Until Death (or Recertification) Do Us Part

  By RICHARD DUSZAK, MD  The online membership forum of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) blew up this week in response to an email announcement by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) that it will effectively be doing away with lifetime diagnostic radiology certificates for interventionalists whose original certificates pre-dated the introduction of time-limited certificates. Interventionalists were given two choices: 1.     You can keep your lifetime diagnostic certificate if you give up your (earned) interventional subspecialty certification, or 2.     You can keep your interventional certification, if you give up your lifetime diagnostic certification. Talk about choice. Keeping your lifetime certificate in diagnostic radiology and your time-limited certificate in interventional radiology—the option I chose 20 years ago when I voluntarily became one of the ABR’s new interventional certification guinea pigs—is no longer an option. Interventional radiologists are trained in diagnostic radiology, just as interventional cardiologists are trained in general cardiology, and many interventionalists still interpret imaging – indeed it’s hard not to, if you’re using imaging to reach organs. This latest top down mandate by the ABR is another example of the ongoing proclamations of the many American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member boards that have infuriated so many well-meaning practicing physicians. It is yet another ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Physicians Source Type: blogs