The American Board of Anesthesiology

Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties

About the ABA

About the ABAHistory

A committee representing the American Society of Anesthetists, Inc., the American Society of Regional Anesthesia, Inc., and the Section on Surgery of the American Medical Association was established to devise a plan for an organization with the specific purpose of certifying physicians practicing in the field of anesthesiology. The formation of The American Board of Anesthesiology, Inc., an affiliate of The American Board of Surgery, Inc., was completed on June 2, 1937.

The Advisory Board for Medical Specialties and the Council on Medical Education of The American Medical Association approved affiliation in 1938. In 1941 the Advisory Board for Medical Specialties approved the establishment of The American Board of Anesthesiology, Inc. as a separate primary Board.

Purpose

The American Board of Anesthesiology exists in order to:

  1. Maintain the highest standards of practice by fostering educational facilities and training in anesthesiology, which the ABA defines as the practice of medicine dealing with but not limited to:
    1. Assessment of, consultation for, and preparation of, patients for anesthesia.
    2. Relief and prevention of pain during and following surgical, obstetric, therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.
    3. Monitoring and maintenance of normal physiology during the perioperative period.
    4. Management of critically ill patients.
    5. Diagnosis and treatment of acute, chronic and cancer related pain.
    6. Clinical management and teaching of cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation.
    7. Evaluation of respiratory function and application of respiratory therapy.
    8. Conduct of clinical, translational and basic science research.
    9. Supervision, teaching and evaluation of performance of both medical and paramedical personnel involved in perioperative care.
    10. Administrative involvement in health care facilities and organizations, and medical schools necessary to implement these responsibilities.
  2. Establish and maintain criteria for the designation of a Board certified anesthesiologist.
  3. Inform the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education ("ACGME") concerning the training required of individuals seeking certification as such requirements relate to residency training programs in anesthesiology.
  4. Establish and conduct those processes by which the Board may judge whether a physician who voluntarily applies should be issued a certificate indicating that the required standards for certification or recertification as a diplomate of the ABA have been met. A Board certified anesthesiologist is a physician who provides medical management and consultation during the perioperative period, in pain medicine and in critical care medicine. A diplomate of the Board must possess knowledge, judgment, adaptability, clinical skills, technical facility and personal characteristics sufficient to carry out the entire scope of anesthesiology practice. An ABA diplomate must logically organize and effectively present rational diagnoses and appropriate treatment protocols to peers, patients, their families and others involved in the medical community. A diplomate of the Board can serve as an expert in matters related to anesthesiology, deliberate with others, and provide advice and defend opinions in all aspects of the specialty of anesthesiology. A Board certified anesthesiologist is able to function as the leader of the anesthesiology care team.

    Because of the nature of anesthesiology, the ABA diplomate must be able to manage emergent life-threatening situations in an independent and timely fashion. The ability to independently acquire and process information in a timely manner is central to assure individual responsibility for all aspects of anesthesiology care. Adequate physical and sensory faculties, such as eyesight, hearing, speech and coordinated function of the extremities, are essential to the independent performance of the Board certified anesthesiologist. Freedom from the influence of or dependency on chemical substances that impair cognitive, physical, sensory or motor function also is an essential characteristic of the Board certified anesthesiologist.
  5. Establish and conduct those processes by which the Board may judge whether a physician who voluntarily applies should be issued a certificate indicating that the required standards for subspecialty certification or recertification in an ABA designated subdiscipline of anesthesiology have been met.
  6. Serve the public, medical profession, health care facilities and organizations, and medical schools by providing the names of physicians certified by the Board.

ABA Certification Marks

The American Board of Anesthesiology is the owner of the following certification marks:

  1. The ABA seal:
    [ABA Seal]
  2. The American Board of Anesthesiology®
  3. Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology Program®
  4. MOCA®

Each of these marks is a registered certification mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as shown.

These certification marks are owned by The American Board of Anesthesiology, Inc., and only the ABA has any legal rights with respect to the ownership of such marks. In the event the ABA has reason to believe that an individual has misappropriated its certification marks for the purpose of misrepresenting his or her ABA certification status or for some other purpose, it: (i) will aggressively defend the integrity of such marks, including but not limited to pursuing all legal remedies at law and in equity; (ii) may impose any of its own restrictions on the eligibility of the individual to participate in the ABAs examination system, including but not limited to permanent exclusion from entrance to its examination system; and (iii) may notify any state medical licensure board known by it to have licensed the individual.

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