The American Osteopathic Board of Proctology (AOBPR) 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
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the
anus
The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, d ...
,
colon, and
rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract, gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the s ...
of the
gastrointestinal tract
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organ (biology), organs of the digestive syste ...
(
proctologists). The board is one of 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 1941.
As of April 2011, there were 25 osteopathic proctologists certified by the AOBPR.
Board certification
To become board certified in proctology, candidates must have 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 proctology and one year of practice as a licensed proctologist. Additionally, candidates must have successfully completed the required oral and written examinations. Since 2004, board certified osteopathic proctologists must renew their certification every ten years to avoid expiration of their board certified status.
Physicians certified by the AOBPR are known as fellows of the American Osteopathic College of Proctology.
See also
*
References
External links
The American Osteopathic College of Proctology website
{{American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists
Osteopathic medical associations in the United States
Organizations established in 1941
Medical and health professional associations in Chicago
Colorectal surgery