Diplomate Spotlight Opening Doors with Board Certification: A Conversation with Long Standing Diplomate Joseph Cook Read Opening Doors with Board Certification: A Conversation with Long Standing Diplomate Joseph Cook
Phoenix Newsletter - July 2025 Available Now: 2026 5-Year Cycle Registration Read Available Now: 2026 5-Year Cycle Registration
Home Research Research Library Family medicine at 40 years of age: the journey to transformation continues Family medicine at 40 years of age: the journey to transformation continues 2010 Author(s) Green, Larry A, and Puffer, James C Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification Volume Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Source Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Forty years ago, the then-American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) was approved and recognized as the 20th medical specialty in the United States by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). At the time of its creation, several important milestones were established; the ABFP became the first medical specialty board to issue time-limited certificates and to mandate recertification every 7 years. Certification was attainable only by examination, and physicians’ certifications could not be “grandfathered.” Recertification was dependent on the completion of a required amount of continuing medical education; a full, valid, and unrestricted license; and the completion of an audit of office records. These requirements raised the bar for specialty certification in the United States and established the ABFP as a leader and innovator among ABMS member boards. Many of these innovations became the forerunners of the maintenance of certification (MOC) process that is now embraced by all ABMS specialty boards. Read More ABFM Research Read all 2017 The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success Go to The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success 1981 Contempo ’81. Family practice Go to Contempo ’81. Family practice 2015 Response: Re: Performance on the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Examination: Comparison of Initial Certifiers with Experienced Physicians Go to Response: Re: Performance on the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Examination: Comparison of Initial Certifiers with Experienced Physicians 1999 Patients don’t present with five choices: an alternative to multiple-choice tests in assessing physicians’ competence Go to Patients don’t present with five choices: an alternative to multiple-choice tests in assessing physicians’ competence
Author(s) Green, Larry A, and Puffer, James C Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification Volume Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Source Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2017 The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success Go to The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success 1981 Contempo ’81. Family practice Go to Contempo ’81. Family practice 2015 Response: Re: Performance on the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Examination: Comparison of Initial Certifiers with Experienced Physicians Go to Response: Re: Performance on the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Examination: Comparison of Initial Certifiers with Experienced Physicians 1999 Patients don’t present with five choices: an alternative to multiple-choice tests in assessing physicians’ competence Go to Patients don’t present with five choices: an alternative to multiple-choice tests in assessing physicians’ competence
2017 The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success Go to The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success
2015 Response: Re: Performance on the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Examination: Comparison of Initial Certifiers with Experienced Physicians Go to Response: Re: Performance on the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Examination: Comparison of Initial Certifiers with Experienced Physicians
1999 Patients don’t present with five choices: an alternative to multiple-choice tests in assessing physicians’ competence Go to Patients don’t present with five choices: an alternative to multiple-choice tests in assessing physicians’ competence