The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, independent

medical association A medical association or medical college is a trade association that brings together practitioners of a particular geographical area (a country, region, province). In common-law countries, they are often grouped by medical specialties ( cardiolo ...

American 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, p ...

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

s who practice in

family medicine Family medicine is a medical specialty 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 care physician, is ...

and its sub-specialties. Founded in February 1969 as the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP), the group was the 20th

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 (pediatrics), cancer (oncology), ...

to be recognized by the

American Board of Medical Specialties The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a non-profit organization established in 1933 which represents 24 broad areas of specialty medicine. ABMS is the largest and most widely recognized physician-led specialty certification organi ...

and was formed out of a need to encourage

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

graduates to enter

general practice General practice is personal, family, and community-orientated comprehensive primary care that includes diagnosis, continues over time and is anticipatory as well as responsive. Definitions A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a consu ...

. It adopted its current name in 2005. The American Board of Family Medicine is the second largest medical specialty board in the United States. Its purposes include: * Improving the quality of medical care available to the public * Establishing and maintaining standards in the specialty of family medicine * Improving the standards of medical education for training in family medicine * Determining by evaluation the fitness of specialists in family medicine who apply for and hold certificates

Mission

The mission of the ABFM is to improve the health of the public through: # Certification # Training Standards: The ABFM sets standards for the training that prepares Family Medicine residents for board certification. # Research: The ABFM funds, conducts, and publishes research that is devoted to creating, evaluating, and maintaining cutting-edge certification methods, and to advancing the scientific basis of Family Medicine. # Leadership Development: The ABFM cultivates leaders in Family Medicine to expand the specialty's contribution to the health of the public. # Collaboration: The ABFM collaborates with other specialty boards and organizations to promote better health care, drive better outcomes, and manage health care resources responsibly.

Certification

Candidates seeking certification or recertification must meet the eligibility criteria specified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Candidates must complete all requirements, culminating in the successful completion of the cognitive examination. Certification candidates must have satisfactorily completed three years of training in a Family Medicine residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) subsequent to receipt of the

M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...

D.O. 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 lice ...

degree from an accredited institution. Additional policies apply to candidates who have completed their medical or residency training outside the United States. The American Board of Family Medicine requires periodic recertification to maintain Diplomate status.

Family Medicine Certification (FMC)

Family Medicine Certification (FMC) is the process that provides the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) with the means to continually assess Diplomates. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) determined that ABMS specialists within every discipline should be required to meet the highest standards of accountability. In response, the ABMS designed a process called Maintenance of Certification, and each specialty board within the ABMS has agreed to adhere to a set structure in developing their own individual programs. This structure consists of four components, each designed to assess important physician characteristics: Professionalism, Self-assessment and Lifelong Learning, Cognitive Expertise, and Performance Improvement. Although these elements are similar to and consistent with the ABFM's long-standing recertification program, Family Medicine Certification stresses the importance of ongoing participation in activities that evaluate each of these components between recertification examinations. Family Medicine Certification is a requirement that the ABFM believes encourages clinical excellence and benefits both physicians and their patients.

Publications

The '' Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine'' is the official publication of the board, succeeding ''The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice'' which was published 1988–2005.

Reciprocity agreements

The American Board of Family Medicine has reciprocity agreements with the

College of Family Physicians of Canada The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC; , ''CMFC'') is a professional association and the legal certifying body for the practice of family medicine in Canada. This national organization of family physicians was founded in 1954 and incor ...

Royal College of General Practitioners The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general (medical) practitioners (GPs/ Family Physicians/ Primary Care Physicians) in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including ...

United Kingdom, the

Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners The Royal New Zealand College Of General Practitioners (the College) is a professional body and postgraduate educational institute that sets standards for general practice in New Zealand, providing research, assessment, ongoing education, advo ...

, and the

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Ro ...

. Diplomates of the ABFM may be eligible to seek certification by these colleges as well. Members in good standing of these colleges who meet all other requirements of the ABFM and reside in the United States may be eligible to take the Certification Examination. Eligibility to sit for the American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination through reciprocity is available only to physicians who have satisfactorily completed formal Family Medicine or General Practitioner training accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization within

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, or

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Family medicine in the United States Medical associations based in the United States Medical and health organizations based in Kentucky General practice organizations