American Osteopathic Conjoint pain medicine exam

[predodoc]

Anyone know if this will be seen as the DO equivalent to ABMS pain board? http://www.aoepm.org/index.html

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[Njdevils30]

Anyone know if this will be seen as the DO equivalent to ABMS pain board? http://www.aoepm.org/index.html

Is there any information on this pain board?

 

[Ducttape]

oh great. another pain board to muddle the waters and allow non-fellowship trained physicians from becoming Pain doctors...

sorry to be so negative but in an era of reducing reimbursements and increasing untrained competition, (esp from noctors)...

 

[drusso]

It's sort of moot now that MD and DO residencies/GME have merged effective 2015:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/MedicalEducation/44521

 

[Ligament]

drusso --- SERIOUSLY they've merged????

 

[Njdevils30]

If they are merging then it is a good board. Will this board become certified by the abms since it is certified by the Aoa now?

 

[axm397]

they are going to have a combined accreditation process but AOA is staying independent. I do not know about the AOEPM board. I know in certain states, you have to have ABMS subspecialty certification to call oneself a "board certified ___ doctor".

 

[Ducttape]

they are going to have a combined accreditation process but AOA is staying independent. I do not know about the AOEPM board. I know in certain states, you have to have ABMS subspecialty certification to call oneself a "board certified ___ doctor".

The article implies that board certification will be accessible because all the fellowships/residencies will have to be ACGME certified...
That AOA grandfathering really bothers me...

 

[axm397]

Here's the official announcement.

CHICAGO, February 26, 2014 – The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME),
the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic
Medicine (AACOM) have agreed to a single accreditation system for graduate medical education (GME)
programs in the U.S. After months of discussion, the allopathic and osteopathic medical communities
have committed to work together to prepare future generations of physicians with the highest quality
GME, ultimately helping to ensure the quality and safety of health care delivery.

“The commitment to a single accreditation system comes at a watershed moment for medical education in
the U.S.,” said Thomas Nasca, MD, MACP, chief executive officer of the ACGME. “As we move forward
into the Next Accreditation System, this uniform path of preparation for practice ensures that the
evaluation of and accountability for the competency of all resident physicians – MDs and DOs – will be
consistent across all programs.” Nasca added, “A single accreditation system provides the opportunity to
introduce and consistently evaluate new physician competencies that are needed to meet patient needs
and the health care delivery challenges facing the U.S. over the next decade.”

The single accreditation system will allow graduates of allopathic and osteopathic medical schools to
complete their residency and/or fellowship education in ACGME-accredited programs and demonstrate
achievement of common Milestones and competencies. Currently, the ACGME and AOA maintain
separate accreditation systems for allopathic and osteopathic educational programs.

“A single system standardizes the approach to GME accreditation, and ensures that all physicians have
access to the primary and sub-specialty training necessary to serve patients,” said AOA President
Norman E. Vinn, DO. “Importantly, the system recognizes the unique principles and practices of the
osteopathic medical profession and its contributions to the health of all Americans.”

Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, President of AACOM commented, “Healthcare and medical education in
the U.S. today face many challenges. We feel that this approach to GME accreditation not only
streamlines but strengthens the postdoctoral education process, and will produce physicians who are
able to meet those health care challenges, enhancing the ability for all physicians to learn the unique
characteristics of osteopathic medical practice.”
Under the single accreditation system:
• AOA and AACOM will become ACGME member organizations and will nominate members to the
ACGME Board of Directors. Page 2

• Two new osteopathic Review Committees will be created to evaluate and set standards for the
osteopathic aspects of GME programs seeking osteopathic recognition.
• July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020 is an extended transition period for AOA-accredited programs to
apply for and receive ACGME recognition and accreditation.
• Opportunity is created for MD and DO graduates who have met the prerequisite competencies to
access any GME program or transfer from one accredited program to another without being
required to repeat education.
• Efficiencies are realized since there is no need for institutions to sponsor “dually accredited” or
“parallel accredited” allopathic and osteopathic medical residency programs.

 

[drusso]

This is way overdue. We have been talking about this in the DO community for decades. Goes to show: It's amazing what you can accomplish when the old guard starts dying off in any field for specialty.

 

[olafa]

The article implies that board certification will be accessible because all the fellowships/residencies will have to be ACGME certified...
That AOA grandfathering really bothers me...

The ABMS board had a grandfathering time period also

 

[Gyrus1]

Has anyone taken the Osteopathic pain board exam? I will be taking it this Friday the 14th. Any feedback?

 

[Njdevils30]

I took the exam. I hope this board becomes certified by the abms.

 

[Ducttape]

The ABMS board had a grandfathering time period also

The practice grandfathering pathway is what is problematic

 

[nvrsumr]

I have an occ med doc referrant who wants me to proctor him on 10 injections so he can take the exam. The idea that he would be grandfathered in and considered a pain physician is nauseating.

 

[Njdevils30]

The clinical practice pathway criteria is more complex than doing 10 injections. Go to the website and look www.aoepm.org/Eligibility.html.

 

[drusso]

The clinical practice pathway criteria is more complex than doing 10 injections. Go to the website and look www.aoepm.org/Eligibility.html.

Still pretty weak...

 

[Ducttape]

The clinical practice pathway criteria is more complex than doing 10 injections. Go to the website and look www.aoepm.org/Eligibility.html.

I'll summarize the requirements:

Start by pretending 1/3rd of current practice is pain - easy unless you are doing peds...

After a year, take any of the pain board review courses. Sleep through it, but keep syllabus.

Finally , get two buddies to sign off on you.


Grandfathered!!

 

[Dr Manhattan]

Times have changed since the days of PASSOR. PM&R people who do quality interventional spine fellowships are left having issues upon completion now because of not being "board certified" in pain. This new board although not perfect by any means, could be an option.

 

[drusso]

Times have changed since the days of PASSOR. PM&R people who do quality interventional spine fellowships are left having issues upon completion now because of not being "board certified" in pain. This new board although not perfect by any means, could be an option.

Well, then PM&R residency programs could have chosen to include proficiency and comptencies in neuraxial spine injections as part of their core residency training requirements...but that conversation goes waaayy back around here...Yes, the problem with "interventional spine fellowships" is that they are training experiences geared toward a treatment modality and not a body of knowledge...thus the ACGME doesn't recognize them as worthy of accreditation though some of them are indeed certainly very rigorous and good.

It seems to me that one dilutes meaningfulness of doing a pain fellowship if you can get boarded in pain without having to do one. Sure, once upon a time we needed a credentialing pathway for our "grandfathers" in the field...but these days I think that all of our grandfathers in the field are either dead, retired, or residing in SNF's. All that this pathway accomplishes is a mechanism to legitimize poor training.

 

[00945584]

Anyone know anything about this exam?

What is passing percentage ?

Is it a hard exam?

How do you qualify as what fellowships are out there?

 

[DrSpine]

I agree with the above account. Do we have any DO's who have taken this board exam? I have signed up, but there is almost no one who can tell me what material was best to study for it, how the exam was, type of questions asked, etc. Would be tremendously helpful.