RECORD NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS

A record number of physicians applied to take the 2019 American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) certification exam, recognizing doctors for their competency in treating obesity. In total, 890 physicians applied to sit for the test that will be administered February 25-28, 2019 at computer-based testing centers throughout the United States and Canada. The total number of applicants (890) represents an increase of more than 22 percent from the previous class of applicants. Over the past two years, more than 1,600 doctors have applied for ABOM certification.

“The board was created in 2011 with a vision that all patients with obesity will someday have access to quality care. With ABOM’s continued growth, we are getting closer to that goal,” said Dr. John Cleek, ABOM Board Chairman.

The 2019 exam candidates represent more than a dozen fields of medicine including internal medicine (36%), family medicine (29%), surgery (5%), endocrinology (5%), pediatrics (5%), and OB/GYN (4%). The candidates come from 45 states and include 39 physicians from Canada.

“It is exciting to see the sustained growth of physicians choosing to engage in the obesity medicine certification process,” said ABOM Executive Director Dana Brittan, MBA. “It shows that obesity medicine has gained a strong foothold within the medical community and the certification process is providing a valuable resource to physicians looking to help their patients battle the obesity epidemic.”

The ABOM began overseeing the certification process for obesity medicine physicians in 2011. Today, there are more than 2,650 certified obesity medicine physicians throughout the United States and Canada.