The Monthly Dose: March 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of "The Monthly Dose"!

Let’s dig in!

On February 26, 2025, ABMS announced it had denied the application of the American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine (ABCVM) in its bid to become a cardiovascular-specific board independent of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). ABCVM was the brainchild of the five major cardiovascular subspecialty organizations (American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) and The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI)) which collectively put significant energy into its application to ABMS. ABCVM leaders believe that their application met all of ABMS criteria, and expressed considerable disappointment in ABMS’s decision.

NBPAS President and Founder Paul Teirstein, MD, noted, "I am a cardiologist, many of our founding board members are cardiologists, and the same issues with MOC that led us to form NBPAS continue to plague cardiovascular medicine–and all of medicine. NBPAS fully understands their disappointment and stands ready to support the house of cardiology, and all specialty societies, as they consider next steps forward."

NBPAS firmly believes that competition and the collective strength of physicians' voices drive meaningful change, promoting the highest quality and specialty-relevant lifelong learning. Cardiologists seeking an alternative to MOC may visit us at www.nbpas.org. Certify today and together we can shape the future of medicine.

The House Judiciary Committee has launched an antitrust investigation into the U.S. medical residency match system, subpoenaing documents from key players in organized medicine, including the AMA, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and leading medical schools.

The investigation is led by Representative Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wisconsin, who stated in a letter that "the medical residency antitrust exemption has distorted the American medical residency market, undermining free market principles to the detriment of the nation’s doctors and the patients who rely on them."

NBPAS Associate Director Karen Schatten remarked that the investigation, "is good for physicians and good for medicine. There is no defense for any measure that restricts trade for self-enrichment while worsening the physician shortage. This case has many parallels to board certification, and NBPAS is evaluating how this investigation may inform others."

NBPAS will continue to keep our community informed as the matter unfolds.

While you're there, don’t forget to register for Session Two on State Licensure and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. We’d love to see you there.

We hope you found value in this first session and are looking forward to the rest of the series.

Session Two: State Licensure and Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

Champions of Change

Thank you to all NBPAS physicians who go above and beyond to champion life-long learning while advocating for competition and choice in continuing certification.

NBPAS is thrilled to introduce Rebekah Bernard, MD as our March Champion of Change

In addition to her clinical and teaching roles, Dr. Bernard has a remarkable history of advocacy. She has spent many years serving with the Florida Medical Association and is the founder and immediate past president of Physicians for Patient Protection (PPP), an organization committed to preserving physician-led medicine. Dr. Bernard is also the author of How to Be a Rock Star Doctor and co-author of Patients at Risk: The Rise of the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant in Healthcare. Her insights are widely respected, and she frequently delivers lectures and presentations to physicians, residents, and medical students.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Bernard for her incredible work to improve medicine for both physicians and their patients. We are grateful to have champions like Dr. Bernard standing with us, and we appreciate each and every one of you for your continued dedication to this cause.