Most patients have heard the phrase ‘Board certified’ or have heard of ‘Board certification’ when they arrive at their doctor’s office, but do they really know what it means. “Board Certified” means that a doctor has gone through the voluntary process with the American Board of Medical Specialties that allows them to become board certified. This process goes above and beyond the duty of becoming medically licensed. Board certification demonstrates the doctor’s expertise in a particular specialty or subspecialty of medical practice. Besides having board certification, a doctor will attain a Gold Star which means that the physician is committed to consistently achieving great outcomes with their patients. Dr. Belizion from Minimally Invasive Colon and Rectal Surgery of South Florida is one of those doctors that is committed to the highest standards of patient care.
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a non-profit physician led organization for 24 of the 26 medical specialty boards in the United States of America. Almost one million doctors have voluntarily achieved certification by one or more of the specialty boards. The ABMS was set up in 1933 and works closely with the various specialty boards in order to have the greatest standards for evaluating physician specialists. The ABMS was set up with the purpose of supervising examinations that would test physicians and would assure the public of the physician’s specialty qualifications.
This purpose still holds true today. Many patients still choose their physician because they have board certification. Looking for a doctor that is board certified or has a Gold Star is a great way to measure the physician’s experience and skills in their expertise. It is an easy way to know that your doctor has gone above and beyond simply getting a medical license.
To become board certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties, physicians must undergo an intense process of testing and go through many peer evaluations. These processes are designed and directed by specialists in the specific area of medicine. Over the years the ABMS has established a program that requires physicians to become recertified, every six to ten years. This program was initiated in the hopes that more physicians would pursue continuing education and examination in order to be as current as possible in their specialty. In 2006 a new gold standard was adopted to ensure proof of continuing education in between recertification testing.
Physicians of many different specialties go through the process of becoming board certified. Some of these specialties include surgery, radiology, psychiatry, neurology, plastic surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, medical genetics, family, internal, or emergency medicine, and dermatology. There are more many specialties as well. The American Board of Emergency Medicine was the latest ABMS member board to be approved in 1979.
Dr. Belizon specializes in minimally invasive surgery on the colon, rectal, gallbladder, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids surgery. Please visit his website at www.floridacolonandrectaldoctors.com, for more information or to schedule a check-up.
