Extract
This report summarizes a symposium presented at the 2001
Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Association that was
designed to assess the current status of recertification by the American
Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and to determine how it will
change in the near future. Recertification is a process whereby
the general public is assured of quality medical care by a competent
and knowledgeable physician. As a professional organization, we
have an obligation to provide quality care. The nature of the public demand
for standards ensuring competence and the history of recertification in
orthopaedic surgery are examined. The recertification of commercial
airline pilots is reviewed, as it provides a model of an unrelated
but highly skilled profession requiring intellectual and technical
proficiency. The goals and plans of the American Board of Medical
Specialties (ABMS), which encompasses the views of all twenty-four major
specialty boards including orthopaedic surgery, are reviewed. Finally, the
future plans of the ABOS for recertification are considered.