Cardiology Policy

ABMS Rejects Independent CV Board, Doesn’t Explain Why

In a move that could mark a serious setback for independent cardiology certification, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) denied the joint ACC/AHA/HRS/SCAI/HFSA request to launch a new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine.

  • Cardiologists currently receive board certification through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), but many feel the process wastes their time and money with few benefits.
  • However, as cardiology becomes increasingly more complex and specialized, the argument is growing beyond convenience and now focuses on advancements that have made cardiology independent from internal medicine. 

Pushing for independence since 2023, the new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine would have been completely independent of the ABIM and focused solely on the certification processes for U.S. cardiologists and other CV specialists.

  • Instead of granting ABCVM’s wish, ABMS openly rejected it, with no commentary or reasoning as to why.

One potential answer why? CV certification is a cash cow for ABIM when you look at the first time licensing fees and all of the annual maintenance charges that follow:

  • As it stands, cardiologists are forced to fork over $1,400 for the Internal Medicine Certification Exam and then between $2,300 -$3,000 for CV subspecialization.
  • To maintain board certification, cardiologists then pay $220 per year for the first certificate and $120 per year for each additional certificate they’ve earned.
  • And finally, ABIM collects $700 in exam fees for the traditional 10-Year MOC Exam

From a financial angle, it makes sense that ABIM will hold onto the cardiology board certification mantle as long as it can, but as the specialty becomes increasingly diverse and subspecialized, that’ll be harder to justify.

  • When ABIM started offering cardiology boards in 1941, electrophysiology, TAVR, and many other complex procedures didn’t exist.

The Takeaway

ABMS’ decision is certainly frustrating for those who support an independent cardiology board, and while the major societies are united on the issue, it’s clear they’ll need more than a strongly worded letter to get their way.

Get twice-weekly insights on the biggest stories shaping cardiology.

You might also like

Cardiac Imaging June 16, 2025

Beyond Hardware: Is AI the Answer to Making Cardiac Imaging more Accessible? June 16, 2025

Sponsored by Philips Healthcare Cardiac imaging has traditionally improved through hardware advances, enabling the speed needed for high-quality images. However, hardware is rapidly reaching its physical limitations in suppressing cardiac motion and represents a large financial investment. Today, software and AI are driving the next leap in cardiac image quality and motion control – offering […]

Cardiology Pharmaceuticals June 12, 2025

FDA Approves a New BP Triple Polypill June 12, 2025

Bringing a more effective BP therapy to the U.S. market, the FDA approved George Medicines’ triple therapy polypill called Widaplik for patients with hypertension, making it the first of its kind to go to market in the U.S. Widaplik’s approval stems from two studies, including one comparing the polypill against placebo as an initial treatment […]

Cardiology Pharmaceuticals June 12, 2025

Pharmacologic Preconditioning to Improve Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery  June 12, 2025

The majority of patients undergoing cardiac surgery, especially those on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), experience post-operative complications such as new-onset atrial fibrillation (POAF) and acute kidney injury (AKI), largely driven by oxidative stress and inflammation.   Several approaches have been explored to reduce complications following cardiac surgery, however, a clinically meaningful impact has yet to be realized.  […]

This content is exclusive to subscribers

Log in or join by entering your email below.

Completely free. Every Monday and Thursday.

CW Phone Square

You might also like..

Select All

You're signed up!

It's great to have you as a reader. Check your inbox for a welcome email.

-- The Cardiac Wire Team

You're all set!