Accepted Manuscript Certification Board Scams William Clifford Roberts , MD PII:
S0002-9149(14)01218-1
DOI:
10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.05.025
Reference:
AJC 20484
To appear in:
The American Journal of Cardiology
Received Date: 22 May 2014 Accepted Date: 28 May 2014
Please cite this article as: Roberts WC, Certification Board Scams, The American Journal of Cardiology (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.05.025. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT From the Editor Certification Board Scams In May 2014 I received the letter printed below with the caption American Board of Cardiology Committee on Honors and Awards, dated May 9, 2014, and signed by A. J. Alaa
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Windsor, MD. I was a bit surprised and transiently honored when I read the letter until I got to the second page which indicated that there were actually 3 engraved award plaques: one stated The American Board of Cardiology Award of Honor for 2014; another The
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Distinguished Master Laureat of the American Board of Cardiology, and the third one as Senior Consultant to the American Board of Cardiology. Under each of these was the option
M AN U
to order a number of plaques. Near the bottom of the second page was the following: “Please assist in the funding of this program of recommendation of excellence. Please enclose registration fee of $300 made to: American Board of Cardiology. Please enclose engraving and preparation fee of $70 for each 10” x 8” engraved plaque and $15 for
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shipping and handling of each plaque.” Also at the top of this second page was the following titled: ACCEPTANCE OF AWARD ― “I hereby accept the American Board of Cardiology Award of Honor and the designation as Master Laureate and Senior Consultant
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of the American Board of Cardiology. I promise to continue to uphold the centuries old
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traditions of excellence and humanitarianism in medicine and shall continue to practice medicine in accordance with the Oath of Hippocrates, the Ten Commandments, and the Golden Rule to treat others as I would have others treat me. And I will continue to always faithfully work to support and promote excellence, education, compassion, kindness and truest humanitarianism in medicine.” I thought about this particular document overnight and became leery and the next day searched for A.J. Alaa Windsor, MD, on Google and could not find one thing on him. My
ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
assistant, Becky Banks, then searched Google for The American Board of Cardiology. The search included the American Board of Internal Medicine which had the following scam warning (The link to this warning is abim.org/news/scam-certification-boards.aspx.): “The
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American Board of Internal Medicine has received reports from several regarding letters and solicitations from their members from groups offering “certification” in geriatric
medicine, cardiology and hospital medicine, among other specialties. The American Board
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of Internal Medicine of course is concerned about the welfare of patients who may choose doctors representing themselves as “board certified” based on their possession of a
M AN U
certificate from unaccredited “boards” that awards certificates but require no accredited training, testing or medical background review. If contacted by any of the listed “phony”
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certification boards, the American Board of Internal Medicine would like to hear about it.” William Clifford Roberts, MD Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute Baylor University Medical Center Dallas, Texas
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EP
TE D
M AN U
SC
RI PT
ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
S0002-9149(14)01218-1
DOI:
10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.05.025
Reference:
AJC 20484
To appear in:
The American Journal of Cardiology
Received Date: 22 May 2014 Accepted Date: 28 May 2014
Please cite this article as: Roberts WC, Certification Board Scams, The American Journal of Cardiology (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.05.025. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT From the Editor Certification Board Scams In May 2014 I received the letter printed below with the caption American Board of Cardiology Committee on Honors and Awards, dated May 9, 2014, and signed by A. J. Alaa
RI PT
Windsor, MD. I was a bit surprised and transiently honored when I read the letter until I got to the second page which indicated that there were actually 3 engraved award plaques: one stated The American Board of Cardiology Award of Honor for 2014; another The
SC
Distinguished Master Laureat of the American Board of Cardiology, and the third one as Senior Consultant to the American Board of Cardiology. Under each of these was the option
M AN U
to order a number of plaques. Near the bottom of the second page was the following: “Please assist in the funding of this program of recommendation of excellence. Please enclose registration fee of $300 made to: American Board of Cardiology. Please enclose engraving and preparation fee of $70 for each 10” x 8” engraved plaque and $15 for
TE D
shipping and handling of each plaque.” Also at the top of this second page was the following titled: ACCEPTANCE OF AWARD ― “I hereby accept the American Board of Cardiology Award of Honor and the designation as Master Laureate and Senior Consultant
EP
of the American Board of Cardiology. I promise to continue to uphold the centuries old
AC C
traditions of excellence and humanitarianism in medicine and shall continue to practice medicine in accordance with the Oath of Hippocrates, the Ten Commandments, and the Golden Rule to treat others as I would have others treat me. And I will continue to always faithfully work to support and promote excellence, education, compassion, kindness and truest humanitarianism in medicine.” I thought about this particular document overnight and became leery and the next day searched for A.J. Alaa Windsor, MD, on Google and could not find one thing on him. My
ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
assistant, Becky Banks, then searched Google for The American Board of Cardiology. The search included the American Board of Internal Medicine which had the following scam warning (The link to this warning is abim.org/news/scam-certification-boards.aspx.): “The
RI PT
American Board of Internal Medicine has received reports from several regarding letters and solicitations from their members from groups offering “certification” in geriatric
medicine, cardiology and hospital medicine, among other specialties. The American Board
SC
of Internal Medicine of course is concerned about the welfare of patients who may choose doctors representing themselves as “board certified” based on their possession of a
M AN U
certificate from unaccredited “boards” that awards certificates but require no accredited training, testing or medical background review. If contacted by any of the listed “phony”
AC C
EP
TE D
certification boards, the American Board of Internal Medicine would like to hear about it.” William Clifford Roberts, MD Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute Baylor University Medical Center Dallas, Texas
AC C
EP
TE D
M AN U
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ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
