2017 Annual Report of the ABPN

2017 ABPN Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Board Chair, Kerry Levin, MD

Board Vice Chair, Robert Ronis, MD, MPH

Board Secretary, George Keepers, MD

Board Treasurer, J. Clay Goodman, MD

Board Member-at-Large, Laurie Gutmann, MD

Board Member-at-Large, Robert Golden, MD

Psychiatry Directors

Robert Ronis, MD, MPH, Chair, Psychiatry Council, Cleveland, OH

Joan Anzia, MD, Chicago, IL

Josepha Cheong, MD, Nashville, TN

Robert Golden, MD, Madison, WI

Paramjit Joshi, MD, Washington, DC

George Keepers, MD, Portland, OR

Jeffrey Lyness, MD, Rochester, NY

Christopher Thomas, MD, Galveston, TX

Neurology Directors

Kerry Levin, MD, Chair, Neurology Council, Cleveland, OH

Imran Ali, MD, Toledo, OH

John Bodensteiner, MD, Rochester, MN

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, Winston-Salem, NC

J. Clay Goodman, MD, Houston, TX

Laurie Gutmann, MD, Iowa City, IA

Steven Lewis, MD, Chicago, IL

Nina Schor, MD, PhD, Rochester, NY

2017 Computer and Oral Examination Results

The ABPN administered 34 computer-based specialty and subspecialty certification and maintenance of certification (MOC) examinations in 2017 (Some examinations had two administrations) (Table 1).

In addition, 34 combined MOC examinations (specialty and specialty, specialty and subspecialty, or multiple subspecialties) were administered to 375 ABPN diplomates of whom 362 (97%) passed.

About 7,540 ABPN computer-based examinations were administered at Pearson VUE testing centers.

Two additional subspecialty examinations and three additional subspecialty MOC examinations were administered by other ABMS boards (Table 2).

To view the list of names of individuals who received psychiatry certification and maintenance of certification in 2017, see the online supplement.

ABPN Award Programs Support Effective Training and Reliable Procedures for Certification and Continuous Certification

The directors of the ABPN established two award programs in accordance with the Board’s strategic plan to support effective training and lifelong learning for psychiatrists and neurologists and to provide valid and reliable procedures for certification and continuing certification. The first Faculty Innovation in Education Awards were presented in 2014–15, and there have been nineteen recipients thus far. Four Research Awards have been granted, three for 2017–18 and one for 2018–19. The most recent recipients and their projects are listed below.

The awardees have hailed from a broad range of U.S. medical schools, and while most have been junior or midlevel faculty, some more senior educators/researchers have also received funding. The projects have focused on a range of topics including clinical skills assessment and using innovative simulation and online technologies for teaching and assessment across the continuum from residency to practice.

Final reports have been received from two of the three Faculty Innovation in Education Award cohorts whose funding cycles have been completed. The recipients noted the scarcity of funding for educational endeavors and were appreciative of the opportunity to pursue such activities and for the visibility the award provided within their institutions. In terms of their career trajectories, the projects generated results that served as the basis for presentations and publications and helped to establish an agenda for ongoing professional pursuits. In terms of challenges, the projects, especially IRB approval, often took longer than anticipated, and some technical issues with specific technology and software were encountered.

Overall, the ABPN Directors have concluded that the projects met the objectives of the award program to provide models of innovative and sound educational and assessment practices in psychiatry and neurology and to support the professional development of educational practitioners/researchers in these fields.

Larry R. Faulkner, MD, ABPN President and CEO, notes that, “The ABPN is very aware of the financial pressures facing many academic departments and the difficulty faculty often have in obtaining protected time to pursue innovative education and research projects. Hopefully, these awards will help especially younger faculty in initiating their academic careers.”

The 2017 award committees included ABPN Directors and educational leaders in neurology and psychiatry. The members of the Faculty Innovation in Education Award Committee, chaired by Robert Golden, MD, were Drs. Allison Brashear (Vice Chair), Chandlee Dickey, Steven Epstein, David Fink, Laurie Gutmann, Ralph Jozefowicz, Jaffar Khan, and Christopher Thomas. The Research Award Committee, also chaired by Robert Golden, MD, included Drs. Kerry Levin (Vice Chair), L. John Greenfield, Jr., Ruth Levine, Michele Pato, Devon Rubin, Sanjay Singh, and Lowell Tong.

Additional information, including specific objectives for each award and application forms, are posted on the ABPN website, with applications due in August 2018.

Current Faculty Innovation in Education Award Recipients

Dara V. F. Albert, DO (2018–19), Division of Child Neurology/Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University College of Medicine, An Objective Structured Clinical Exam for Child Neurology Residents

Andrea Crowell, MD (2017–18), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Using Simulation to Teach and Evaluate Effectiveness of the Safety and Management of Agitation Resident Training (SMART) Program

Alauna Davis Curry, MD (2017–18), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine/Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Bridging the Silence Gap: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Addressing Racism

Andres Fernandez, MD (2018–19), Department of Neurology, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Development of a Critical Care EEG Curriculum for Epilepsy and Neurophysiology Fellows Through an Interactive Online Educational Platform

Jacqueline Hobbs, MD, PhD (2018–19), Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety for the Practicing Psychiatrists: Keeping It Relevant, Efficient, and Fun (REF)

Nicholas Morris, MD (2018–19), Department of Neurology, Program in Trauma, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Development and Validation of Evaluative Simulation Scenarios for Neurological Emergencies

Jeffrey Rakofsky, MD (2017–18), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, An Advanced Longitudinal Psychopharmacology Assessment (ALPA) Using a Conversational Virtual Human Patient-Care Simulator

Current Research Award Recipients

Michael Jibson, MD, PhD (2017–18), Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Establishment and Maintenance of Validity, Interrater Reliability, and Generalizability of the Clinical Skills Evaluation as an Assessment Tool for Residency Training

Douglas Larsen, MD, MEd (2017–18), Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, In Pursuit of Meaning: An Actor Network Theory Analysis of How Resident Evaluations Communicate Competency

Robert Marvin, MD (2018–19), Department of Psychiatry (with collaborators from the Department of Medical Education, Yoon Soo Park, PhD, and Ara Tekian, PhD) at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (also working with faculty from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine), Evaluating the Validity of Assessment Systems in Psychiatry Residency Programs: A Multisite Collaborative Study

John Q. Young, MD, MPP, PhD (2017–18), Department of Psychiatry, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Assessing Competence in Medication Management: Using Psychometric Methodologies to Develop a Structured Observation Tool for Pharmacotherapy

Previous awardees are listed on the ABPN website.

ABPN Redesigns Primary Certification Examinations

In 2017, the ABPN successfully launched its redesigned psychiatry, neurology, and child neurology certification examinations. These examinations feature four major changes: disease-centered content, criterion-referenced cut score, a standardized score scale, and a new score report that electronically provides candidates more meaningful and user-friendly performance feedback.

The redesigned content outlines require that examinations be constructed around a list of carefully selected disease categories. In addition, the outlines dictate that disease-oriented test questions focus on a physician’s abilities to understand, identify, analyze, and manage these medical problems.

An examination cut score is used to decide who should pass or fail the certification examination. How the cut score is determined is critical to the examination defensibility. To set new cut scores for the 2017 certification examinations, committees with many physicians with diverse professional and demographic backgrounds reviewed every question in the assigned examination to determine the knowledge level that they collectively believed represents the passing performance. The decision-making body of the certification examinations reviewed the committee-recommended cut scores and finalized these scores.

The ABPN certification examinations are standardized tests and, starting in 2017, scores for these examinations were standardized on a scale with a mean of 300 and a standard deviation of 50. The score standardization means that scores for examinations in future years will be on this same scale. An important implication of the standardized scoring is that the standardized cut scores for the 2017 certification examinations will be applied to the subsequent examinations. A consistent passing and failing standard is the core to fairness for standardized tests. The standardization of cut scores will provide vital protection of ABPN’s certification examinations.

The score reports for the 2017 primary certification examinations changed substantially. Instead of delivery by mail, ABPN sent score reports electronically. Examinees conveniently received scores in their secure and personal ABPN Physician Folios accounts. The electronic score report provides the standard score for the total test, the mean and standard deviation of first-time test takers, and the cut score. Thus, examinees can know how they performed relative to their first-time test taker peers. In addition, the score report provides graphic profiles of an examinees’ performance on the subtests relative to the minimum passing level, which is designed to help examinees identify their strengths and weaknesses. This paperless and more user-friendly score reporting is one of ABPN’s recent efforts to provide better services to its candidates.

The results of the redesigned primary certification examinations are encouraging. All the primary certification examinations had high reliability. The end-of-examination survey results reflected examinees’ positive reactions. The ABPN believes that the changes and improvements greatly enhances the validity and defensibility of its primary certification examinations.

Ambassadors Reinforce Life-Long Learning to Professional Groups

The ABPN MOC Ambassador Program was developed in 2011 in anticipation of launching the Continuous MOC Program in 2012. With this program, trained volunteer diplomates communicate a consistent positive message about life-long learning and maintenance of certification to our diplomates via professional organizations, group practice settings and other groups. Our goal is to work together with the MOC Ambassadors to continue to keep the field informed about ABPN policies and programs.

Thank you to the following psychiatrists and neurologists:

Psychiatry Ambassadors

• Carol Bernstein, MD

• James Boehnlein, MD

• Melissa Buboltz, MD

• Carlyle Chan, MD

• Kristen Dunaway, MD

• Steven Epstein, MD

• Richard Frierson, MD

• Rita Hargrave, MD

• Christopher Lange, MD

• Mary Lu, MD

• Barbara Lubrano Di Ciccone, MD

• Gail Manos, MD

• Annette Matthews, MD

• Elinore McCance-Katz, MD, PhD

• Aida Mihajlovic, MD

• Sahana Misra, MD

• Jonathan Morris, MD, MPH

• Sandra Sexson, MD

• G. Richard Smith, Jr., MD

• Susan Stagno, MD

• Marcia Verduin, MD

• Arthur Walaszek, MD

• Mitzi Wasserstein, MD

• Linda Worley, MD

Neurology Ambassadors

• Harold Adams, Jr., MD

• José Biller, MD

• Stephen Conway, MD

• Patricia Crumrine, MD

• Charles Flippen, II, MD

• Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD

• Linda Hershey, MD

• Aatif Husain, MD

• Michael Johnston, MD

• John Kincaid, MD

• Brett Kissela, MD

• Robert Pascuzzi, MD

• Marc Patterson, MD, MBBS

• Philip Pearl, MD

• Patricia Penovich, MD

• Alan Percy, MD

• Mark Ross, MD

• Benn Smith, MD

• William Theodore, MD

Advisory Committee Provides Input on MOC Program Enhancements

The MOC Clinical Advisory Committee was developed at the end of 2015 to provide physician feedback and contributions toward potential improvements to the ABPN MOC Program. The American Psychiatry Association and the American Academy of Neurology were solicited for names of committee volunteers. The group consists of practicing board certified psychiatrists and neurologists who provide input on how MOC impacts their practice and potentially improves patient care.

Thank you to the following psychiatrists and neurologists:

Psychiatry

• Valerie Arnold, MD

• J. Robert Batterson, MD

• Lama Bazzi, MD

• L. Russell Pet, MD

Neurology

• Charlene Gamaldo, MD

• Elaine Jones, MD

• Eddie Patton, MD

• Michael Rosenbloom, MD

Physician Wellness and Burnout Explored at 2017 Crucial Issues Forum

The 2017 ABPN Crucial Issues Forum was held on April 9–10, 2017 in Chicago. The objective of the forum was to bring together ABPN directors and senior staff, representatives of major organizations in psychiatry and neurology, selected diplomates in clinical practice, and selected psychiatry and neurology residents and fellows to discuss factors contributing to physician wellness and burnout and what might be done to promote physician wellness and decrease burnout by medical schools, residencies, specialty boards, and professional societies. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Kerry Levin, ABPN Chair.

On the first day, three plenary speakers gave summaries of the key factors associated with physician wellness and burnout. In the keynote address, Dr. Tait Shanafelt (Mayo Clinic) discussed what is known and not known about physician wellness and burnout. Afterward, Drs. Kerry Levin and Joan Anzia presented the ABPN’s perspective on what drives these factors for physicians. Later, small groups discussed specific drivers of wellness and burnout. Their conclusions are below:

What are the specific drivers of physician wellness and burnout?

Ten Drivers of Wellness.

1. Peer support and connectedness

2. Sense of autonomy and control

3. Professional culture at all levels that values and supports provider wellness

4. Availability of effective tools to assess burnout

5. Training on strategies to manage adverse events

6. Support systems, including families

7. Appropriate work-life balance

8. Longitudinal relationships with patients

9. Sense of professional life progress

10. Personal characteristics, including Resilience

Ten Drivers of Burnout.

1. Isolation, lack of connectedness, and lack of collegiality

2. Loss of autonomy, authority, and control

3. Lack of respect and stature

4. Lack of professional meaning and purpose

5. Lack of time and pressure to increase clinical service

6. Decreased sense of professionalism in medicine

7. Economic pressure, including student debt

8. Electronic health records and regulations without discernible value

9. Lack of leadership, empathy and understanding

10. Personal characteristics, including perfectionism and obsessiveness

On the second day, two keynote panels discussed the role of specific professional groups in promoting physician wellness and decreasing physician burnout. Drs. Darrell Kirch (AAMC), Thomas Nasca (ACGME) and Mira Irons (ABMS) presented the perspectives of medical schools, residencies and specialty boards, respectively. Small group discussions afterward focused what these groups should do to promote physician wellness and decrease burnout. Following are their conclusions:

What should medical schools, residencies, and specialty boards do to promote physician wellness and decrease physician burnout?

Ten Medical School Strategies.

1. Emphasize life experiences in student selection.

2. Assess and improve the medical school culture concerning student wellness.

3. Foster a sense of peer support and community among students.

4. Encourage student self-awareness and recognition of strengths and limitations.

5. Implement student and faculty wellness programs.

6. Mentor students with faculty and residents.

7. Minimize competition among students for grades and Step 1 scores.

8. Increase meaningful student involvement with patients.

9. Provide students with “boot camps” to prepare for residencies.

10. Provide faculty with adequate time for student teaching.

Ten Residency Strategies.

1. Assess and improve the institutional culture concerning resident wellness.

2. Foster a sense of peer support and community among residents and faculty.

3. Implement a resident curriculum on burnout prevention and recognition.

4. Establish a “buddy system” for new residents.

5. Encourage resident self-awareness and recognition of strengths and limitations.

6. Implement resident and faculty wellness programs.

7. Mentor residents with faculty and senior residents.

8. Encourage resident involvement in committees and teaching.

9. Provide back-up for resident personal health and life event needs.

10. Provide faculty with adequate time for resident teaching and supervision.

Ten Specialty Board Strategies.

1. Provide MOC credit for faculty education, teaching, and mentoring.

2. Provide MOC credit for current activities of diplomates.

3. Provide MOC credit for diplomate self-assessment of burnout.

4. Provide MOC credit for diplomate wellness activities.

5. Increase opportunities for professional involvement in Board activities.

6. Increase the relevance of MOC requirements.

7. Minimize the burden and cost of MOC requirements.

8. Simplify the process of MOC.

9. Support research on physician resilience and burnout.

10. Support the development of a “tool kit” for burnout assessment and management.

Later, Drs. Anita Everett (APA), Terrence Cascino (AAN) and Patrice Harris (AMA) summarized the topic from the professional society perspective and discussed initiatives they are spearheading around this issue. Afterward, small groups discussed strategies for professional societies to address wellness and burnout for the physician. Their conclusions were:

What should professional societies do to promote physician wellness and decrease physician burnout?

Ten Professional Society Strategies.

1. Collaborate with other medical organizations and advocacy groups to increase recognition of the importance of physician well-being and the dangers of burnout.

2. Disseminate information on best practices for promoting physician wellness and preventing burnout.

3. Disseminate information on best practices for practice management and electronic health records.

4. Advocate for reasonable governmental regulations and reimbursement for physicians.

5. Provide opportunities for physician professional engagement.

6. Conduct and support research on physician resilience and wellness and on strategies to identify and mitigate physician burnout.

7. Advocate with the FSMB to minimize the effect of physician help seeking on medical licensure.

8. Provide on-line resources for wellness education and sources of help for physicians.

9. Advocate for the destigmatization of physician help seeking.

10. Provide leadership training on issues related to physician wellness and burnout.

More information on the 2017 Crucial Issues Forum is available in a separate publication on the ABPN website.

Test Development Committee Names and members

Addiction Psychiatry

• William Haning, MD, Chair

• Karen Miotto, MD, Vice Chair

• James Berry, DO

• Stuart Gitlow, MD

• Grace Hennessy, MD

• Brian Hurley, MD

• Eugene Kim, MD

Brain Injury Medicine

• David Baron, DO

• Jodi Hawes, MD

• Michael Jaffee, MD

• Gregory O’Shanick, MD

• David Ross, MD

• David Ruskin, MD

• Seth Tuwiner, MD

• Felise Zollman, MD

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Certification

• Lee Ascherman, MD, Chair

• Janice Forster, MD, Vice Chair

• Donald Bechtold, MD

• Peter Daniolos, MD

• Amanda Elliott, DO

• Ellen Heyneman, MD

• Clinton Martin, MD

• Kathleen McKenna, MD

• Adair Parr, MD

• Sandra Rackley, MD

• Kenneth Rogers, MD

• Cynthia Santos, MD

• David Schonfeld, MD *

• Cynthia Telingator, MD

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Maintenance of Certification

• Jeffrey Hunt, MD, Chair

• Robert Harper, MD, Vice Chair

• Irena Bukelis, MD

• Regina Bussing, MD

• James Cullinan, DO

• Terry Lee, MD

• Alvin Lewis, MD

• Julie Sadhu, MD

Child Neurology Maintenance of Certification

• John Bodensteiner, MD, Chair

• Nina Schor, MD, PhD, Vice Chair

• Elizabeth Bebin, MD

• Patricia Crumrine, MD

• Kara Lewis, MD

• Jonathan Mink, MD, PhD

• Shannon Standridge, DO

• Ann Tilton, MD

Clinical Neurophysiology

• Kerry Levin, MD, Chair

• John Kincaid, MD, Vice Chair

• Laurie Gutmann, MD

• Ioannie Karakis, MD

• Adriana Palade, MD

• Mark Quigg, MD, MSc

• Devon Rubin, MD

• Linda Selwa, MD

• Jinny Tavee, MD

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

• James Levenson, MD, Chair

• Steven Epstein, MD, Vice Chair

• Madeleine Becker, MD

• Catherine Crone, MD

• Paul Desan, MD, PhD

• Maryland Pao, MD

• Marcella Pascualy, MD

• Terry Rabinowitz, MD

• Peter Shapiro, MD

Epilepsy

• Patricia Crumrine, MD, Chair

• Kerry Levin, MD, Vice Chair

• Imran Ali, MD

• Ritu Bagla, MD

• David Dunn, MD

• Alica Goldman, MD

• Alison Pack, MD

• Patricia Penovich, MD

• Joseph Sirven, MD

• William Theodore, MD

Forensic Psychiatry

• Jeffrey Metzner, MD, Chair

• Jeffrey Janofsky, MD, Vice Chair

• Liza Gold, MD

• Martin Guerrero, MD

• Annette Hanson, MD

• Donald Meyer, MD

• Raymond Patterson, MD

• Delaney Smith, MD

Geriatric Psychiatry

• Rita Hargrave, MD, Chair

• Elizabeth Santos, MD, Vice Chair

• Josepha Cheong, MD

• Ariel Gildengers, MD

• Helen Kyomen, MD

• Cindy Marshall, MD

• Dinesh Mittal, MD

• Irene Ortiz, MD

• Shilpa Srinivasan, MD

Hospice & Pallative Medicine

• Thomas Strouse, MD

International Examination–US

• George Keepers, MD, Chair

• Beth Ann Brooks, MD, MSA

• Jasvinder Chawla, MD

• Irving Kuo, MD

• Paul Leung, MD

• Gail Manos, MD

• James Shore, MD

Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

• Bruce Shapiro, MD, Chair *

• John Bodensteiner, MD, Vice Chair

• Peter Blasco, MD *

• Keith Coffman, MD

• Sandra Friedman, MD *

• Imad Jarjour, MD

• Amy Newmeyer, MD *

• Max Wiznitzer, MD

Neurology Maintenance of Certification

• Laurie Gutmann, MD, Chair

• Allison Brashear, MD, Vice Chair

• Imran Ali, MD

• Zeina Chemali, MD, MPH

• Julie Hammack, MD

• Ann Killoran, MD

• Michelle Mauermann, MD

• MaryAnn Mays, MD

• Luis Mejico, MD

• Maria Sam, MD

• Christopher Skidmore, MD

• Andrew Southerland, MD

General Neurology (Neurology Part A)

• J. Clay Goodman, MD, Chair

• Terrence Cascino, MD, Vice Chair

• Dane Chetkovich, MD, PhD

• Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD, MS

• Deborah Hall, MD

• Shannon Kilgore, MD

• Steven Lewis, MD

• Benn Smith, MD

Behavioral Neurology, Cognition, and Psychiatry (Neurology Part B)

• Steven DeKosky, MD, Chair

• Laurie Gutmann, MD, Vice Chair

• Anna Barrett, MD

• Julie Fudge, MD

• David Gill, MD

• Michael Jaffee, MD

Clinical Neurology Adult (Neurology Part C)

• Robert Pascuzzi, MD, Chair

• Kerry Levin, MD, Vice Chair

• José Biller, MD

• Stephen Conway, MD

• Jaison Grimes, M.D.

• Sara Hocker, MD

• Jonathan Howard, MD

• Steven Lewis, MD

• Jerry Swanson, MD

Neurology Certification Standard Setting

• Kerry Levin, MD

• Anjaneyulu Alapati, MD

• Joachim Baehring, MD

• Tracy Butler, MD

• Laurie Gutmann, MD

• Jonathan Howard, MD

• Mircea Iacob, MD

• Raja Khan, MD

• Paul Mazzeo, MD

• Merlin Nelson, MD

• Yvonne Rollins, MD, PhD

• Andrew Schneider, MD

• Geoffrey Starr, MD

• Nimish Thakore, MD

• Eroboghene Ubogu, MD

• Ashok Verma, MD

Clinical Neurology Child (Neurology Part C)

• John Bodensteiner, MD, Chair

• Nina Schor, MD, PhD, Vice Chair

• Tonya Balmakund, MD

• Sidney Gospe Jr., MD

• Karen Keough, MD

• Marc Patterson, MD, MBBS

• Phillip Pearl, MD

Neurology Child Certification Standard Setting

• John Bodensteiner, MD

• Harry Abram, MD

• Elizabeth Bebin, MD

• Jodie Bolt, MD

• Geetha Chari, MD

• Raymond Cheng, MD

• Patricia Crumrine, MD

• Denise Morita, MD

• Shulamit Portnoy, MD

• Rana Said, MD

• Nina Schor, MD, PhD

• Ann Tilton, MD

Neuromuscular Medicine

• Janice Massey, MD, Chair

• Laurie Gutmann, MD, Vice Chair

• Noor Pirzada, MD

• Emma Ciafaloni, MD

• William David, MD, PhD

• Janak Doshi, MD **

• Shawn Jorgensen, MD **

• Lawrence Robinson, MD **

• John Sladky, MD

• Jayashri Srinivasan, MD, PhD

• Gil Wolfe, MD

Neuromuscular Medicine Maintenance of Certification Standard Setting

• Janice Massey, MD

• Michele Arnold, MD **

• Renee Buchanan, MD

• Janak Doshi, MD **

• Amanda Guidon, MD

• Doreen Ho, MD

• Shawn Jorgensen, MD **

• Seth Periman, MD

• Michael Rosario-Prieto, MD

• Jinny Tavee, MD

• Jonas Vanags, MD

• Louis Weimer, MD

Pain Medicine

• Julie Elaine Hammack, MD

• Christina Herring, MD

• Sheryl Johnson, MD

• Raphael Leo, MD

• Manu Mathews, MD

• Paola Sandroni, MD, PhD

• Brian Wainger, MD

• Ajay Wasan, MD

• James Watson, MD

Professionalism

• Laurie Gutmann, MD, Chair

• Christopher Thomas, MD, Vice Chair

• Harold Adams, MD

• Imran Ali, MD

• Joseph Bloom, MD

• Patricia Crumrine, MD

• Andrea Leep Hunderfund, MD

• Deepak Prabhakar, MD, MPH

• Laura Roberts, MD

• Madhu Soni, MD

• Susan Stagno, MD

Psychiatry Maintenance of Certification

• Robert Ronis, MD, MPH, Chair

• Paramjit Joshi, MD, Vice Chair

• Peter Buckley, MD

• Maria Caserta, MD, PhD

• Karon Dawkins, MD

• Brian Fuehrlein, MD

• Pleas Geyer, MD

• Alan Louie, MD

• Barbara Lubrano Di Ciccone, MD

• Michael Miller, MD

• Andrea Stolar, MD

• Matthew Warren, MD

General Psychiatry (Psychiatry Part A) Subcommittee

• Robert Golden, MD, Chair

• Joan Anzia, MD

• Timothy Dellenbaugh, MD

• Brian Evans, DO

• Charlotte Ladd, MD, PhD

• Dawnelle Schatte, MD

• Roomana Sheikh, MD

Basic Neurology and Neuroscience (Psychiatry Part B) Subcommittee

• George Keepers, MD, Chair

• Sepideh Bajestan, MD

• Amelia Dubovsky, MD

• Jordan Eisenstock, MD

• William LaFrance Jr., MD, MPH

• Margo Lauterbach, MD

• David Spencer, MD

Clinical Psychiatry (Psychiatry Part C) Subcommittee

• Jeffrey Lyness, MD, Chair

• Christopher Cargile, MD

• Josepha Cheong, MD

• Crystal Clark, MD

• Anne Gross, MD

• Stephen Kramer, MD

• Robert Pary, MD

• Ilisse Perlmutter, MD

• Roman Rodriguez, MD

• Mitzi Wasserstein, MD

Psychiatry Certification Standard Setting

• George Keepers, MD

• Joan Anzia, MD

• Kathleen Banks, MD

• Karon Dawkins, MD

• Robert Guynn, MD

• Jerry Halverson, MD

• John Kinzie, MD

• Xiaohua Li, MD

• Jeffrey Lyness, MD

• Josephine Mokonogho, MD

• Netor Riel, MD

• Jonathan Ritvo, MD

• Stacey Smith, MD

• Amanda Winters, MD

Sleep Medicine

• Andrew Krystal, MD

• Bradley Vaughn, MD

• Phyllis Zee, MD

Vascular Neurology

• José Biller, MD, Chair

• Steven Lewis, MD, Vice Chair

• Michael De Georgia, MD

• Megan Leary, MD

• Enrique Leira, MD, MS

• Alejandro Rabinstein, MD

• Natalia Rost, MD

• Fernando Testai, MD

• Allyson Zazulia, MD

* Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics

** Diplomate of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

New Board Members

At the end of 2017, ABPN welcomed two new board members

Robert J. Boland, MD, Boston, MA

Dr. Boland is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Vice Chair for Education at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston MA. He is the residency training director for the Brigham and Women’s/Harvard Medical School Psychiatry Residency. As an ABPN Director, Dr. Boland serves on the Psychiatry Council and as Vice Chair for the MOC Pilot Project-Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Steering and the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Certification and MOC Examination Committees. He is also a member of the Core Competencies, Credentials-Psychiatry, Conflict of Interest, Strategic Planning, Maintenance of Certification, and Certification Examination Combined-Basic Neurology and Neuroscience Committees. He is the past president for the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine (now the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry), the American Association of Directors of Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry and currently chairs the Residency Review Committee for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In the past, Dr. Boland was the Chair for the Psychiatry Milestone Project Subspecialty Workgroup and for several Special Section Scientific Review groups for the National Institutes of Health.

Amy R. Brooks-Kayal, MD, Aurora, CO

Dr. Brooks-Kayal is Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she has served as Chief and Ponzio Family Chair in Pediatric Neurology for 9 years. She is a principal investigator and codirector of the Translational Epilepsy Research Program at University of Colorado. As an ABPN Director, Dr. Brooks-Kayal serves on the Neurology Council and is Vice Chair of the MOC Pilot Project-Child Neurology Committee. She is also on the Communications, Credentials-Neurology, Strategic Planning, Maintenance of Certification, MOC Pilot Project, Certification Examination Combined-General Neurology, MOC Examination-Child Neurology, and the Epilepsy Certification and MOC Examination Committees. She serves on the NINDS Advisory Council, North American Commission of the ILAE, and AES Board of Directors (ex officio), and has held the positions of President of the AES, councilor of the Professors of Child Neurology (PCN), and executive councilor of the ANA. Dr. Brooks-Kayal is recognized as an international expert in the field of epilepsy.

Retiring Board Members

Two ABPN board members retired at the end of 2017 after 8 years of service. The ABPN thanks them for their commitment and contributions to the Board.

Kerry H. Levin, MD, Cleveland, OH, 2017 Chair

Kerry H. Levin, MD, was the 2017 Chair of the ABPN. Dr. Levin is Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. He serves as Director of the Neuromuscular Center and Vice-Chairman for Education in the Neurological Institute and is a Professor of Medicine (Neurology) in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Dr. Levin’s clinical and research activities focus on neuromuscular electrodiagnosis, myasthenia gravis, and peripheral neuropathies. As an ABPN Director, Dr. Levin served as Chair of the Neurology Council. He also served as Chair of the Committees on Disability Accommodations, Neurology Appeals Review, Irregular Behavior, Maintenance of Certification, 2018 Officer Nominations, Certification Examination Combined–Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology Steering, Clinical Neurophysiology Certification and MOC Examination, and Epilepsy Steering. He was Vice Chair of the Research Award Committee, Certification Examination Combined Clinical Neurology Subcommittee, and Epilepsy Certification and MOC Examination Committee. He served as a member of the Communications, Finance, Investment, and Strategic Planning Committees. Dr. Levin was also the liaison for the ABMS CCC.

Robert J. Ronis, MD, MPH, Cleveland, OH, 2017 Vice Chair

Robert J. Ronis, MD, MPH, was the 2017 Vice Chair of the ABPN. Dr. Ronis is the Douglas Bond Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. As an ABPN Director, Dr. Ronis served as Chair of the Psychiatry Council. Dr. Ronis was also Chair of five committees: Bylaws, Psychiatry Appeals Review, Alternative Pathways Oversight, MOC Examination - Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry Steering. He is a liaison to the ABFM and serves on its Board of Directors. Dr. Ronis was also a member of the ABPN Committees on Communications, Finance, Investment, Irregular Behavior, Strategic Planning, Nominations for 2018 Officers and Delegates for the RRC–Psychiatry.

Spring 2017 Fellowship Brings Novel Educational Opportunity

M. Saul Farris, M.D., Forensic Psychiatry Fellow, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oreg.

It was my distinct honor to be the Spring 2017 ABPN Senior Resident Administrative Fellow. During this fellowship, I spent time at ABPN’s headquarters learning about the Board’s mission and how it is accomplished, attended regular didactics designed by Dr. Faulkner, worked on a research project, and attended staff meetings. In addition, I attended several annual professional meetings, (e.g. APA, AADPRT, ANA, etc.), visited the APA and ANA headquarters, and was a guest at Northwestern University’s Psychiatric Residency program for a day.

Dr. Faulkner laid out the schedule and format of the fellowship in clear terms so that I knew what to expect. I was impressed how, at the ABPN Board Meetings, I was able to experience some prominent neurologists and psychiatrists come together to interact with each other with sincerity and humor, to hear their thoughtful deliberations, and to witness them wrestle with the competing interests of diplomates, the greater medical community, and the public at large.

Likewise, meeting with prominent staff members of the ANA and APA was also eye opening. Both instances were tremendous opportunities to see how these organizations worked to meet the needs of their members and how they fit into the large community that supports neurologists and psychiatrists.

In our didactics, Dr. Faulkner included his own hard-won knowledge about being an administrator, academic medicine, and lessons for success that he had learned throughout his career. This may be the single most valuable part of the fellowship, as the pace of residency rarely leaves time for these types of learning opportunities.

Finally, I want to mention the staff at ABPN, many of whom went out of their way to help me learn about the organization and complete my research project. They are a great group of people and I was fortunate to see how hard they work to support diplomates and the ABPN.

This fellowship is such a novel educational opportunity for someone interested in administration, such as myself. It has given me a good understanding of what the ABPN does and about the greater educational/professional community that supports neurologists and psychiatrists. It was a great experience and I’m grateful to Dr. Faulkner and my home psychiatry department for helping me have it.

Fellowship Provides Window to MOC Innovations

Linda Drozdowicz, M.D., Chief Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, N.Y., NY

I had the pleasure of serving as the ABPN Senior Resident Administrative Fellow in Fall of 2017. Prior to this experience, I had only heard of the ABPN and had very little insight into its range of responsibilities and activities. However, based on my interest in administration, I decided to pack my bags and kiss the mean streets of NYC goodbye for three months in order to delve into the inner workings of the organization.

I started my fellowship at a particularly exciting time: one week prior, the MOC Pilot Project was announced. As a result, I had a front row seat to discussions regarding the development of the Pilot. I also completed a research project surveying Chief Residents in Psychiatry and Neurology across the country regarding views about MOC and the Pilot Project. This study revealed strong support for the idea behind the Pilot. By the end of the rotation, I had a firm grasp of the landscape of MOC as well as its possible future directions.

My experience with the fellowship was invaluable in terms of my learning, and it has now led to my sitting on the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry MOC Committee for the Pilot Project. As I move into a career in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, I look forward to continuing my development as an administrator in addition to my clinical work. I hope to give back to the ABPN through continued contributions to the organization whenever possible, and I thank everybody that I worked with for their time and efforts in teaching me.

Awards and Honors

Current and former members of the ABPN Board of Directors received awards in 2017.

Harold Adams, Jr., MD, former ABPN director, received the A.B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurologic Education from the American Academy of Neurology.

Laurie Gutmann, MD, ABPN director, was appointed Chair of the Neurology Review Committee for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Paramjit Joshi, MD, ABPN director, received the 2017 Virginia Q. Anthony Outstanding Woman Leader Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Steven Lewis, MD, ABPN director, received the Timothy M. Breidegam Endowed Chair in Neurology with the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Jeffrey Lyness, MD, ABPN director, received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award from the Gold Foundation given by the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry Class of 2017.

Nina Schor, MD, PhD, ABPN director, received the 2017 Hower Award from the Child Neurology Society and was recognized as a NRMN Master Mentor by the National Research Mentoring Network.

2017 Publications

Several articles written by ABPN staff, current and former board members and former fellows appeared in related publications throughout 2017.

• Early Career Neurologist’s Feedback About the Primary Care and Psychiatry Components of Residency Training by L. Gutmann: H. Adams, D. Juul, S. O’Shea and L. Faulkner. Neurology 2017

• Juul D, Colenda CC, Lyness JM, et al: Subspecialty Training and Certification in Geriatric Psychiatry: A 25-Year Overview. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2017; 25:445–453

• Schor N: The Decanal Divide: Women in Decanal Roles at U.S. Medical Schools. Acad Med 2017

• Letter to the Editors on Medical Specialty Board Finances by L. Faulkner. JAMA 2017

2017 Presentations

Throughout 2017, ABPN Directors, staff and MOC Ambassadors contributed their knowledge of both the psychiatry and neurology specialties and subspecialties and the importance of certification and continued certification by engaging in presentations to various groups.

January

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by L. Gutmann, American Academy of Neurology Breakthroughs in Neurology Conference, Phoenix, AZ, January 2017.

February

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by J. Bodensteiner, Pediatric Neurology Conference, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, February 2017.

March

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by J. Morris, Department of Psychiatry, U.S. Naval Hospital, Guam, March 2017.

ABPN Update, presented by L. Faulkner, American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2017.

Update on ABPN Geriatric Psychiatry MOC Program, presented by J. Lyness, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, March 2017.

Survey of Early Career Child Neurologists: Opinions Regarding Residency Training, presented by A. Fine and L. Faulkner, Southern Pediatric Neurology Society, New Orleans, LA, March 2017.

April

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by JC Goodman, American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, April 2017.

Feedback from Early Career Neurologists and Child Neurologists About the Primary Care and Psychiatry Components of Residency Training, poster presented by L. Gutmann, H. Adams, S. O’Shea, D. Juul and L. Faulkner, American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, April 2017.

The Accreditation and Certification of the Movement Disorders Subspecialty, poster presented by S. O’Shea, L. Gutmann and L. Faulkner, American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, April 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by M. Wasserstein, Idaho Psychiatric Association Meeting, Boise, ID, April 2017.

May

ABPN Update, presented by L. Faulkner, American Association of Directors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, May 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by J. Bodensteiner, Arizona Neurological Society Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, May 2017.

Psychiatrists in Trouble: Licensure Actions Involving ABPN Diplomates, paper presented by L. Faulkner and D. Juul, American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, May 2017.

September

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by J. Cheong, 2017 Psych Congress, Chicago, IL, September 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by L. Gutmann, Pennsylvania Neurological Society Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, September 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by J. Biller, Illinois State Neurological Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, September 2017.

October

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by S. Lewis, Wisconsin Neurological Society Annual Conference, Elkhart Lake, WI, October 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by S. Lewis, United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, October 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by G. Keepers, American Psychiatric Association District Branch–South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD, October 2017.

Summary of the ABPN MOC Program, presented by L. Faulkner, American Neurological Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 2017.

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by B. Smith, American Academy of Neurology Fall Conference, Las Vegas, NV, October 2017.

Maintenance of Certification 101: Meeting the Requirements Member Services Forum, presented by P. Joshi, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Washington DC, October 2017.

November

The ABPN MOC Program: Lifelong Learning for Psychiatrists and Neurologists, presented by J. Lyness, Western New York Psychiatric Society, Buffalo, NY, November 2017.

December

The ABPN MOC Program: A Collaborative Approach to Promoting Life-Long Learning, presented by L. Faulkner, Meeting of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, State Specialty Societies, and ABMS, Rosemont, IL, December 2017.

ABPN Participation in American Board of Medical Specialties Committees and Interest Groups

The ABPN continues its active involvement in the ABMS. The following ABPN directors, emeritus directors and staff served on committees and interest groups:

Christopher C. Colenda, MD, MPH: Finance and Audit Committee

Kerry H. Levin, MD: Committee on Continuing Certification

Jeffrey M. Lyness, MD: Health and Public Policy Committee

Victor I. Reus, MD: Board of Directors for the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for ABMS

Barbara S. Schneidman, MD, MPH: Board of Directors

Christopher R. Thomas, MD: Ethics and Professionalism Committee

ABPN Staff

Tina Espina: ProNet

David Homan: TechNet

Patricia Janda: ProNet

Catherine Szmurlo: ComNet

Patricia Vondrak: ComNet and MOCNet

Professional Society Meeting Participation

ABPN staff values the importance of attending meetings of our professional society partners and participating with displa tables or booths, in order to meet with and answer questions from program directors and coordinators, candidates and diplomates. The following organizations were included in the 2017 schedule:

• Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

• American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

• American Academy of Neurology

• American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

• American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training

• American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry

• American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine

• American Clinical Neurophysiology Society

• American Epilepsy Society

• American Psychiatric Association

• Child Neurology Society

Our Mission

The mission of the ABPN is to develop and provide valid and reliable procedures for certification and maintenance of certification in psychiatry and neurology by:

• Developing the best testing methods to evaluate candidate and diplomate competencies;

• Applying the best technologies and information available to collect and analyze pertinent data;

• Communicating and collaborating effectively with training programs, residents, candidates, diplomates, professional and health care organizations, and the public; and

• Operating programs and services effectively and efficiently.

Statement on Professionalism

Professionalism forms the basis of medicine’s contract with society. The ABPN is concerned with those aspects of professionalism that are demonstrated through: a physician’s clinical competence, commitment to lifelong learning and professional improvement, interpersonal skills, and ethical understanding and behavior. In its credentialing, certification, and MOC programs, the ABPN seeks to assess and document that its candidates and diplomates possess and maintain these essential aspects of professionalism.