American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO)

Board Certification: Since 1916, 33,703 ophthalmologists have voluntarily elected to meet the rigorous certification standards established by the American Board of Ophthalmology. The first medical specialty board founded in the United States, the American Board of Ophthalmology awards the only medical specialty certificate in ophthalmology recognized by both the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA). Certification is granted to ophthalmologists who meet a series of accredited medical training requirements in ophthalmology; sign a practice pledge indicating their intent to practice with compassion, integrity, and respect for human dignity; and complete an intensive evaluation process that includes both a written qualifying examination and an oral examination. Physicians who meet all of the requirements for initial certification become diplomates of the board and earn a certificate valid for a period of 10 years. Since the early 1990s, all diplomates who elect to retain an active certificate participate in periodic assessments of knowledge, judgment, and skill in addition to demonstrating a commitment to practice improvement. This process has been termed Continuing Certification.Successful candidates are certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology for a period of ten years. The ABO issued initial certificates to 501 ophthalmologists in 2023.

Certification of board certification status: The ABO provides primary source verification of board certification to the public, credentialing organizations, and other interested entities.

Continuing Certification embodies the principles of career-long learning and continuous improvement for the benefit of the public and the profession and aims to:1) establish and maintain high standards for patient care;2) provide physicians with the means to continually assess and improve their ability to meet these standards;3) ensure that physicians are being assessed by reliable and valid measures to continually improve patient care.Standards for high-quality ophthalmic care are based on six general competencies: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. The ABO, along with other surgical certifying boards, also recognizes a seventh competency in surgical or procedural skills.The ABO's continuing certification process is the only one for eye care specialists that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The ABO recertified 1,062 ophthalmologists in 2023.