Dr. Ethan Lazarus: Now an Obesity Medicine Specialist

Posted: Dec 28 in Clinical Nutrition Center News, Medical Weight Loss News by Dr. Lazarus

Obesity Medicine Specialist

In 2012, a new board, the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) was formed to establish the Medical sub-specialty of Obesity Medicine. The goal of this organization is to define what body of knowledge an Obesity Medicine specialist should be competent in, and then to establish standards for a doctor to become certified in Obesity Medicine.

To become an Obesity Medicine Specialist, a physician must be a medical doctor in good standing with their specialty board. So, general practitioners can not become board certified Obesity Medicine doctors. Also, candidates must accrue a significant number of hours of Continuing Medical Education and pass a comprehensive examination covering all aspects of Obesity Medicine, ranging from basic science, etiology, prevalence and risk factors to all treatments including medical, surgical, dietary, and even special groups including post-menopausal weight gain, kids and elderly.

I am thrilled to have been part of the first group of applicants for this new Obesity Medicine sub-specialty, and I sat for the exam in its first offering in November. This makes me one of the few Doctors in Denver to have earned the privilege of calling myself a diplomate of the ABOM.  In fact, I am only 1 of 191 Doctors who successfully completed the first certification of the Obesity Medicine Board.

Having passed the examination and met all of the ABOM’s certifying requirements, in addition to my specialty in Family Medicine, I can now call myself a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. I am also excited to be helping the American Society of Bariatric Physicians in their Medical Education of doctors, and am now a regular lecturer at their course to help prepare doctors to sit for the examination.

I look forward to seeing each of you in the office and discussing how advances in the field of Obesity Medicine can help you achieve and maintain your best weight for the rest of your life.

-Ethan Lazarus, MD