The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Pulmonary Disease Board convened in Spring 2025 to discuss important developments shaping the future of pulmonary medicine. This year’s meeting, held on May 6, 2025, included a joint session with the Critical Care Medicine Board and featured insights from multiple professional societies, including AABIP, AACN, CHEST, ATS, APCCMPD, and SCCM.
Interventional Pulmonology: Toward a New Subspecialty
One of the most significant topics was a proposal by the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) to create a new interventional pulmonology subspecialty certificate. While many welcomed the idea, concerns were raised about access to training, the impact on practicing pulmonologists, and procedural volume requirements. The Board decided to gather more feedback and refine the proposal before advancing it to the ABIM Council.
Joint Session with the Critical Care Medicine Board
The joint session highlighted overlapping issues between pulmonary disease and critical care medicine. Key discussions included:
- Aligning Maintenance of Certification (MOC) due dates with the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) cycle.
- Exploring ways to reduce the question burden for physicians who hold multiple certifications.
- Enhancing the LKA program to better serve busy physicians while maintaining high standards.
Certification and Training Standards
The Board reviewed data on fellowship training, certification outcomes, and retraining programs. Plans are underway to form working groups to define procedural standards, address overlap areas, and invite public comment before implementing any changes.
Patient Perspectives and Advocacy
A patient board member emphasized challenges with access to supplemental oxygen, particularly liquid oxygen, and highlighted the importance of legislative initiatives such as the SOAR (Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform) Act. This underscores the Board’s increasing focus on patient-centered issues alongside certification and training.
By the Numbers
- Since 1941, 22,886 physicians have been certified in Pulmonary Disease, with 17,776 active certificates today.
- For Critical Care Medicine, 21,232 certifications have been issued, with 14,869 active.
- A significant overlap exists, with 12,236 physicians currently certified in both.
- In 2024, 73% of pulmonologists and 69% of critical care physicians opted for the LKA over the traditional 10-year exam.
Looking Ahead
The Spring 2025 meeting reflects a pivotal moment for pulmonary and critical care medicine. From the potential recognition of interventional pulmonology as a subspecialty to tackling patient access issues, the Board’s discussions signal important changes ahead for practitioners and patients alike.
