ABMS Shuts Down Independent Cardiology Board Application to Much Dismay

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) said no to an independent board for cardiology, according to an announcement by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) on Friday.

The proposal for an American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine (ABCVM), which was the first application for a new board to be submitted in the last 30 years, was struck down after more than a year of discussions. If it had been approved, cardiologists would have been able to defect from burdensome testing requirements for board certification maintenance under the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), which is overseen by ABMS.

“The decision ignores the evolution of cardiovascular medicine into its own distinct medical specialty, separate from the field of internal medicine, requiring its own set of knowledge, skills, and competencies to sustain professional excellence and effectively care for cardiovascular patients,” said Jeffrey Kuvin, MD, a leader of the cardiology board effort, in a statement. “In addition, the decision does not acknowledge fundamental change in how clinicians learn information and demonstrate skills throughout their careers.”

“We feel strongly that the ABCVM met all the criteria required for a new Board, including aligning with the rigorous, recently updated ABMS ‘Standards for Continuing Certification,’ which promote integrated, specialty-specific programs that further a diplomate’s continuous professional development and emphasize improvements in healthcare quality, safety, value, and competency, rather than a focus on punitive examinations,” Kuvin added, noting that “the ABCVM application met the expected financial metrics for establishing a new, independent Board with tremendous professional support within the ‘house of cardiology,’ and beyond.”

Cardiology has been part of the internal medicine board since 1941.

The intention for an independent cardiology board to break off from the ABIM was announced in September 2023 and the application was formally submitted in January 2024. The societies behind the proposal included the ACC, the American Heart Association (AHA), the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI).

The president of SCAI, James Hermiller, MD, said that his organization “strongly supported the creation of the ABCVM, but unfortunately, the ABMS did not acknowledge the fact that cardiovascular medicine is a unique field that demands its own modernized approach to competency assessment.”

“ABMS had an opportunity to support a forward-thinking, evidence-based certification model that aligns with how cardiovascular specialists train, practice, and maintain their skills today,” he noted. “Instead, they have chosen to uphold an outdated system that does not reflect the realities of our profession or the needs of our patients.”

“While this decision is unfortunate and short-sighted, it is not the end of the discussion. We remain committed to exploring all options to ensure a fair, relevant, and economical certification pathway for the interventional and cardiovascular communities,” he continued. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners ACC, AHA, HFSA, and HRS to evaluate all options to ensure the best path forward for our profession. The fight has not ended.”

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