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In Reply: We agree with Dr Bailey that certification is a heterogeneous term and certifying bodies outside of ABMS do exist, some with and some without rigorous evaluation processes. The strength of the ABMS is that all member boards commit to a rigorous, unified approach that is open to public scrutiny, and the standards extend beyond tests of cognitive knowledge.¹ These are key features of the profession meeting its public responsibility and accountability.

Dr Lang questions the results of the Gallup poll regarding public perception of board certification. We commissioned Gallup to develop the survey instrument and conduct the study because they are experts in minimizing the bias inherent in any poll. Full results are available at no charge in the "publications" section of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Web site (http://www.abim.org).

We agree with Drs Rosof and Williams that maintenance of certification measures should . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Troyen A. Brennan, MD
tabrennan@partners.org
American Board of Internal Medicine
Philadelphia, Pa

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