Benefits of Certification SHERRY SCOVELL, MD MY AVLS PHYSICIAN EDITOR
T
he need for medical certification has been a concept that has been around since the mid-1700s when the “first Medical Society in the thirteen United States of America” was introduced and vowed to examine “every Candidate for Practice, either Apprentice or any Physician or Surgeon within this Country or Foreigner, coming into this Country.”1 The more modern advent of board certification began in Boston, Massachusetts at a meeting of the American Medical Association in 1865. Concerns were raised regarding the concept of specialism when it was noted that some physicians were advertising that they possessed special expertise in various areas of medicine without any additional formal training or scientific proof of an extended knowledge base. The topic was debated widely over the course of the next four years, until the AMA formally recognized specialties as “proper and legitimate forms of practice” in 1869. However, they also resolved that it was not acceptable for specialists to publicly advertise themselves as such without a proper title granted from an academic institution after a specified period of study.1,2 In the early 20th century, there became a call for a thirdparty verification of special clinical skills, which led to the formation of formal medical boards.1 Since 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties developed a national system of standards for recognizing physicians for having expertise in a specific specialty and providing that information to the public for their education. This served the dual purpose of demonstrating excellence in a given specialty for the physician, but also allowed the public to become more educated about the skills of the physicians by whom they chose to provide their care. Certification allows the patients to know
that their physicians are staying current in their knowledge and skills via continuous learning and assessment throughout their careers. The field of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine is a relatively new sub-specialty, and until recently, there was not a specific fellowship program in the United States devoted to this field. Historically, training in venous disease has been sparse and not particularly emphasized. Even in current times and across all primary disciplines, training still remains disparate and not well standardized with respect to venous and lymphatic curriculum. The route through which physicians learn about the physiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases may vary widely depending upon the time and emphasis given to these topics during training.
ABVLM CERTIFICATION3 In 2007, the American Board of Venous & Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM) was established with the goal to “improve the standards of medical practitioners and the quality of patient care related to the treatment of venous disorders.” Subsequently, the ABVLM developed and published a Core Content document as well as Program requirements, to serve as the foundation on which to build one-year VLM fellowships. The ABVLM certification was also developed to standardize the depth and breadth of knowledge that is necessary to provide high-level care to patients. This certification communicates an extended base of knowledge in venous and lymphatic disease to other physicians that are looking for a referral base. It also communicates to patients, many of who are informed and educated consumers, that a CONTINUED ON P. 40
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