Orthopaedic sports medicine requires a unique subset of skills and expertise to support the health and well-being of our athlete at all levels. The American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM) was founded over 50 years ago to provide the specialized training and education needed to successfully keep our patients “in the game.”
AOSSM has worked collaboratively with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) over many years to encourage and support subspecialty certification (SSC) in orthopaedic sports medicine. In July, we were proud to announce that, beginning in 2025, candidates are eligible to take their subspecialty examination upon completion of an ACGME-accredited fellowship. The changes will be effective for the 2025 Examinations, offered on August 5, 2025.
Sports medicine SSC is recognized by many leagues and governing bodies as vital to the care of teams and players. Yet despite an increasing number of groups requiring SSC to serve as a team physician, only around 1/3 of fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeons sit for the ABOS exam. In examining the patterns, we identified a significant hurdle in the gap between fellowship completion and exam eligibility. Currently, surgeons must be ABOS board certified and have completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship before they are eligible to apply for the exam. It takes several years to meet these requirements and the monetary and time constraints of studying for Board certification create fatigue and disinclination for the subspecialty process.
Your presidential line knew we could work with our partners at ABOS to help clear the path and preserve this important distinction. AOSSM approached David Martin, MD, Executive Director of ABOS, who is a Member of our Society, with an idea to modify the timeline for subspecialty examination. Dr. Martin enthusiastically presented the idea to the ABOS Board of Directors who agreed that it would be beneficial to both orthopaedic surgeons and to the field of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.
We were thrilled to announce the change from the stage at the 2025 AOSSM Annual Meeting. The new timeline gives candidates the opportunity to take their subspecialty examination when their knowledge is at its peak and their practice demands are at their lowest. The requirements for SSC will not change, just the order; after the exam, candidates must still achieve primary board certification by the ABOS before submitting an application, case list and letters of recommendation to complete the certification process.
Dr. Martin has been a stalwart partner in driving progress for our field. He earned the ABOS Subspecialty Certification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine in 2007, the first year it was offered. “It is proudly hanging in my office,” he told me recently. “With many physicians—not just orthopaedic surgeons—claiming to be experts in sports medicine, SSC shows to your patients that you have the knowledge and skills to perform surgery to get athletes back on the field.”
Our Society will be ready to prepare our current class of fellows for the exam. Past President Mark Miller, MD, who literally wrote the book on review, will be spearheading the development of a brand-new review course to debut at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Nashville. With our leaders’ in-depth knowledge, you can trust AOSSM will continue to provide the high-caliber review the field has come to expect from your trusted home.
And AOSSM will evolve with this process to help recently graduated fellows, recertification candidates, and surgeons many years into their career earn and maintain this important credential. The distinction is existential to orthopaedic sports medicine as a specialty and to the health of our athlete patients. It also reinforces the need for a strong society; the more we define the skillset and role of the team physician and sports medicine surgeon, the more we need to educate, support provide a home for that expertise.
As President I’m looking forward to the next steps on this journey and hope all AOSSM members will join me in the pursuit of excellence in service. Stay tuned for more information in the very near future!