Board and Committee Policies

Individuals who are appointed to serve on American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) boards or committees are expected to have ABIM’s mission as their primary interest when contributing to ABIM's work.

A real or perceived conflict of interest (COI) may arise when, due to another interest that may compete with those of ABIM, an individual has the opportunity to influence ABIM's work in ways that could lead to, or appear to lead to, personal or institutional gain, or advantage for another organization.

ABIM's COI policies are intended to provide guidelines for identifying and managing conflicts that arise from competing interests. They are intended to maintain the integrity of ABIM's decision-making processes and, thereby, maintain the confidence of the profession and the public in ABIM's standards and judgments.

Because physicians serving in ABIM Governance help establish standards and requirements that impact the entire profession, it is essential that they actively participate in the very programs they help shape. In recognition of this responsibility, the ABIM Board of Directors has established a policy requiring full participation in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for all physicians in ABIM service.

The policies apply to all physician members of the ABIM Board of Directors, the ABIM Council, Specialty Boards, Advisory Committee, Approval Committees and any other standing and ad hoc committees or task forces of ABIM that develop ABIM policies or products, referred to collectively as ABIM Governance.