Established in 1939, the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (AOABOS) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

umbrella organization An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

for 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), ...

boards in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Along with the

American Board of Medical Specialties Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a non-profit organization which represent 24 broad areas of specialty medicine. ABMS is the largest physician-led specialty certification organization in the United States ...

(ABMS) and the

American Board of Physician Specialties The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS), the official certifying body for the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS) is a non-profit umbrella organization for sixteen medical specialty boards that certifies and re-certifies ...

(ABPS), the AOABOS is one of three leading entities that oversees physician board certification in the United States. The AOABOS assists its Member Boards in developing and implementing educational and professional standards to evaluate and certify physician specialists. AOABOS is recognized by the key healthcare accreditation organizations as a primary equivalent source of

physician 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 ...

data on

medical specialist 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), ...

s for credentialing purposes.

History

The concept of a specialty board was first proposed in 1908 by Dr. Derrick T. Vail. In 1916,

ophthalmology Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

became the first officially incorporated board. The second specialty board, the American Board of Otolaryngology, was founded and incorporated in 1924. The

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (abbreviated ABOG) is a non-profit organization that provides board certification for practicing obstetricians and gynecologists in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1927, incorporat ...

(1930) and the American Board of Dermatology and Syphilology (1932) followed. The AOABOS was organized in 1939 as the Advisory Board for Osteopathic Specialists for the certification of

osteopathic physicians Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O., or in Australia DO USA) is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become licen ...

. The first medical specialty board part of the AOABOS was the

American Osteopathic Board of Radiology The American Osteopathic Board of Radiology (AOBR) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the use of imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of disease (radiologi ...

. In 1993, the Board of Trustees of 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), through its agency, the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists, became the

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 ...

certifying body.

Member boards

The following are the specialty certifying boards of the American Osteopathic Association: * American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology * American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology * American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine *

American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified osteopathic physicians (D.O.) who specialize in delivering comprehensive primary care for patients of all ages, genders, ...

American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine The American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine (AOBIM) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in adults ...

American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry The American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (AOBNP) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in disorders of the nervous system (neurologists) and to qu ...

* American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine * American Osteopathic Board of Nuclear Medicine * American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology * American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology * American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery *

American Osteopathic Board of Pathology American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

* American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics *

American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation The American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AOBPMR) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the treatment of patients with physical impa ...

* American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine *

American Osteopathic Board of Proctology The American Osteopathic Board of Proctology (AOBPR) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the anus, colon, a ...

American Osteopathic Board of Surgery The American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the use of surgery to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of disease (surge ...

References

External links

Page for the specialty boards at the Official AOA SiteList of Specialty boards
{{American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists Osteopathic medical associations in the United States Medical and health professional associations in Chicago

History

Member boards

See also

References

External links