ACEP, AMIA and ABPM clinical Informatics Practice Pathway Board Certification (now open through 2025)

Carrie Baker, DO, MS, FACEP

ACEP SEMI Chair

Kettering Health

ACEP, AMIA and ABPM Clinical Informatics Practice Pathway Board Certification (now open through 2025)

During the transition to unified graduate medical education (GME) under the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME),¹ my former residency hospital programs transitioned from American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to ACGME accreditation.  I rose to the challenge to help by seeking opportunities to become involved in regional and national leadership.  ACEP welcomed me.

Due to my interest in clinical informatics, I took the AMIA ‘10x10’ with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in conjunction with ACEP.² Dr. Jeffrey Nielson, who is additional AMIA 10x10 faculty for the course with ACEP, encouraged me to run for office with the Section for EM Informatics (SEMI).  At the national ACEP Scientific Assembly, I stood in front of a full conference room (of mostly men) and announced my candidacy.  The incentive to support my alma mater institution motivated me to run for office, despite feeling unsure of myself and slightly out of place.  As the SEMI newsletter editor, I gathered more than 70 articles over the following four years from section members who contributed their experience and expertise. 

I completed my Master’s in Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health & Science University and subsequently founded the clinical informatics fellowship for my hospital network, Kettering Health.  Thanks to support from ACEP, AMIA, OHSU and the AOA, I became board certified in Clinical Informatics by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM).

ABPM extended the practice pathway until 2025.³ As a beneficiary of the practice pathway, I appreciate the opportunity to work in the informatics field and forge a path.  From the perspective of a program director, I see a more structured, real-world fellowship experience, curated by faculty and staff.  I am grateful for the chance to make it easier for physicians to become involved in informatics through a formal fellowship.  I also appreciate the ability to become board certified through the practice pathway.  There are benefits and drawbacks to both.  Each person needs to decide which informatics road suits them best, based on their goals and experience.  Getting involved in ACEP is an easy decision.

Thank you to ACEP for welcoming me and accelerating my career. 

1. Ahmed AH, Schnatz PF, Adashi EY. Allopathic and Osteopathic Medicine Unify GME Accreditation: A Historic Convergence. Fam Med. 2017;49(5):374-377.
2. American Medical Informatics Association. AMIA 10x10 with OHSU in conjunction with ACEP. amia.org. Accessed April 4, 2022. https://amia.org/education-events/education-catalog/amia-10x10-ohsu-conjunction-acep
3. American Board of Preventive Medicine. Clinical Informatics Requirements Table. theabpm.org. Accessed April 4, 2022. https://www.theabpm.org/become-certified/subspecialties/clinical-informatics/table/