American Board of Medical Specialties is incorporated in the State of Illinois as a not-for-profit corporation by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

The individual organizations comprising the membership of ABMS are classified as either Regular Members, often referred to as Member Boards, or Associate Members. The Regular Members include 23 Primary Boards and one Conjoint Board. The Associate Members consist of nine national organizations concerned with graduate medical education and specialty practice, but they are not specialty boards. Each Member Board and Associate Member Board pays annual dues and has voting rights.

There are also three Public Members elected by the Board of Directors who may vote and serve on committees but do not pay dues or hold office.

Officers of the ABMS Board of Directors

The officers consist of the President and CEO of ABMS, the Chair, Vice-Chair and the Secretary-Treasurer.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of the Officers and Representatives from each Member Board. It manages and governs the affairs of ABMS and determines compliance with ABMS' stated mission.

Public Members

To provide advice on decisions affecting the public, the Board of Directors elects three Public Members, having relevant experience, but with no direct relationship to any certifying board or the certification process. Each Public Member has one vote.

Assembly

The Assembly is the final decision-making authority of ABMS and is composed of the voting representatives of all Regular Members, Associate Members and Public Members. All the members of the Board of Directors are ex-officio members of the Assembly and are without vote. The Chair is presiding officer over all meetings of the Assembly and the Secretary is responsible for giving notice of all meetings and recording all actions taken by the Assembly.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Committees of the Board include:

• Executive Committee is composed of the President and CEO, Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer, two at-large directors and one public member
• Committee on Certification, Subcertification, Recertification and Maintenance of Certification (COCERT) develops and proposes principles of certification, subcertification and recertification. The committee reviews all MOC applications and makes recommendations about acceptance to the governing bodies of ABMS.
• Committee on Oversight and Monitoring of Maintenance of Certification (COMMOC) receives and reviews reports from each Member Board about its Maintenance of Certification program and verifies compliance with the Maintenance of Certification guidelines. The committee also provides recommendations and guidance to the Member Boards with regard to program development and implementation.
• Committee on Research and Evaluation Procedures (COREP) develops and approves principles of evaluation for certification, recertification and Maintenance of Certification. The committee identifies and encourages research to improve the capacity to measure, assess and evaluate the educational, scientific, clinical and professional qualifications and performance of physicians engaged in the practice of medical specialties.
• Finance and Audit Committee (FINCO) concerns itself with monitoring the financial integrity of ABMS including investment and management of ABMS funds.
• Database and Information Technology Advisory Committee (DITAC) develops, reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors and the Assembly guidelines, protocols, programs, criteria and standards for the creation and maintenance of a current centralized ABMS database which contains information on the diplomates of the Member Boards.
• Governance Committee monitors the ongoing fiduciary obligations of the organization and its affiliates.

Representatives to Other Organizations

ABMS appoints or elects representatives to the following groups or organizations:

• Liaison Committee for Specialty Boards (LCSB)
• Council for Medical Affairs (CFMA)
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)
• National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)

Budget

ABMS is funded by dues paid annually by Member Boards and Associate Members and by licensing fees. The annual budget of ABMS supports the service functions of the central office and the expenses of the organizational units and committees.

Meetings

ABMS Assembly conducts business meetings twice a year - an Annual Meeting in March and an Interim Meeting in September. Other meetings are called as needed and may include either the entire voting membership or limited groups representing the Members.

ABMS Board of Directors

ABMS Board of Directors 2008-2009

Seated: Lloyd B. Morgan (Public Member), Margaret E. O'Kane, M.H.S. (Public Member), Stephen I. Wasserman, M.D. (Secretary-Treasurer), Joel A. DeLisa, M.D., M.S., (Chair), Kevin B. Weiss, M.D. (President and CEO), John B. McCabe, M.D., William C. Nugent, M.D., Margaret A. Turk, M.D. Standing, row 1: Herand Abcarian, M.D., L. Edward Bryant, Jr., J.D. (Public Member), Henry W. Lim, M.D., Henry D. Royal, M.D., Gary J. Becker, M.D., James M. Vanderploeg, M.D., M.P.H., John G. Clarkson, M.D., Frank R. Lewis, Jr., M.D., Betsy D. Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., F. Daniel Duffy, M.D. Standing, row 2: Gerson Weiss, M.D., R. Barrett Noone, M.D., Thomas E. Norris, M.D., Robert H. Miller, M.D., M.B.A., Karla J. Matteson, Ph.D., William F. Chandler, M.D. (Past Member), David A. Bloom, M.D., James A. Stockman III, M.D., Marc F. Swiontkowski, M.D. Not pictured: Orin F. Guidry, M.D., James T.C. Li, M.D., Ph.D., Tae Sung Park, M.D.

ABMS Professional Staff