Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Professional Topics

Subcategories:AwardsCareer DevelopmentEthicsInterprofessional PerspectiveLegislation & AdvocacyPresident's PerspectiveProfilesRheuminations

The REF Preceptorship Experience

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The ACR Workforce Study estimated that nearly half of practicing rheumatologists will retire within eight years, which means that by 2025, there will be a severe shortage of rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals in the United States.

In Advocacy, Slow and Steady Wins the Race

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Earlier in the year, it seemed that healthcare reform was stopped in its tracks because of the Massachusetts Senate special election—which placed Republican Scott Brown in the seat held by the “Liberal Lion,” Edward M. Kennedy. The Senate Democrats lost their supermajority and the momentum to pass President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation subsided. But through strong lobbying by the president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)—comprehensive healthcare reform—on March 21, and the president signed the bill into law on March 23.

The ACR Supports the Rheumatology Workforce

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The ACR Committee on Training and Workforce Issues remains committed to supporting rheumatology training programs to ensure a well-prepared future workforce. Given the significant role rheumatology training directors play in the recruitment and education of rheumatology fellows, the ACR considers it essential to support their efforts.

Call Your Lawmakers the Week of March 15

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The elimination of consultation code services, the repeated battle to avert Medicare cuts, the need for increased research funding, the creation of a loan repayment program for pediatric rheumatologists, and fair costs for drug therapies are all issues that members of Congress have influence over. All of these issues affect the rheumatology profession, whether you are a clinical practitioner, researcher, academic, or health professional.

Navigate Maintenance of Certification with the ACR

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All rheumatologists certified in 1990 or later are expected to recertify every 10 years and, to do so, are required to enroll in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program. Requirements for successful completion of the MOC program include a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine, 100 points of self-evaluation in medical knowledge, and practice performance, as well as a passing the secure exam in your discipline.

Enhance Your Education with the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium

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The 2010 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium offers attendees a chance to review the latest clinical and scientific information on topics such as the treatment and research of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, pediatrics, ultrasound, and cardiovascular comorbidities. The symposium—which provides a platform for attendees to have personal interactions with key opinion leaders in the field of rheumatology—will be held April 24–25 in Chicago, and will cover a range of diverse topics.