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Why More Doctors Are Embracing Scientifically Sound Integrative Medicine

Scientifically Sound Integrative MedicineAn experienced physician knows that even when patients of the same age and with the same illness display similar symptoms, their treatment plans may be markedly different. This is because a physician must take into account a host of factors, including the patients’ general health, medications they’re currently taking, and lifestyle habits, just to name a few. In essence, what the physician is doing is viewing the patient as a whole person, not merely as an entity with an illness that must be eradicated. An experienced doctor also recognizes that effective treatment requires a partnership of sorts between the patient and the practitioner.

Integrative Medicine Reaffirms the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Today, more doctors are adopting the processes of integrative medicine that focus on treating patients in body, mind, and spirit. To critics, this holistic model may seem overly ambitious and based on less robust scientific principles than those found in conventional Western medicine. But, on the contrary, integrative medicine is rooted in diligent scientific inquiry.  The practice of integrative medicine seeks nothing less than to achieve optimal health and healing by reaffirming the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, focusing on the entire person and body systems, and utilizing all therapeutic approaches and disciplines, with all conclusions informed by evidence.

In short, integrative medicine is a medical specialty that combines all of the best treatment practices available to deliver optimal patient care, and the specialty usually includes both traditional medicine and alternative and complementary methods that have been used successfully for generations.

NIH Integrative Medicine Study Finds Valid Results

To date, the National Institutes of Health has conducted more than 6,000 randomized controlled trials on integrative medicine, which have produced enough valid and reliable results that medical organizations now include integrative medicine in their clinical guidelines. According to the NIH, integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies with complementary and alternative medical therapies “for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.”

In light of this body of scientific evidence, many American university faculty leaders believe it’s critical to promote education and science in integrative medicine in order to provide the public with the best health care possible.

The American Board of Physician Specialties ® (ABPS) offers physician certification in integrative medicine through the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM).

Benefits of Integrative Medicine Certification With the ABOIM

To earn certification through the ABOIM, physicians must meet eligibility requirements and pass a rigorous computer-based exam. Once certified, they will have positioned themselves as thoughtful leaders in integrative medicine. As Diplomates of the ABPS, a nationally recognized choice for board certification, they will also:

  • Join a distinguished community of physicians whose priority is the advancement of patient care and integrative medicine
  • Enjoy more opportunities for career advancement and increased mobility on the job market
  • Demonstrate your commitment to Integrative Medicine and provide potential patients, colleagues, and others evidence of your mastery of the core competencies

For more information about the ABOIM, which espouses the scientifically sound treatment concepts of integrative medicine and seeks to foster healthy living and illness prevention, contact the ABPS today.

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

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
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 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
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
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
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