Thorough review and careful consideration is taken before a new specialty board is accepted. A new board can only be established if such an additional area of medicine will be in the interest of the public and will elevate the standards of medical education and practice.

Since 1934, official recognition of specialty boards in medicine has been achieved by the collaborative efforts of the Advisory Board for Medical Specialties (and later by its successor, the American Board of Medical Specialties) and the American Medical Association Council on Medical Education (AMA/CME).

The first “Essentials for Approved Special Examining Boards” was prepared by the newly appointed Committee on Standards and Examinations in 1934. Its purpose was to review the applications of new specialty boards for representation on the Advisory Board. To be eligible for membership on the Advisory Board, an examining board in a specialty must be composed of member selected from or appointed by societies recognized by the Advisory Board as national societies in that specialty together with representation from the related section of the American Medical Association. Upon being accepted by the Advisory Board, the newly organized examining board in question would then be recommended to the AMA/CME as being qualified for recognition by that association.

In 1948, these efforts were formalized through the establishment of the Liaison Committee for Specialty Boards (LCSB) and the publication of the "Essentials for Approval of Examining Boards in Medical Specialties." The LCSB consists of four voting representatives from the ABMS Board of Directors and four voting representatives from the AMA/CME Executive Committee. The Essentials establishes standards for the approval of new specialty boards. This document has undergone several revisions through the years and remains the standard for recognition of new specialty boards.

To be eligible for LCSB review, a medical specialty board must be a separately incorporated, financially independent body which determines its requirements for certification, selects the members of its governing body in accordance with the procedures stipulated in its bylaws, accepts its candidates for certification from persons who fulfill its stated requirements, administers examinations and issues certificates to those who submit to and pass its evaluations.

There are several key criteria for the approval of new examining boards.

1. The differentiation of a new specialty must be based on major new concepts in medical science and represent a distinct and well-defined field of medical practice.
2. A single standard of preparation for and evaluation of expertise in each specialty must be recognized by only one medical specialty board for each specialty.
3. The training needed to meet certification requirements by the applicant must be distinct from that required for certification by approved ABMS Member Boards so that it is not included in established training programs leading to certification by approved ABMS Boards.
4. A medical specialty board must demonstrate that candidates for certification will acquire, and its diplomates will maintain, capability in a defined area of medicine and demonstrate special knowledge and competencies in that field.
5. Evidence must be presented that the new board will establish defined standards for training and that there is a system for evaluation of educational program quality.
6. The applicant medical specialty board must demonstrate support from the relevant field of medical practice and broad professional support.

If the LCSB approves the application for a new Board, that recommendation is forwarded to ABMS and the AMA/CME. Each of these latter organizations must then act by a two-third majority in order to approve a new board. If an application is not approved, it may be resubmitted after 12 months. Alternatively, the applicant may appeal the decision up to six months after the receipt of the LCSB decision. The appeal is heard by an independent appeal panel, which makes a recommendation back to the LCSB. The LCSB then takes a final action.

Today there are 24 approved ABMS Member Boards, each selected because of the special attention given to the problems of patients according to age, gender, organ system or interaction of patients with their environment.

The 24 Approved ABMS Member Boards
Year approved as an ABMS Member Board in parentheses

Through the creation of the boards the medical profession has performed a magnificent service to the people of this country. There are many obvious reasons why the board system has flourished and attained such stature, but perhaps the most impelling one is the premium placed upon certification by developing physicians.

The information for this history has been compiled by ABMS staff through an examination of ABMS' records and documents. As with all historical reporting, the information we've provided is based on our understanding and interpretation of these records. If you find any factual inaccuracies, please advise us by contacting the Director of Marketing and Communications at (312) 436-2626.