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Approved Fellowships Prepare Family Physicians to Lead Rural EDs

Approved EM FellowshipsA current shortage of qualified and board certified EM physicians means that many emergency facilities, particularly in rural areas, are facing staffing challenges. Doctors who completed residencies in specialties other than EM, especially doctors who specialize in family medicine, step in to fill the gap for communities that would have otherwise lacked adequate emergency care.

A particularly noteworthy development has been the rise of fellowship programs that provide qualified family medicine physicians the opportunity to gain supervised training in EM. With a deeper knowledge of emergency medicine, graduate fellows strengthen the emergency care safety net in underserved communities, whether rural or urban. That these fellowship programs are a pathway to board certification in EM by the ABPS only makes them more critical. That’s because EM certification with the ABPS confers benefits not only to their careers, but to patients and the medical community on a whole.

The AAEP Recognizes Distinguished Emergency Medicine Fellowships

Recognizing that EM is a highly sought-after specialty, the American Academy of Emergency Physicians (AAEP), approves fellowship programs that provide EM training to qualified family medicine physicians.

The AAEP recognizes programs that meet criteria that include:

  • Demonstrable proof that participating physicians work under the supervision of faculty members who are experienced in all aspects of emergency medicine
  • A program organization conducive to medical education in a scholarly environment
  • Proven commitment to excellence in both education and medical care

AAEP-approved fellowships are located throughout the United States. Here is current list of approved programs.

Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM)

Certification in EM by the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM), a Member Board of the ABPS, serves as a verifiable mark of distinction – an indicator of a doctor’s depth of knowledge and demonstrated expertise. Completion of an approved fellowship is one of the criteria that some emergency physicians must satisfy in order to apply for board certification with the BCEM. Physicians who earn BCEM certification have displayed, through performance and rigorous testing, mastery of the core competencies necessary to provide the best emergency department care possible. It’s no wonder that medical leaders across the country prioritize the hiring of BCEM-certified physicians for their emergency departments. With a BCEM-certified physician on staff, a facility delivers a clear message about its strong credentials, which helps to establish and maintain the community’s trust in the facility and its medical staff. Hence, by displaying commitment to patient care beyond fellowship programs, graduate fellows who earn a certification from the ABPS position themselves as superior candidates for employment with both rural and urban emergency departments.

How to Gain Recognition for Your Emergency Medicine Fellowship

Program directors who are interested in receiving AAEP recognition for their emergency medicine fellowships can contact emgtp@aapsus.org or (813) 433-2277, for more information about the AAEP Emergency Medicine Fellowship Recognition Program. If you are a program director of a family medicine fellowship in EM and are interested in having your program approved by the AAPS, please contact us today.

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Patient Care Is Our Priority

Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD
Emergency Medicine
When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD
Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO
Internal Medicine
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