Applications for the American Board of Medical Specialties 2022-2023 Visiting Scholars Program are Now Available

CHICAGO, Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 ABMS Visiting Scholars Program™. This one-year, part-time program facilitates the development of early-career physicians, medical specialists, and research professionals by supporting their research and encouraging their engagement with the ABMS community. Applications must be received by 12 am CT on June 12, 2022.

"The aim of the Visiting Scholars program is to deepen our understanding of how to best help physicians develop their skills and gain experience, which will positively impact the quality, safety, and value of patient care," noted Greg Ogrinc, MD, MS, Senior Vice President of Certification Standards and Programs. "To that end, we are seeking research projects that demonstrate the impact certification programs have on public health and national quality and safety priorities; accelerate the adoption of certification assessments relevant to the emerging health care environment; and advance collaborative solutions for certification within and across specialties."

The ABMS Visiting Scholars Program supports research that explores best practices and innovative approaches that address priorities for the certification community, including diagnostic error, competency-based medical education and assessment, racial equity and diversity in health care, and physician engagement in quality improvement. Visiting Scholars will receive an award of up to $12,500 to support the direct costs of research and travel expenses associated with program participation. Visiting Scholar Program grants may be applied to an existing research grant that supports the same research project or research focus area.

To date, 43 Visiting Scholars have participated in the program, which provides Scholars with opportunities to:

• Conduct research of value to their program and organization.
• Strengthen methods and data analyses in consultation with ABMS physician leaders and researchers.
• Learn about leadership approaches and priorities by engaging with physician leaders at the national level.
• Develop professional relationships with ABMS and its Member Boards, other professional health care organizations, and ABMS Visiting Program Scholars alumni.
• Have their work nationally recognized and disseminated across the certification community.

During the year-long program, the Visiting Scholars remain at their home institutions, work with self-selected mentors, and participate in monthly interactive webinars that engage current scholars with research project updates to their peers and a select panel of subject matter experts and scholar alumni who collectively provide guidance, support, and solutions to barriers they may be experiencing in their respective research projects. Scholars traditionally attend three in-person leadership meetings and present their research findings before a national audience at the annual ABMS Conference. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person leadership meetings and live research presentations will be presented at ABMS Conference 2022.

Early-career physicians, junior faculty, fellows, and residents are eligible, as well as individuals holding master's or doctorate degrees in public health, health services research, educational evaluation and statistics, public health policy and administration, or other relevant disciplines. Veterans Affairs trainees and staff also are welcome to apply. A free, hour-long informational webinar will be held at 5 pm CT on April 19, 2022. For additional questions, contact [email protected].

ABMS Visiting Scholars are selected based on the quality of their proposed research project, the relevance of their research to the ABMS mission and the certification community, and the likelihood of making substantial progress on the project during the scholar year. Applications developed in collaboration with one or more ABMS Member Boards may receive priority. Selected individuals will be notified in August and the program begins in September 2022.

About ABMS
Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is responsible for the creation of standards overseeing physician certification in the United States. Dedicated to improving the quality of care to the patients, families and communities they serve, the 24 ABMS Member Boards develop educational and professional standards and programs of assessment to certify physicians and medical specialists. More than 940,000 physicians and medical specialists are certified by one or more of the ABMS Member Boards in one or more of 40 specialties and 88 subspecialties. For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties