"Certifications, Training To Increase Addiction Medicine Specialists"
The American Board of Medical Specialties recently certified its first formal wave of addiction medicine physicians, adding 1,200 specialists to the field. Addiction medicine was first recognized as a subspecialty by ABMS in 2015, followed by the first certification exam in 2017. The new certifications are a tremendous development for addiction medicine, said Timothy Brennan, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai West. “When the American Board of Medical Specialties welcomed addiction medicine as its newest subspecialty, it in a lot of ways, legitimized our discipline,” Dr. Brennan said. “It gives us a measure of credibility in the eyes of the public, and it basically codifies that these physicians who have passed this board exam have achieved a level of competency and knowledge that makes them trustworthy and safe to provide care to folks suffering from addiction.”
- Timothy Brennan, MD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Fellowship in Addiction Medicine Program, Addiction Institute, Mount Sinai West