title: Fifty years of medical specialty certification--role of the American Board of Medical Specialties.
abstract: Those who have had experience with the voluntary system of medical specialty certification will surely prefer it to an imposed bureaucratic type of control. Despite the deficiencies and problems associated with it, as Churchill noted about democracy: "It is the best that exists." Medical science and medical practice are constantly advancing and changing. With those changes it is reasonable to expect change in the specialty credentialing system. However, that change should be thoughtful, cautious, and should be made only in the best interest of the patients for whom we are responsible.
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification / Q000639:trends*; D003880:Dermatology / Q000639:trends*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D013044:Specialty Boards / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States