Fields

of Medicine Partners• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

(ACOG) • American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)• American College of Physicians (ACP)• American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)• The Endocrine Society (ENDO)

Public Health Partners• American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

(ASMBS) Foundation• Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns

Hopkins• STOP Obesity Alliance• The Obesity Treatment Foundation

ABOM Partner Organizations

Certification Requirements

• American Society of Bariatric Physicians (www.asbp.org)

• The Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education (www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/practical)

• Institute of Human Nutrition Columbia University (http://cumc.columbia.edu/ihn)

• The Obesity Society (www.obesity.org)

Attend aReview Course

Certification Requirements

ExamResources

• Become Familiar with the Test Content Outline.

• Review the ABOM Sample Test Questions.

• Additional Resources and Study Guides. http://abom.org/exam-resources/

Certification Requirements

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Certification Requirements

Policies &Procedures

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Certification Requirements

ApplicationPortal

Certification Requirements

ImportantDates

Early Application DeadlineJuly 13, 2015

Application DeadlineAugust 24, 2015

ABOM Certification ExaminationDecember 5 – 12, 2015

www.abom.org