• Introduction
• Special Information for 2009 Recertification Process
• Entry Into The Recertification Process
• Requirements of the Recertification Process in a Subspecialty
• Recertification Examination Information
• Inquiries

The recertification program in internal medicine and its subspecialties is developed by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine for certified internists and subspecialists. The objectives of the program are to promote and verify academic and professional excellence over a diplomate's lifetime of practice, to set standards of clinical competence for the practice of osteopathic internal medicine and to improve the quality of patient care. Since the pool of candidates entering the recertification process are a select group who have previously demonstrated their scholarly excellence, it is anticipated that the design of the recertification program will assure that almost all of the diplomates will be able to successfully re-validate their certificates. Certificates in internal medicine or a subspecialty issued prior to 1993 are not time-limited and therefore are valid for life. Recertification is voluntary for diplomates with lifetime certificates. Diplomates may apply for entry into the process of recertification at any time after initial certification or recertification. The only prerequisite is that the diplomate must have been previously certified by the AOBIM in the area(s) in which they seek recertification. The recertification program will allow diplomates to be recertified in several disciplines simultaneously, i.e., internal medicine, subspecialty and added qualifications. Recertification in a subspecialty does not require recertification in internal medicine, but recertification in added qualifications (e.g., geriatric medicine, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, etc) requires the diplomate to possess a valid certificate in the underlying discipline to which the certificate is added. Subspecialists may allow a time-limited certificate in internal medicine to expire without jeopardizing recertification in their subspecialty. However, if a diplomate permits expiration of their time-limited certification in internal medicine, they will no longer be regarded as a certified internist or listed as certified in internal medicine by the AOA.

Back to top

The Internal Medicine Recertification Examination is a computer based examination. Subspecialty and Added Qualifications examinations will continue to be paper and pencil examinations held in the Chicago area each August, however the Internal Medicine Recertification Examination will no longer be offered using paper and pencil. The 2010 Internal Medicine Recertification examination will be held on September 17, 2010 at over 200 different PearsonVUE locations nationwide. For those Diplomates that have a certificate that expires in August of 2010, those certificates will be valid until December 31, 2010. The application process will remain the same and begins November 1, 2009 for the 2010 examination. Applications must be requested in writing by mail or by email at aobim@mail.com. The deadline for completing all portions of the application process is April 1. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the AOBIM at the above email address. The mailing address for the AOBIM is: American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine, 1111 W. 17th Street, Tulsa, OK 74107.

Diplomates may enter the process by notifying the AOBIM office of their intent to become recertified and requesting an application by mail or email. A Diplomate cannot register with the computer company until the application with the Board is approved.

Requirements of the Recertification Process in Internal Medicine

In order to be recertified by the AOA through the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine, the applicant must satisfactorily complete all of the following minimum requirements as a part of the recertification process:

1. The applicant must have a valid, unchallenged, unrestricted license to practice medicine in all states where the applicant currently holds a license. A copy of all licenses to practice must be submitted with the application.
2. The applicant must have been a member in good standing of the AOA or of the Candadian Osteopathic Association for a continuous period of at least 2 years immediately prior to the date of recertification. A copy of the current AOA membership card must be submitted with the application.
3. The applicant must be able to show evidence of conformity to the standards set in the Code of Ethics of the AOA. This documentation will be included as a part of the forms completed by the Department Chairman and the Medical Director.
4. The applicant must be a Diplomate of the AOBIM.
5. The applicant must complete fifty (50) credit hours of internal medicine continuing medical education (CME) during the 36 month period prior to the recertification examination. CME credits from state osteopathic society meetings and the AOA Convention are not acceptable.
6. The applicant must show satisfactory attendance at an internal medicine review course. The review course must receive prior approval of the AOBIM and be attended no sooner than 24 months prior to examination. The review course attendance may not be applied toward the CME credit requirement for recertification. Applicants planning on sitting for the next recertification examination offered on September 17, 2010, who have attended an internal medicine review course within 24 months of the 2010 examination, may have the prior approval waived but the course details must be submitted to the Board and be approved. The review course offered by the ACOI in 2010, prior to the recertification examination date, will meet prior approval of the AOBIM for this particular requirement. All other review courses must be pre-approved by the AOBIM.
7. The applicant must show satisfactory competence in clinical practice in the field being examined. The process will be determined predominantly by verification provided by the applicants local medical peers. The documentation will be provided by the Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine and the Medical Director (or chief medical operating officer) at the location of the applicant's principle clinical practice. Specific forms to verify clinical competence will be supplied by the Board in the application packet and must be returned to the Board by the medical authority completing the form and not the applicant. Verification of clinical competence will include components common to all applicants and also components that specifically address the type of clinical practice carried out by the applicant. The applicant will be responsible for including on the verification form the specific components of his or her clinical practice according to the directions included within the application packet.
8. Following satisfactory compliance with the above prescribed requirements the applicant is required to pass the recertification examination.

Back to top

In order to be recertified by the AOA through the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine in a subspecialty, the applicant must satisfactorily complete all of the following minimum requirements as a part of the recertification process:

1. The applicant must have a valid, unchallenged, unrestricted license to practice medicine in all states where the applicant currently holds a license. A copy of all licenses must be submitted with the application.
2. The applicant must have been a member in good standing of the AOA or of the Canadian Osteopathic Association for a continuous period of at least 2 years immediately prior to the date of recertification. A copy of the current AOA membership card must be submitted with the application.
3. The applicant must be able to show evidence of conformity to the standards set in the Code of Ethics of the AOA. This documentation will be included as a part of the forms completed by the Department Chairman and the Medical Director.
4. The applicant must be a Diplomate of the AOBIM in the subspecialty.
5. The applicant must complete fifty (50) credit hours of internal medicine continuing medical education (CME) during the 36 month period prior to the recertification examination. CME credits from state osteopathic meetings and the AOA Convention are not acceptable.
6. Completion of subspecialty review may be in the form of a Board review course, home study e.g. subspecialty Up-to-Date or on-line review course. Documentation of participation must be provided. All self-study review must have documentation of a minimum of 40 hours credit by the sponsoring organization. A list of approved review options will be included in the application packet in the respective subspecialties. Any other activity must receive prior approval from the AOBIM. The review activity must be completed within 24 months prior of the examination.
7. The applicant must show satisfactory competence in clinical practice in the subspecialty being examined. The process will be determined predominantly by the verification provided by the applicants local medical peers. The documentation will be provided by the Subspecialty Section Director or the Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine if there is no Section Director, and the Medical Director (or chief medical operating officer) at the location of the applicant's principle clinical practice. Specific forms to verify clinical competence will be supplied by the Board in the application packet and must be returned to the Board by the medical authority completing the form and not the applicant. Verification of clinical competence will include components common to all applicants and also components that specifically address the type of clinical practice carried out by the applicant. The applicant will be responsible for including on the verification form the specific components of his or her clinical practice according to the directions included within the application packet.
8. Following satisfactory compliance with the above prescribed requirements the applicant is required to pass the subspecialty recertification examination.

Back to top

The internal medicine recertification examination will be a four-hour computerized examination consisting of multiple-choice questions of the "one best answer" type. There will be a total of 150 items on the internal medicine examination. The examination will be administered at approximately 200 sites nationwide. The subspecialty and added qualifications examinations will continue to be a paper and pencil examination administered only in the Chicago area and will be comprised of 150 items. The internal medicine examination will cover the broad aspects of internal medicine that practicing internists are expected to know. Most items will be constructed to be clinically relevant and germane to the actual practice of most diplomates. All areas of internal medicine will be covered as thoroughly as possible, i.e., allergic disorders, cardiovascular, endocrine disorders, electrolyte disorders, gastrointestinal, hematological, infectious diseases, neurological, oncological disorders, pulmonary diseases, renal diseases, dermatological manifestations of internal disease, clinical pharmacology, etc. Clinical situations involving diagnosis, cause, prognosis and natural history of diseases and treatment will be stressed in the above disorders. There will be clinically oriented questions with case history data included. In some of the clinical situations the candidate will be asked to interpret visual material such as physiological data, ECGs, urine sediments, peripheral smears, gastrointestinal imaging studies, chest x-rays, gram stains, dermatological lesions and physical findings. Details regarding site registration for the internal medicine examination will be in the application packet.

Recertification in More Than One Area

For those individuals who are certified in a subspecialty and/or area of added qualifications, the opportunity will be given for simultaneous recertification in multiple areas in which a diplomate holds a certificate. The diplomate who elects to complete the subspecialty and/or added qualifications recertifications concurrently will complete the examinations on the same day and must complete all of the requirements listed above for each of the examinations. For simultaneous recertification the examination score for each discipline will be computed separately. If the candidate fails one examination but passes the other(s), the candidate will be required to sit for the entire examination that was failed at the next annual examination date. For all examinations the AOBIM uses an absolute standard (which permits everyone to pass) for passing and candidates must exceed a specific level of performance to obtain a passing score.

Date, Location and Time of Examination

The subspecialty and added qualifications recertification examinations will be administered on August 28, 2010, at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center Hotel in Lombard, Illinois. The internal medicine examination will be a morning session beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 12:00 noon and will be given on September 17, 2010. The subspecialty examinations will be given on August 28, 2010 and will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 12:00 noon. The added qualifications examinations will be given on August 28, 2010 beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 12 noon. All candidates must report to the examination room no later than 20 minutes prior to the examination time (7:40 a.m.) The examination will be held on the 1st floor at the Westin Hotel.

Application Fees and Deadline

The application/examination fee is $600 for the internal medicine examination and $450 for subspecialty or added qualifications examination and must be submitted with the application. The completed application must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2010. An additional late fee of $100 will be added to all applications postmarked after April 1, 2010. No applications will be accepted after May 1, 2010, and any application submitted as incomplete must have all requirements completed by June 1, 2010. All applicants will be notified of the acceptance of their application within 30 days of receipt of the completed application and all required documentation.

Refunds and Withdrawals

There is a non-refundable cancellation fee of $100 for all withdrawals prior to April 1. There is a $200 withdrawal fee for all withdrawals between April 1 and May 1. No refund is granted for any withdrawal postmarked after May 1, 2010. All withdrawals must be in writing and submitted to the AOBIM office by mail or email.

Hotel Accommodations

A block of rooms at a special rate of $129.00 has been reserved for the examination candidates. To reserve a room you must call the Westin Lombard Hotel at 888 627-9031 and ask for in-house reservations. When speaking to the reservations clerk, indicate that you want to receive the special room rate for the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine group meeting. You must reserve your room by July 15, 2010. It is suggested you guarantee the reservation with a credit card of one night's deposit.

Instructions for Completing the Application Packet

Please read all of the enclosed information on Form RC2 to properly complete the application process. All of the items on the application form must be filled out completely or the application will not be accepted. The application form must be printed. All supporting documents to be submitted with the application are clearly delineated on the enclosed instruction sheet for all applicants.

Acknowledgment of Acceptance

All candidates whose applications have been accepted will be notified within 4 weeks of receipt of the completed application and all supporting documents. Each accepted subspecialty and added qualifications candidate will be issued an examination admission card which is to be retained and submitted to the proctor at the time of the examination.

Results

The Diplomates will be informed of the results of the examination within 60 days following the examination date. Those who passed the examination will receive a Certificate. The certificate will be time-limited and expire 10 years from the date of issuance. The date of issuance of the certificate will be the date of the examination or the expiration date of the corresponding valid certificate whichever is the latter. The actual receipt of the certificate will not occur until six months after the examination issuance date. This certification will be awarded after the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists gives final approval of the examination process for each candidate. This approval process will take approximately six months following the notification of successful completion of the examination. On written request and payment of a fee of $100, candidates may obtain re-scoring of the examination within a year of receiving the results. The answer sheets of candidates will be destroyed twenty-four months after administration of the examination.

Failure to Pass the Examination

If a candidate fails an examination, a re-examination will be given during the next annual examination. A candidate will be considered in the examination process of recertification during this period of time. If a candidate fails the re-examination two consecutive times, the candidate will be required to reapply and complete all of the requirements for recertification. A candidate will be considered in the examination process of recertification during this period of time. Diplomates may have an unlimited number of annual examination attempts. The recertification application is valid for three years. After three years, the Diplomate must re-apply to complete the recertification process.

Valid Dates of Certificates for Early Completion of the Recertification Program

The recertification examinations may be taken up to three (3) years prior to the expiration date of the current certificate. When all components of the recertification program have been completed, a new ten (10) year certificate valid from the date of the current certification expiration will be issued.

Address Change

Registered candidates must notify the Board office in writing of any change in address or email address after entering the recertification process.

Preparation for the Examination

Although the review course(s) requirement is intended to help prepare the Diplomate to pass the recertification examination it may well not be adequate enough preparation in order to successfully pass the examination. The Board strongly recommends that every Diplomate undertake a self-study and self-assessment program in addition to the requirements listed above, as part of the recertification process.

Back to top

All inquiries, requests for information and correspondence of any manner that is directed to the Board must be addressed to:

Gary L. Slick, D.O.
American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine
1111 West 17th Street
Tulsa, OK 74107
or by E-Mail: aobim@mail.com

Back to top