Certification Requirements
Obesity Medicine Physician
• An obesity medicine physician is a physician with expertise in the sub-specialty of
obesity medicine. This sub-specialty requires competency in and a thorough
understanding of the treatment of obesity and the genetic, biologic, environmental,
social, and behavioral factors that contribute to obesity.
• The obesity medicine physician employs therapeutic interventions including diet,
physical activity, behavioral change, and pharmacotherapy.
• The obesity medicine physician utilizes a comprehensive approach, and may include
additional resources such as nutritionists, exercise physiologists, psychologists and
bariatric surgeons as indicated to achieve optimal results.
• Additionally, the obesity medicine physician maintains competency in providing preperi- and post-surgical care of bariatric surgery patients, promotes the prevention of
obesity, and advocates for those who suffer from obesity.
Certification Requirements
Number of Physician Candidates
450
Average Distribution of Medical Specialties
Other
400
350
Surgery
300
Pediatrics
250
Obstetrics-Gynecology
200
Internal Medicine
150
100
Family Medicine
50
Endocrinology
0
2012
2013
2014
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Certification Requirements
Qualifications for Certification
CME Pathway and Fellowship Pathway
• Proof of an active medical license in the U.S. or Canada.
• Proof of completion of U.S. or Canadian medical residency.
• Active board certification in an American Board of Medical
Specialties (ABMS) member board or osteopathic medicine
equivalent.
Certification Requirements
Qualifications for Certification
CME Pathway
• A minimum of sixty (60) credit hours of continuing medical
education (CME) recognized by the American Medical Association
Physician Recognition Award (AMA PRA) Category 1 Credits on the
topic of obesity are required for certification. At least thirty (30)
credit hours must be obtained by participation and attendance at a
conference. The other thirty (30) credit hours may be obtained by
at-home CME activity. The sixty (60) credit hours can be completed
within the thirty-six (36) months preceding the final application
deadline. A copy of the applicant’s CME certificates should
accompany the application.
Certification Requirements
Qualifications for Certification
Fellowship Pathway
• Have successfully completed an on-site clinical fellowship with an
obesity component where the fellowship director attests to at least
500 hours on the topic of obesity or obesity-related conditions.
Certification Requirements
ABOM Partner Organizations
Primary Obesity CME Partners
• American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP)
• Harvard Medical School Blackburn Course in
Obesity Medicine
• Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition
• The Obesity Society (TOS)
Obesity-Related CME Partners
• Canadian Obesity Network (CON)
• Cardiometabolic Health Congress (CMHC)
• Cardiometabolic Risk Summit (CRS)
• Cleveland Clinic Obesity Summit
• Let’s Go
• Mayo Clinic: Nutrition & Wellness in Health &
Disease
• USF: Treatment Guidelines for obesity
• World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes &
Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC)
• Mass. General Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition
Institute (OMNI)
American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Fields
of Medicine Partners
• American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists (ACOG)
• American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)
• American College of Physicians (ACP)
• American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
• The Endocrine Society (ENDO)
Public Health Partners
• American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
(ASMBS) Foundation
• Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns
Hopkins
• STOP Obesity Alliance
• The Obesity Treatment Foundation
Certification Requirements
Attend a
Review Course
• American Society of Bariatric Physicians (www.asbp.org)
• The Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education
(www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/practical)
• Institute of Human Nutrition Columbia University
(http://cumc.columbia.edu/ihn)
• The Obesity Society (www.obesity.org)
Certification Requirements
Exam
Resources
• Become Familiar with the Test Content Outline.
• Review the ABOM Sample Test Questions.
• Additional Resources and Study Guides.
http://abom.org/exam-resources/
Certification Requirements
www.abom.org
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Certification Requirements
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Certification Requirements
Important
Dates
Early Application Deadline
July 13, 2015
Application Deadline
August 24, 2015
ABOM Certification Examination
December 5 – 12, 2015
Certification Requirements
www.abom.org