Engaging with others to improve global medical care through international board certification

Abstract

This commentary, based on comments made by Lois Margaret Nora, MD, during the Globalization of Medical Education panel at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges, provides information about the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), ABMS, International (ABMS-I), and the ABMS Board Certification process. The ABMS was founded near the beginning of the Twentieth century and has a long history of protecting the public through rigorous standards of physician certification. This article highlights the reasons that ABMS and ABMS-I are engaging with the international community to explore international board certification and provides one current example of such a collaboration.