American board of psychiatry and neurology certification in epilepsy: Just what the doctor ordered, another board examination

摘要

In 2010, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) approved the creation of the subspecialty board in epilepsy, and the first examination was administered in October of 2013. The primary purpose of this certification was to "establish the field of epilepsy as a definite area of subspecialization in neurology and child neurology and to provide a means of identifying physicians properly trained and experienced in treating epilepsy." To qualify for the examination, candidates must be certified by the ABPN in neurology or neurology with special qualification in child neurology and have completed a 1-year fellowship in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited epilepsy fellowship program. During the grand-fathering period, which ends in 2017, candidates can qualify if they document a 1-year fellowship in epilepsy at a nonaccredited program affiliated with an accredited neurology program or if they attest to 25% of their practice time devoted to epilepsy for at least 2 years after residency training. Although creation of the epilepsy subspecialty board was viewed favorably by many, allowing nonfellow-ship trained physicians to qualify for certification left some candidates feeling that their unique expertise and additional training were being discounted.