The Impact of External and Internal Forces on Education, Certification, and Maintenance of Certification

摘要

In the April 2010 Editor's Notebook we discussed the American Journal of Roentgenology's educa-tion mission and the new challenges we face in the next decade. The potential impact of health care reform was reviewed in the January 2010 Editor's Notebook [2]. Recently, the changes created by health care reform have been clarified. In addition, diagnostic radiology must address changes created by other external and internal forces affecting education, certification, and maintenance of certification (MOC). What can AJR accomplish to help our readers deal with these changes? Before we answer this question, we must review the list of stakeholders and the changes that need to be addressed. The list of stakeholders is long indeed. First and foremost are our patients and the public. Dr. Robert R. Hattery [3], Executive Director Emeritus of the American Board of Radiology (ABR), reminded us in 2006 that: [A] s physicians, we are given, by the public, the privilege of credentialing, certifying, and maintaining ourselves as professionals.