The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP) is an organization that provides
board certification
Board certification is the process by which a physician or other professional demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skills through written, practical, or simulator-based testing.
Certification bodies
There are more than 25 boards that ...
to qualified
osteopathic physicians (D.O.) who specialize in delivering comprehensive primary care for patients of all ages, genders, and addressing all parts of the body (
family physicians
Family medicine is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary ...
). The board is one 18
medical specialty
A medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. Examples include those branches of medicine that deal exclusively with children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), ...
certifying boards of the
approved by the
American Osteopathic Association
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is the representative member organization for the more than 176,000 osteopathic medical doctors (D.O.s) and osteopathic medical students in the United States. The AOA is headquartered in Chicago, Illinoi ...
(AOA), and was established in 1972. As of April 2012, 6,344 osteopathic family physicians held active certification with the AOBFP.
Board certification
Initial certification is available to
osteopathic
Osteopathy () is a type of alternative medicine that emphasizes physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones. Practitioners of osteopathy are referred to as osteopaths.
Osteopathic manipulation is the core set of techniques i ...
family physicians who have successfully completed an AOA-approved
residency
Residency may refer to:
* Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place
** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship
* Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
in family medicine, two years of practice, successful completion of written and oral exams, and chart review.
Voluntary recertification was first offered in Fall 1994, and mandatory recertification began in March 1997. Before this time, the initial board certification was permanent and recertification was not required. Since March 1997, if a physician does not recertify every eight years, their board certification status expires.
Osteopathic family physicians may also receive Certification of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in the following areas:
*
Geriatrics
Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek language, Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατ ...
*
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...
*
Addiction medicine
Addiction medicine is a medical subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, evaluation, treatment, and recovery of persons with addiction, of those with substance-related and addictive disorders, and of people who show unhealthy us ...
*
Hospice and palliative care
*
Sleep medicine
Sleep medicine is a medical specialty or subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and sleep disorder, disorders. From the middle of the 20th century, research has provided increasing knowledge and answered many ...
*
Hyperbaric medicine
Hyperbaric medicine is medical treatment in which an ambient pressure greater than sea level atmospheric pressure is a necessary component. The treatment comprises hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the medical use of oxygen at an ambient pressure ...
The Certification of Added Qualifications must be maintained through the process of recertification every 10 years.
For an osteopathic physician to be board-certified in any specialty, they must be AOA members, pay certification fees, and complete at least 120 hours of
continuing medical education in a three-year period.
See also
*
American Board of Family Medicine
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is a non-profit, independent medical association of American physicians who practice in family medicine and its sub-specialties. Founded in February 1969 as the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) ...
*
American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) is a professional association and a medical specialty college in the United States. Its membership consists of osteopathic physicians who practice family medicine, residents and medical ...
*
AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists
References
External links
AOBFP homepageAmerican Osteopathic Association
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Osteopathic medical associations in the United States
Organizations established in 1972
Family medicine in the United States
Medical and health organizations based in Illinois
General practice organizations