The American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) held a meeting on April 7, 2017 to discuss the mechanism to attain a subspecialty certification in addiction medicine.
The meeting was a follow-up to the AOA resolution that was passed on April 12, 2016 that provides DOs who are ABAM diplomates with a process to attain an AOA subspecialty certification in addiction medicine.
Osteopathic physicians who are ABAM diplomates have 3 possibilities for certification in addiction medicine:
- If you hold a current, primary AOA certificate, you should have been offered an automatic AOA certification in addiction medicine-. There is a $295 processing fee. Contact addictionmedicine@osteopathic.org for additional information.
- If you are a DO and hold a current ABMS certificate, you are eligible for the new ABMS certification examination being offered via the American Board of Preventive Medicine. As an ABAM diplomate, you will not need to list and have verified your practice experience, or provide a reference letter. Go to: www.theabpm.org
- If you do not hold a current AOA or ABMS certificate, your status as a current ABAM diplomate remains unchanged, if you are continually registered in the ABAM MOC program.
The AOA recognizes that the opioid epidemic has had a tremendous impact on families, and therefore they are considering a practice pathway for the future to allow for even more DOs to combat the increase of substance use disorder among our patients.
Attached are slide sets from the AOA and ABAM that outline the pathway to certification. We will keep our members apprised of any news as it becomes available.
