Stephen L. Hawkins, M.D., family practice physician at the Texas County Memorial Hospital Cabool Medical Clinic recently completed the American Board of Family Medicine’s recertification examination.
Board certification confers a standard of excellence in knowledge and practice to physicians who not only certify via the examination process, but who also work toward maintaining skills during the seven-year cycle between examinations.
The ABFM is the second-largest medical specialty board in the county. Founded in 1969, it is a voluntary, not-for-profit, private organization whose purposes include improving the quality of medical care available to the public, establishing and maintaining standards of excellence in family medicine, improving the standards of medical education for training in family medicine and determining by evaluation the fitness of specialists in family medicine who apply for and hold certificates.
To achieve recertification by the ABFM, Hawkins had to verify the completion of 300 hours of acceptable continuing medical education over the past six years; possess a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the US and successfully complete a one-day, written examination of cognitive knowledge and problem-solving abilities. The exam covers the disciplines of the physician’s family practice specialty including adult medicine; care of newborns, infants, children and adolescents; maternity and gynecological care; community medicine; care of the older patient; human behavior; and mental health and care of the surgical patient.
Hawkins has been employed by TCMH since September 2005. Hawkins has been a family practice physician in Cabool since 1988.