Howard C. Mandel, MD, in his excellent letter criticizing the American Board of Medical specialties (“MOC Doesn’t Create Better Physicians”, September 25, 2013), implied that recertification is responsible for the drop in collegiality, camaraderie, and membership in local organized medicine.
Maintenance of certification certainly is a big contributing factor but it is not entirely responsible.
Doctors are overworked and most are either burned out, approaching burnout, or simply have become estranged from medicine because of too much regulation, the threat of malpractice suits, and the rising costs of trying to maintain a private practice.
Edward Volpintesta, MD
Bethel, Connecticut
