Addiction Medicine Practice Pathway 2025

[Hash Slinging Slasher]

Sorry if dumb question - had some confusion about the language of requirements of the addiction medicine practice pathway. Can general psychiatry residents graduating in June 2024 qualify for the addiction medicine practice pathways track for the 2025 cycle (assuming all other addiction medicine direct clinical practice hours / research / etc adding up to the 1920 hrs required have been satisfied)?

One of the requirements is board-certification in an ABME-recognized specialty but I won't "officially" have that until I take the psych boards in September 2024 (and pass hopefully lol). Will that be too late for 2025 application cycle? Any help would be immensely appreciated!

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[TexasPhysician]

Doubtful. They are looking for 1900+ hours outside of residency. Most of those need to be in addiction specific work like employed at an addiction center.

 

[littlefred]

Doubtful. They are looking for 1900+ hours outside of residency. Most of those need to be in addiction specific work like employed at an addiction center.

Only like 480 have to be direct patient contact (12 weeks if you work 40 hr weeks). The other hours can be a combo of research, advocacy activities, administrative etc.

Allow me to link a colleague that has explained how to do it: Addiction Medicine: Guide to Educational and Board Prep Resources and the Journey to Board Certification

 

[TexasPhysician]

Only like 480 have to be direct patient contact (12 weeks if you work 40 hr weeks). The other hours can be a combo of research, advocacy activities, administrative etc.

Allow me to link a colleague that has explained how to do it: Addiction Medicine: Guide to Educational and Board Prep Resources and the Journey to Board Certification

Sure, but they scrutinize these as this isn’t common. Additionally OP is a resident. Such activities as a resident don’t count last I looked

 

[littlefred]

Sure, but they scrutinize these as this isn’t common. Additionally OP is a resident. Such activities as a resident don’t count last I looked

Oh, I'm not saying they can do it as a resident. This is after they're done with residency.

Agree with what you said.

 

[Hash Slinging Slasher]

Thanks everyone. Would current moonlighting work in addiction count towards that 480 hrs since it's technically outside of residency or do hours only AFTER graduation from residency count?

 

[splik]

If you haven't graduated yet, you won't be eligible. You have to have at least 24 months post-residency experience in addiction medicine to qualify.

The ABPM notes: "Applicants must submit documentation of a minimum of 1,920 hours in which they were engaged in the practice of Addiction Medicine at the subspecialty level; this minimum of 1,920 hours must occur over at least 24 of the previous 60 months prior to application. The minimum of 24 months of practice time need not be continuous; however, all practice time must have occurred in the five-year period preceding June 30 of the application year."

And they are quite stringent about reviewing your application.

 

[Hash Slinging Slasher]

Dang :/ looks like it won't be possible for me then if 2025 is the last year it's being offered. Very much appreciate the guidance!

 

[nexus73]

AOBNP (osteopathic) has a practice pathway also. I believe open to MDs

 

[SubzDoc]

Splik is absolutely right about the 24 months of post-residency experience. And they will not accept moonlighting hours during residency. The original cutoff for the practice pathway was supposed to expire, if I recall correctly, in 2023. Then ABPM got the green light from ABMS to extend the pathway for several years. I imagine they said something like, “opioid epidemic, need more addictions, blah blah.”

ABPM is sort of on the shady/greedy side. If they think they can get more people paying for board exams and dues by extending the practice pathway, they will. That’s a long way of saying they may extend the pathway again, but you can’t count on that.