| Psychosomatic Medicine |
| Candidates in the subspecialty of psychosomatic medicine are those in the field of psychiatry, who are seeking ABPN Board Certification. Psychosomatic medicine is a subspecialty that involves the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders and symptoms in complex medically ill patients. This subspecialty includes treatment of patients with acute or chronic medical, neurological, obstetrical or surgical illness in which psychiatric illness is affecting their medical care and/or quality of life such as HIV infection, organ transplantation, heart disease, renal failure, cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury, high-risk pregnancy and COPD, among others. Patients also may be those who have a psychiatric disorder that is the direct consequence of a primary medical condition, or a somatoform disorder or psychological factors affecting a general medical condition. Psychiatrists specializing in Psychosomatic Medicine provide consultation-liaison services in general medical hospitals, attend on medical psychiatry inpatient units, and provide collaborative care in primary care and other outpatient settings. All candidates will need to complete and submit an application in order to qualify and apply for an examination. Each application will be reviewed by the credentials department. Candidates become diplomates after passing their examination. Apply for an examination | ABPN Physician Folios site | Visit the Pearson VUE Website |
Initial Certification in Psychosomatic Medicine
A. History and Statement of Principles
The ABPN, in concurrence with the ABMS, established a Committee on Certification in the Subspecialty of Psychosomatic Medicine in 2003. This was done to officially establish the field of psychosomatic medicine as a definite area of subspecialization in psychiatry and to provide a means of identifying properly trained and experienced psychosomatic medicine subspecialists.
The actual mechanics of certification of qualified candidates have been delegated by the Board to the Committee, which operates under the supervision of and in accordance with the policies of the Board. [more]
Maintenance of Certification in Psychosomatic Medicine
The Maintenance of Certification Program (MOC) of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology reflects the Board's commitment to lifelong learning throughout one's profession. The mission of MOC is to ensure that diplomates adhere to the highest standards in medicine and pursue excellence in all areas of care and practice improvement. The MOC program requires diplomates to participate in sanctioned self-assessment performance measures, identify perceived weaknesses in their knowledge, pursue learning activities tailored to areas that need to be strengthened, and develop quality improvement programs based on their clinical practice. The goal is for diplomates to reflect on their personal knowledge and performance and commit to a process of improvement and reevaluation of performance measures over a specified time frame that will ultimately lead to improved care for their patients. [more]