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Appendix  |   April 2018
Appendix 2: American Osteopathic Association Specialty Board Certification
J. Michael Wieting, DO, MEd; Daniel G. Williams, DO; Kathy A. Kelly, MS; Leo Morales-Egizi, MEd
Author Notes
  • From the Department of Certifying Board Services at the American Osteopathic Association in Chicago, Illinois. Dr Wieting is the chair of the American Osteopathic Association's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. 
  • Financial Disclosures: None reported. 
  • Support: None reported. 
  •  *Address correspondence to Leo Morales-Egizi, MEd, American Osteopathic Association, 142 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611-2864. Email: lmorales-egizi@osteopathic.org
     
Article Information
Cardiovascular Disorders / Gastroenterology / Imaging / Obstetrics and Gynecology / Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology / Pain Management/Palliative Care / Pediatrics / Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation / Preventive Medicine / Pulmonary Disorders / Palliative Care
Appendix   |   April 2018
Appendix 2: American Osteopathic Association Specialty Board Certification
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, April 2018, Vol. 118, 275-279. doi:https://doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2018.053
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, April 2018, Vol. 118, 275-279. doi:https://doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2018.053
Web of Science® Times Cited: 1
The certification process is an important assessment tool for enhancing the quality of health care and protecting the public. Certification demonstrates a standard of excellence for osteopathic physicians, including quality of services and commitment to lifelong learning. In addition, many health care facilities and insurers require physicians to be board certified. 
Since its establishment in 1939, the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS), the official certifying body of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), has issued 49,058 certifications, including primary certifications, subspecialty certifications, and certifications of added qualifications (family medicine and preventive medicine only). As of December 31, 2017, a total of 31,762 osteopathic physicians were certified by the AOA and held a combined total of 36,982 active certifications, representing a 7% increase over the number of active certifications held in 2016 (34,555). 
The Table provides the total number of new certifications and osteopathic continuous certification (OCC) completions processed in 2017, as well as the total number of active certifications. This information is provided by specialty and in the aggregate. In total, 2206 certifications were processed in 2017, as follows: 
  • ■ primary specialty: 1891
  • ■ subspecialty: 224
  • ■ certification of added qualifications (family medicine and preventive medicine only): 91
Table.
Certification Statistics 2017, Currently-Offered Certificationsa
No. (%)
American Osteopathic Board of… Certification Type Description New Certifications Osteopathic Continuous Certifications Total Active Certifications
Anesthesiology Primary Anesthesiology 48 (2) 11 (1) 704 (2)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 0 10 (<1)
Subspecialty Pain management 4 (<1) 0 78 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric anesthesiology 3 (<1) 0 12 (<1)
Dermatology Primary Dermatology 0 1 (<1) 608 (2)
Subspecialty Mohs micrographic surgery 0 0 39 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric dermatology 0 0 10 (<1)
Emergency Medicine Primary Emergency medicine 294 (13) 205 (15) 3530 (10)
Subspecialty Emergency medical services 2 (<1) 0 7 (<1)
Subspecialty Medical toxicology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 14 (<1)
Family Physicians Primary Family medicine/OMT 628 (28) 367 (27) 13,179 (36)
CAQ Adolescent and young adult medicineb 0 0 7 (<1)
CAQ Geriatric medicine 4 (<1) 14 (1) 290 (1)
Internal Medicine Primary Internal medicine 174 (8) 144 (11) 5169 (14)
Subspecialty Cardiology 16 (1) 30 (2) 594 (2)
Subspecialty Clinical cardiac electrophysiology 3 (<1) 7 (1) 29 (<1)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 7 (1) 198 (1)
Subspecialty Endocrinology 5 (<1) 2 (<1) 58 (<1)
Subspecialty Gastroenterology 13 (1) 16 (1) 283 (1)
Subspecialty Geriatrics 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 56 (<1)
Subspecialty Hematology 7 (<1) 2 (<1) 65 (<1)
Subspecialty Infectious diseases 7 (<1) 5 (<1) 97 (<1)
Subspecialty Interventional cardiology 3 (<1) 6 (<1) 133 (<1)
Subspecialty Nephrology 13 (1) 7 (1) 165 (<1)
Subspecialty Oncology 3 (<1) 1 (<1) 124 (<1)
Subspecialty Pulmonary diseases 25 (1) 11 (1) 255 (1)
Subspecialty Rheumatology 3 (<1) 2 (<1) 89 (<1)
Neurology and Psychiatry Primary Neurology 12 (1) 19 (1) 280 (1)
Primary Psychiatry 28 (1) 24 (2) 339 (1)
Subspecialty Child neurology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Child psychiatry 3 (<1) 0 45 (<1)
Subspecialty Geriatric psychiatry 0 0 15 (<1)
Subspecialty Neurophysiology 1 (<1) 0 25 (<1)
NMM Primary NMM/OMMc 35 (2) 32 (2) 759 (2)
Nuclear Medicine Primary Nuclear medicined 0 0 20 (<1)
Obstetrics and Gynecology Primary Obstetrics and gynecologyc 87 (4) 150 (11) 1461 (4)
Subspecialty Female pelvic medicine/reconstructive surgery 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Gynecologic oncology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 17 (<1)
Subspecialty Maternal and fetal medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 35 (<1)
Subspecialty Reproductive endocrinology 0 1 (<1) 13 (<1)
Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Primary Ophthalmology 18 (1) 13 (1) 407 (1)
Primary Otolaryngology and facial plastic surgeryc 21 (1) 10 (1) 525 (1)
Subspecialty Otolaryngic allergy 1 (<1) 0 22 (<1)
Orthopedic Surgery Primary Orthopedic surgery 98 (4) 103 (8) 1491 (4)
Subspecialty Hand surgery 4 (<1) 4 (<1) 71 (<1)
Pathology Primary Anatomic pathology 0 0 23 (<1)
Primary Anatomic pathology and laboratory medicineb 0 0 11 (<1)
Primary Laboratory medicine 0 0 14 (<1)
Subspecialty Forensic pathology 0 0 4 (<1)
Pediatrics Primary Pediatrics 63 (3) 1 (<1) 648 (2)
Subspecialty Adolescent medicine 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neonatology 0 0 36 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric endocrinology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric pulmonologyb 0 0 2 (<1)
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Primary Physical medicine and rehabilitation 22 (1) 1 (<1) 295 (1)
Preventive Medicine Primary Aerospace medicine 0 3 (<1) 33 (<1)
Primary Occupational-environmental medicinec 0 7 (1) 82 (<1)
Primary Public health 0 2 (<1) 34 (<1)
CAQ Occupational medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 46 (<1)
Proctology Primary Proctology 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 28 (<1)
Radiology Primary Diagnostic radiologyc 31 (1) 17 (1) 797 (2)
Primary Radiation oncology 0 1 (<1) 19 (<1)
Subspecialty Angiography and interventional radiologyb 0 0 18 (<1)
Subspecialty Body imagingb 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Diagnostic ultrasoundb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neuroradiology 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 76 (<1)
Subspecialty Nuclear radiologyb 0 0 4 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric radiology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 23 (<1)
Subspecialty Radiation therapyb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Vascular/interventional radiology 2 (<1) 2 (<1) 22 (<1)
Surgery Primary Cardiothoracic surgeryc 11 (<1) 2 (<1) 74 (<1)
Primary General surgery 218 (10) 59 (4) 1436 (4)
Primary General vascular surgery 18 (1) 3 (<1) 151 (<1)
Primary Neurological surgery 31 (1) 2 (<1) 169 (<1)
Primary Plastic and reconstructive surgery 14 (1) 6 (<1) 99 (<1)
Primary Urological surgery 38 (2) 15 (1) 278 (1)
Subspecialty Surgical critical care 33 (1) 7 (1) 138 (<1)
Conjoint Subspecialty/CAQ Addiction medicine 74 (3) 4 (<1) 84 (<1)
Subspecialty Adult and pediatric allergy and immunology 5 (<1) 0 34 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Correctional medicine 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Dermatopathology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 15 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Hospice and palliative medicine 12 (1) 0 381 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Pain medicine 21 (1) 0 108 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sleep medicine 3 (<1) 4 (<1) 90 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sports medicine 26 (1) 10 (1) 301 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Undersea and hyperbaric medicine 1 (<1) 0 48 (<1)
Totals 2206 1357 36,982

a Data are current as of December 31, 2017.

b No longer issued.

c Specialties that are no longer offered but are equivalent to currently offered specialties have been combined as appropriate. These specialties are as follows: special proficiency in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) has been combined with neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM)/OMM; obstetrics and gynecologic surgery has been combined with obstetrics and gynecology; facial plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and otorhinolaryngology have been combined with otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery; preventive-occupational medicine has been combined with occupational-environmental medicine; diagnostic roentgenology, radiology, and roentgenology have been combined with diagnostic radiology; and thoracic cardiovascular surgery and thoracic surgery have been combined with cardiothoracic surgery.

d New certifications in nuclear medicine are no longer issued. The American Osteopathic Board of Nuclear Medicine manages the Osteopathic Continuous Certification process for existing certifications in nuclear medicine.

Abbreviations: CAQ, Certificate of Added Qualifications; OMT, osteopathic manipulative treatment.

View Large
Table.
Certification Statistics 2017, Currently-Offered Certificationsa
No. (%)
American Osteopathic Board of… Certification Type Description New Certifications Osteopathic Continuous Certifications Total Active Certifications
Anesthesiology Primary Anesthesiology 48 (2) 11 (1) 704 (2)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 0 10 (<1)
Subspecialty Pain management 4 (<1) 0 78 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric anesthesiology 3 (<1) 0 12 (<1)
Dermatology Primary Dermatology 0 1 (<1) 608 (2)
Subspecialty Mohs micrographic surgery 0 0 39 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric dermatology 0 0 10 (<1)
Emergency Medicine Primary Emergency medicine 294 (13) 205 (15) 3530 (10)
Subspecialty Emergency medical services 2 (<1) 0 7 (<1)
Subspecialty Medical toxicology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 14 (<1)
Family Physicians Primary Family medicine/OMT 628 (28) 367 (27) 13,179 (36)
CAQ Adolescent and young adult medicineb 0 0 7 (<1)
CAQ Geriatric medicine 4 (<1) 14 (1) 290 (1)
Internal Medicine Primary Internal medicine 174 (8) 144 (11) 5169 (14)
Subspecialty Cardiology 16 (1) 30 (2) 594 (2)
Subspecialty Clinical cardiac electrophysiology 3 (<1) 7 (1) 29 (<1)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 7 (1) 198 (1)
Subspecialty Endocrinology 5 (<1) 2 (<1) 58 (<1)
Subspecialty Gastroenterology 13 (1) 16 (1) 283 (1)
Subspecialty Geriatrics 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 56 (<1)
Subspecialty Hematology 7 (<1) 2 (<1) 65 (<1)
Subspecialty Infectious diseases 7 (<1) 5 (<1) 97 (<1)
Subspecialty Interventional cardiology 3 (<1) 6 (<1) 133 (<1)
Subspecialty Nephrology 13 (1) 7 (1) 165 (<1)
Subspecialty Oncology 3 (<1) 1 (<1) 124 (<1)
Subspecialty Pulmonary diseases 25 (1) 11 (1) 255 (1)
Subspecialty Rheumatology 3 (<1) 2 (<1) 89 (<1)
Neurology and Psychiatry Primary Neurology 12 (1) 19 (1) 280 (1)
Primary Psychiatry 28 (1) 24 (2) 339 (1)
Subspecialty Child neurology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Child psychiatry 3 (<1) 0 45 (<1)
Subspecialty Geriatric psychiatry 0 0 15 (<1)
Subspecialty Neurophysiology 1 (<1) 0 25 (<1)
NMM Primary NMM/OMMc 35 (2) 32 (2) 759 (2)
Nuclear Medicine Primary Nuclear medicined 0 0 20 (<1)
Obstetrics and Gynecology Primary Obstetrics and gynecologyc 87 (4) 150 (11) 1461 (4)
Subspecialty Female pelvic medicine/reconstructive surgery 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Gynecologic oncology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 17 (<1)
Subspecialty Maternal and fetal medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 35 (<1)
Subspecialty Reproductive endocrinology 0 1 (<1) 13 (<1)
Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Primary Ophthalmology 18 (1) 13 (1) 407 (1)
Primary Otolaryngology and facial plastic surgeryc 21 (1) 10 (1) 525 (1)
Subspecialty Otolaryngic allergy 1 (<1) 0 22 (<1)
Orthopedic Surgery Primary Orthopedic surgery 98 (4) 103 (8) 1491 (4)
Subspecialty Hand surgery 4 (<1) 4 (<1) 71 (<1)
Pathology Primary Anatomic pathology 0 0 23 (<1)
Primary Anatomic pathology and laboratory medicineb 0 0 11 (<1)
Primary Laboratory medicine 0 0 14 (<1)
Subspecialty Forensic pathology 0 0 4 (<1)
Pediatrics Primary Pediatrics 63 (3) 1 (<1) 648 (2)
Subspecialty Adolescent medicine 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neonatology 0 0 36 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric endocrinology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric pulmonologyb 0 0 2 (<1)
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Primary Physical medicine and rehabilitation 22 (1) 1 (<1) 295 (1)
Preventive Medicine Primary Aerospace medicine 0 3 (<1) 33 (<1)
Primary Occupational-environmental medicinec 0 7 (1) 82 (<1)
Primary Public health 0 2 (<1) 34 (<1)
CAQ Occupational medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 46 (<1)
Proctology Primary Proctology 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 28 (<1)
Radiology Primary Diagnostic radiologyc 31 (1) 17 (1) 797 (2)
Primary Radiation oncology 0 1 (<1) 19 (<1)
Subspecialty Angiography and interventional radiologyb 0 0 18 (<1)
Subspecialty Body imagingb 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Diagnostic ultrasoundb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neuroradiology 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 76 (<1)
Subspecialty Nuclear radiologyb 0 0 4 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric radiology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 23 (<1)
Subspecialty Radiation therapyb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Vascular/interventional radiology 2 (<1) 2 (<1) 22 (<1)
Surgery Primary Cardiothoracic surgeryc 11 (<1) 2 (<1) 74 (<1)
Primary General surgery 218 (10) 59 (4) 1436 (4)
Primary General vascular surgery 18 (1) 3 (<1) 151 (<1)
Primary Neurological surgery 31 (1) 2 (<1) 169 (<1)
Primary Plastic and reconstructive surgery 14 (1) 6 (<1) 99 (<1)
Primary Urological surgery 38 (2) 15 (1) 278 (1)
Subspecialty Surgical critical care 33 (1) 7 (1) 138 (<1)
Conjoint Subspecialty/CAQ Addiction medicine 74 (3) 4 (<1) 84 (<1)
Subspecialty Adult and pediatric allergy and immunology 5 (<1) 0 34 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Correctional medicine 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Dermatopathology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 15 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Hospice and palliative medicine 12 (1) 0 381 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Pain medicine 21 (1) 0 108 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sleep medicine 3 (<1) 4 (<1) 90 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sports medicine 26 (1) 10 (1) 301 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Undersea and hyperbaric medicine 1 (<1) 0 48 (<1)
Totals 2206 1357 36,982

a Data are current as of December 31, 2017.

b No longer issued.

c Specialties that are no longer offered but are equivalent to currently offered specialties have been combined as appropriate. These specialties are as follows: special proficiency in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) has been combined with neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM)/OMM; obstetrics and gynecologic surgery has been combined with obstetrics and gynecology; facial plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and otorhinolaryngology have been combined with otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery; preventive-occupational medicine has been combined with occupational-environmental medicine; diagnostic roentgenology, radiology, and roentgenology have been combined with diagnostic radiology; and thoracic cardiovascular surgery and thoracic surgery have been combined with cardiothoracic surgery.

d New certifications in nuclear medicine are no longer issued. The American Osteopathic Board of Nuclear Medicine manages the Osteopathic Continuous Certification process for existing certifications in nuclear medicine.

Abbreviations: CAQ, Certificate of Added Qualifications; OMT, osteopathic manipulative treatment.

×
In addition, 1357 OCC completions were processed in 2017. 
Since 2013, the number of active board certifications held has risen steadily (Figure). This number is expected to continue to rise in the future. 
Figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
View Original  |  Slide (.ppt)
Figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
View Original  |  Slide (.ppt)
Recent Activities in Certification
In January 2017, the AOA empaneled the AOA Certifying Board Services (CBS) Task Force II to address the directive of enhancing board certification services and marketability to make AOA board certification more attractive and competitive. Specifically, the Task Force was charged with addressing the following goals: 
  • ■ Align board leadership structure to strengthen physician-led, professionally managed relationships. The demands on CBS have grown substantially, and the expectations placed on the CBS are more than the current system can handle. The goal is to have working physicians serve as the backbone of AOA certification while allowing them to focus on specific tasks that require a physician's skill set and expertise. Nonphysicians can thus provide administrative support to those efforts.
  • ■ Unify the certifying boards through common practices, bylaws, reporting processes, operational alignment, and expenses.
  • ■ Develop uniform, reasonable, and competitive examination fees.
The Task Force presented its recommendations to the BOS at its midyear meeting on April 8, 2017. Several of these recommendations are currently being implemented by CBS. For example, board meetings are being aligned into a cluster-based system to facilitate communication. Initiatives to standardize operations to ensure consistent products are also underway. 
 Editor's Note: This article is an update of last year's appendix (http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2613999) on AOA specialty board certification.
 
Figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
View Original  |  Slide (.ppt)
Figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
Total active certifications held, 2013 to 2017. aThe number of certifications awarded in 2013 was previously reported as 30,267. However, the correct number of certifications for 2013 is 30,168 and is reflected in this figure.
View Original  |  Slide (.ppt)
Table.
Certification Statistics 2017, Currently-Offered Certificationsa
No. (%)
American Osteopathic Board of… Certification Type Description New Certifications Osteopathic Continuous Certifications Total Active Certifications
Anesthesiology Primary Anesthesiology 48 (2) 11 (1) 704 (2)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 0 10 (<1)
Subspecialty Pain management 4 (<1) 0 78 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric anesthesiology 3 (<1) 0 12 (<1)
Dermatology Primary Dermatology 0 1 (<1) 608 (2)
Subspecialty Mohs micrographic surgery 0 0 39 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric dermatology 0 0 10 (<1)
Emergency Medicine Primary Emergency medicine 294 (13) 205 (15) 3530 (10)
Subspecialty Emergency medical services 2 (<1) 0 7 (<1)
Subspecialty Medical toxicology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 14 (<1)
Family Physicians Primary Family medicine/OMT 628 (28) 367 (27) 13,179 (36)
CAQ Adolescent and young adult medicineb 0 0 7 (<1)
CAQ Geriatric medicine 4 (<1) 14 (1) 290 (1)
Internal Medicine Primary Internal medicine 174 (8) 144 (11) 5169 (14)
Subspecialty Cardiology 16 (1) 30 (2) 594 (2)
Subspecialty Clinical cardiac electrophysiology 3 (<1) 7 (1) 29 (<1)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 7 (1) 198 (1)
Subspecialty Endocrinology 5 (<1) 2 (<1) 58 (<1)
Subspecialty Gastroenterology 13 (1) 16 (1) 283 (1)
Subspecialty Geriatrics 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 56 (<1)
Subspecialty Hematology 7 (<1) 2 (<1) 65 (<1)
Subspecialty Infectious diseases 7 (<1) 5 (<1) 97 (<1)
Subspecialty Interventional cardiology 3 (<1) 6 (<1) 133 (<1)
Subspecialty Nephrology 13 (1) 7 (1) 165 (<1)
Subspecialty Oncology 3 (<1) 1 (<1) 124 (<1)
Subspecialty Pulmonary diseases 25 (1) 11 (1) 255 (1)
Subspecialty Rheumatology 3 (<1) 2 (<1) 89 (<1)
Neurology and Psychiatry Primary Neurology 12 (1) 19 (1) 280 (1)
Primary Psychiatry 28 (1) 24 (2) 339 (1)
Subspecialty Child neurology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Child psychiatry 3 (<1) 0 45 (<1)
Subspecialty Geriatric psychiatry 0 0 15 (<1)
Subspecialty Neurophysiology 1 (<1) 0 25 (<1)
NMM Primary NMM/OMMc 35 (2) 32 (2) 759 (2)
Nuclear Medicine Primary Nuclear medicined 0 0 20 (<1)
Obstetrics and Gynecology Primary Obstetrics and gynecologyc 87 (4) 150 (11) 1461 (4)
Subspecialty Female pelvic medicine/reconstructive surgery 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Gynecologic oncology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 17 (<1)
Subspecialty Maternal and fetal medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 35 (<1)
Subspecialty Reproductive endocrinology 0 1 (<1) 13 (<1)
Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Primary Ophthalmology 18 (1) 13 (1) 407 (1)
Primary Otolaryngology and facial plastic surgeryc 21 (1) 10 (1) 525 (1)
Subspecialty Otolaryngic allergy 1 (<1) 0 22 (<1)
Orthopedic Surgery Primary Orthopedic surgery 98 (4) 103 (8) 1491 (4)
Subspecialty Hand surgery 4 (<1) 4 (<1) 71 (<1)
Pathology Primary Anatomic pathology 0 0 23 (<1)
Primary Anatomic pathology and laboratory medicineb 0 0 11 (<1)
Primary Laboratory medicine 0 0 14 (<1)
Subspecialty Forensic pathology 0 0 4 (<1)
Pediatrics Primary Pediatrics 63 (3) 1 (<1) 648 (2)
Subspecialty Adolescent medicine 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neonatology 0 0 36 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric endocrinology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric pulmonologyb 0 0 2 (<1)
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Primary Physical medicine and rehabilitation 22 (1) 1 (<1) 295 (1)
Preventive Medicine Primary Aerospace medicine 0 3 (<1) 33 (<1)
Primary Occupational-environmental medicinec 0 7 (1) 82 (<1)
Primary Public health 0 2 (<1) 34 (<1)
CAQ Occupational medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 46 (<1)
Proctology Primary Proctology 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 28 (<1)
Radiology Primary Diagnostic radiologyc 31 (1) 17 (1) 797 (2)
Primary Radiation oncology 0 1 (<1) 19 (<1)
Subspecialty Angiography and interventional radiologyb 0 0 18 (<1)
Subspecialty Body imagingb 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Diagnostic ultrasoundb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neuroradiology 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 76 (<1)
Subspecialty Nuclear radiologyb 0 0 4 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric radiology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 23 (<1)
Subspecialty Radiation therapyb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Vascular/interventional radiology 2 (<1) 2 (<1) 22 (<1)
Surgery Primary Cardiothoracic surgeryc 11 (<1) 2 (<1) 74 (<1)
Primary General surgery 218 (10) 59 (4) 1436 (4)
Primary General vascular surgery 18 (1) 3 (<1) 151 (<1)
Primary Neurological surgery 31 (1) 2 (<1) 169 (<1)
Primary Plastic and reconstructive surgery 14 (1) 6 (<1) 99 (<1)
Primary Urological surgery 38 (2) 15 (1) 278 (1)
Subspecialty Surgical critical care 33 (1) 7 (1) 138 (<1)
Conjoint Subspecialty/CAQ Addiction medicine 74 (3) 4 (<1) 84 (<1)
Subspecialty Adult and pediatric allergy and immunology 5 (<1) 0 34 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Correctional medicine 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Dermatopathology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 15 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Hospice and palliative medicine 12 (1) 0 381 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Pain medicine 21 (1) 0 108 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sleep medicine 3 (<1) 4 (<1) 90 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sports medicine 26 (1) 10 (1) 301 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Undersea and hyperbaric medicine 1 (<1) 0 48 (<1)
Totals 2206 1357 36,982

a Data are current as of December 31, 2017.

b No longer issued.

c Specialties that are no longer offered but are equivalent to currently offered specialties have been combined as appropriate. These specialties are as follows: special proficiency in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) has been combined with neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM)/OMM; obstetrics and gynecologic surgery has been combined with obstetrics and gynecology; facial plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and otorhinolaryngology have been combined with otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery; preventive-occupational medicine has been combined with occupational-environmental medicine; diagnostic roentgenology, radiology, and roentgenology have been combined with diagnostic radiology; and thoracic cardiovascular surgery and thoracic surgery have been combined with cardiothoracic surgery.

d New certifications in nuclear medicine are no longer issued. The American Osteopathic Board of Nuclear Medicine manages the Osteopathic Continuous Certification process for existing certifications in nuclear medicine.

Abbreviations: CAQ, Certificate of Added Qualifications; OMT, osteopathic manipulative treatment.

View Large
Table.
Certification Statistics 2017, Currently-Offered Certificationsa
No. (%)
American Osteopathic Board of… Certification Type Description New Certifications Osteopathic Continuous Certifications Total Active Certifications
Anesthesiology Primary Anesthesiology 48 (2) 11 (1) 704 (2)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 0 10 (<1)
Subspecialty Pain management 4 (<1) 0 78 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric anesthesiology 3 (<1) 0 12 (<1)
Dermatology Primary Dermatology 0 1 (<1) 608 (2)
Subspecialty Mohs micrographic surgery 0 0 39 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric dermatology 0 0 10 (<1)
Emergency Medicine Primary Emergency medicine 294 (13) 205 (15) 3530 (10)
Subspecialty Emergency medical services 2 (<1) 0 7 (<1)
Subspecialty Medical toxicology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 14 (<1)
Family Physicians Primary Family medicine/OMT 628 (28) 367 (27) 13,179 (36)
CAQ Adolescent and young adult medicineb 0 0 7 (<1)
CAQ Geriatric medicine 4 (<1) 14 (1) 290 (1)
Internal Medicine Primary Internal medicine 174 (8) 144 (11) 5169 (14)
Subspecialty Cardiology 16 (1) 30 (2) 594 (2)
Subspecialty Clinical cardiac electrophysiology 3 (<1) 7 (1) 29 (<1)
Subspecialty Critical care 3 (<1) 7 (1) 198 (1)
Subspecialty Endocrinology 5 (<1) 2 (<1) 58 (<1)
Subspecialty Gastroenterology 13 (1) 16 (1) 283 (1)
Subspecialty Geriatrics 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 56 (<1)
Subspecialty Hematology 7 (<1) 2 (<1) 65 (<1)
Subspecialty Infectious diseases 7 (<1) 5 (<1) 97 (<1)
Subspecialty Interventional cardiology 3 (<1) 6 (<1) 133 (<1)
Subspecialty Nephrology 13 (1) 7 (1) 165 (<1)
Subspecialty Oncology 3 (<1) 1 (<1) 124 (<1)
Subspecialty Pulmonary diseases 25 (1) 11 (1) 255 (1)
Subspecialty Rheumatology 3 (<1) 2 (<1) 89 (<1)
Neurology and Psychiatry Primary Neurology 12 (1) 19 (1) 280 (1)
Primary Psychiatry 28 (1) 24 (2) 339 (1)
Subspecialty Child neurology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Child psychiatry 3 (<1) 0 45 (<1)
Subspecialty Geriatric psychiatry 0 0 15 (<1)
Subspecialty Neurophysiology 1 (<1) 0 25 (<1)
NMM Primary NMM/OMMc 35 (2) 32 (2) 759 (2)
Nuclear Medicine Primary Nuclear medicined 0 0 20 (<1)
Obstetrics and Gynecology Primary Obstetrics and gynecologyc 87 (4) 150 (11) 1461 (4)
Subspecialty Female pelvic medicine/reconstructive surgery 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Gynecologic oncology 1 (<1) 2 (<1) 17 (<1)
Subspecialty Maternal and fetal medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 35 (<1)
Subspecialty Reproductive endocrinology 0 1 (<1) 13 (<1)
Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Primary Ophthalmology 18 (1) 13 (1) 407 (1)
Primary Otolaryngology and facial plastic surgeryc 21 (1) 10 (1) 525 (1)
Subspecialty Otolaryngic allergy 1 (<1) 0 22 (<1)
Orthopedic Surgery Primary Orthopedic surgery 98 (4) 103 (8) 1491 (4)
Subspecialty Hand surgery 4 (<1) 4 (<1) 71 (<1)
Pathology Primary Anatomic pathology 0 0 23 (<1)
Primary Anatomic pathology and laboratory medicineb 0 0 11 (<1)
Primary Laboratory medicine 0 0 14 (<1)
Subspecialty Forensic pathology 0 0 4 (<1)
Pediatrics Primary Pediatrics 63 (3) 1 (<1) 648 (2)
Subspecialty Adolescent medicine 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neonatology 0 0 36 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric endocrinology 0 0 3 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric pulmonologyb 0 0 2 (<1)
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Primary Physical medicine and rehabilitation 22 (1) 1 (<1) 295 (1)
Preventive Medicine Primary Aerospace medicine 0 3 (<1) 33 (<1)
Primary Occupational-environmental medicinec 0 7 (1) 82 (<1)
Primary Public health 0 2 (<1) 34 (<1)
CAQ Occupational medicine 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 46 (<1)
Proctology Primary Proctology 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 28 (<1)
Radiology Primary Diagnostic radiologyc 31 (1) 17 (1) 797 (2)
Primary Radiation oncology 0 1 (<1) 19 (<1)
Subspecialty Angiography and interventional radiologyb 0 0 18 (<1)
Subspecialty Body imagingb 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Diagnostic ultrasoundb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Neuroradiology 2 (<1) 3 (<1) 76 (<1)
Subspecialty Nuclear radiologyb 0 0 4 (<1)
Subspecialty Pediatric radiology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 23 (<1)
Subspecialty Radiation therapyb 0 0 1 (<1)
Subspecialty Vascular/interventional radiology 2 (<1) 2 (<1) 22 (<1)
Surgery Primary Cardiothoracic surgeryc 11 (<1) 2 (<1) 74 (<1)
Primary General surgery 218 (10) 59 (4) 1436 (4)
Primary General vascular surgery 18 (1) 3 (<1) 151 (<1)
Primary Neurological surgery 31 (1) 2 (<1) 169 (<1)
Primary Plastic and reconstructive surgery 14 (1) 6 (<1) 99 (<1)
Primary Urological surgery 38 (2) 15 (1) 278 (1)
Subspecialty Surgical critical care 33 (1) 7 (1) 138 (<1)
Conjoint Subspecialty/CAQ Addiction medicine 74 (3) 4 (<1) 84 (<1)
Subspecialty Adult and pediatric allergy and immunology 5 (<1) 0 34 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Correctional medicine 0 0 8 (<1)
Subspecialty Dermatopathology 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 15 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Hospice and palliative medicine 12 (1) 0 381 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Pain medicine 21 (1) 0 108 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sleep medicine 3 (<1) 4 (<1) 90 (<1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Sports medicine 26 (1) 10 (1) 301 (1)
Subspecialty/CAQ Undersea and hyperbaric medicine 1 (<1) 0 48 (<1)
Totals 2206 1357 36,982

a Data are current as of December 31, 2017.

b No longer issued.

c Specialties that are no longer offered but are equivalent to currently offered specialties have been combined as appropriate. These specialties are as follows: special proficiency in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) has been combined with neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM)/OMM; obstetrics and gynecologic surgery has been combined with obstetrics and gynecology; facial plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and otorhinolaryngology have been combined with otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery; preventive-occupational medicine has been combined with occupational-environmental medicine; diagnostic roentgenology, radiology, and roentgenology have been combined with diagnostic radiology; and thoracic cardiovascular surgery and thoracic surgery have been combined with cardiothoracic surgery.

d New certifications in nuclear medicine are no longer issued. The American Osteopathic Board of Nuclear Medicine manages the Osteopathic Continuous Certification process for existing certifications in nuclear medicine.

Abbreviations: CAQ, Certificate of Added Qualifications; OMT, osteopathic manipulative treatment.

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