Trends in specialty certification.

Abstract

From 1980 to 1994, 283,024 certificates were issued by the 23 specialty boards. Of these certificates, 137,852 (48.7%) were issued in primary care specialties, 84,993 (30.0%) were certificates in the other medical specialties, and 60,179 (21.2%) were certificates in the surgical specialties. The figure on page 26 illustrates the changes that have occurred in the pool of board-certified physicians from 1980 to 1994. Since 1980, the number of certificates issued in the primary care specialties and the number of certificates issued in the other medical specialties has consistently exceeded those issued in the surgical specialties. In 1977, Mr. James Haug, Director, ACS Socioeconomic Affairs Department, correctly predicted that the pool of board-certified surgeons as a percentage of the total pool of board-certified physicians would decline. In 1980, the total number of certificates issued by the 23 specialty boards was 16,034. Surgical specialty certificates accounted for 23.8 percent of the total number of certificates issued by the 23 specialty boards in 1980. In 1994, the total number of certificates issued by the 23 specialty boards was 22,090. Surgical specialty certificates accounted for 19.8 percent of the total number of certificates issued by the 23 specialty boards in 1994. In 1980, 1984, 1986, and 1989 primary care specialty certificates accounted for greater than 50.0 percent of the total number of certificates issued by the 23 specialty boards in those years. Given the substantial growth in the number of certificates in the primary care and other medical specialties depicted in the figure, certificates in the surgical specialties as a percentage of the total number of certificates has remained stable.