News & Updates from ABEM

Emergency Physicians Show the World What Excellence Looks Like

On Monday, January 2, a professional football player suffered a syncopal event a few seconds after arising from what appeared to be a routine tackle. Emergency physicians on duty for the game rushed to his side. Within seconds, chest compressions began and a very short time later an AED successfully defibrillated the young man who was suffering cardiac arrest. He then experienced return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and was moved to the ground ambulance. His resuscitation then continued and included a prehospital intubation, ED care at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and post-resuscitation care there by an emergency physician. As you know, Damar Hamlin is alive and well.

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A new module that focuses on resuscitation is now available on the MyEMCert platform. Although resuscitation content is distributed in several MyEMCert modules, it is not emphasized in any single module—until now. Resuscitation knowledge and skills set emergency physicians apart from other emergency providers. This module updates and highlights the diverse and complex skills needed to resuscitate patients of all ages. Taking the module will allow you to learn and demonstrate the current standards of resuscitation, a vital part of any emergency physician’s practice. Even better, there is no additional cost to take the module unless you wish to take advantage of the optional CME activity. The Resuscitation module will not count as one of the modules you need to complete to meet your continuing certification requirements. Take the Resuscitation module and tell us what you think!

The next time your certificate renews, you will transition to an annual fee requirement. The annual fee payment:

is not an additional fee
replaces all previous continuing certification costs
provides you access to MyEMCert modules; you will not have to pay for individual modules once you move to the annual fee
may be paid annually or in one lump sum
avoids any interruption to certification

ABEM implemented the annual fee in response, in part, to physicians’ concerns about paying episodic, higher fees tied to a high-stakes examination. All ABMS specialty boards had already moved to a similar process. Just as not paying for your medical license or organizational memberships can lead to an interruption in licensure or membership, delaying payment of the fee annually may cause an interruption in your certification status.

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Statement about Protecting Certification
Recent state legislative actions and federal court rulings have left some physicians unsure about whether state medical boards might take action against them for practicing evidence-based care. ABEM has a policy about the effect of disciplinary actions on a medical license. However, we affirm that ABEM will favorably consider the circumstances of those who practice evidence-based care in the best interests of patients and their families in the event of an adverse action taken by a state medical board resulting from a state law not anchored in that care.

Lynne Holden, M.D., has been elected to the ABEM Board of Directors. She is a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, New York. When Dr. Holden obtained full professorship in Emergency Medicine in 2018, she was just the fifth African American woman in the U.S. to achieve that position. She teaches and practices clinically at the Montefiore Hospital System-Moses Division. She has served as an ABEM oral examiner since 2003 and a senior oral examiner since 2013. She began her term in January 2023.

ABEM created the Dr. Leon L. Haley, Jr., Bridge to the Future of Emergency Medicine Academy to honor the legacy of Dr. Haley. This program is specifically designed to provide Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) rising second-year medical students the opportunity to participate in an in-person, all-expenses-paid, two-week mentorship program at the ABEM headquarters in East Lansing, Michigan in June of each year. The 2023 class will meet June 5-16, 2023. Please feel free to widely distribute this information to your colleagues and any interested medical students. Applications, including a current resume or CV and a Dean’s letter must be submitted by February 24, 2023.

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Application

Highlights from the 2022 Haley Academy

Thank You Volunteers!

ABEM thanks all of its volunteers for providing their time to ABEM activities. The activities and work of ABEM depends on the important role ABEM volunteers play. Over 700 volunteers recently participated as members of:

Board of Directors
Oral Examiners
Exam question writers and Editors
Subspecialty Subboards Exam Committee members
Focused Practice Designation Exam Committee members
Stakeholder Advisory Group members
Resident Ambassador panelists
Standard-setting panelists
Stimulus Collection Review Panel members
Bias and Fairness panelists
LLSA CME Reading panelists

Thank you thank you thank you for your service to ABEM and the specialty of Emergency Medicine!

The critical work we do depends on volunteers. Your dedication to ensuring the highest standards in Emergency Medicine is the reason our specialty continues to grow. ABEM encourages all EM-certified physicians to apply, including those in community practice and other settings.

Right now, we are looking to add new Oral Examiners to our volunteer pool and need your help. Nominate your colleagues who would make outstanding Oral Examiners. ABEM is looking for physicians in all practice settings, including community practice.

Nominations are considered on a quarterly basis by the ABEM Board of Directors.

Video: Why Examiners Volunteer

Become an ABEM Volunteer