FEDERATION OF STATE MEDICAL BOARDS (FSMB)

KEY EVENTS OF 1890s  1889: US Supreme Court (Dent v. West Virginia) upholds the right of state medical boards to prevent unlicensed individuals from practicing medicine 1891: First meeting of the National Confederation of State Medical Examining and Licensing Boards, a predecessor of the FSMB 1898: US Supreme Court (Hawker v. New York) upholds the right of state medical boards to apply additional qualifications for practicing medicine (e.g., character/fitness) to those already in practice  KEY EVENTS OF 1900s  1902: First meeting of the American Confederation of Reciprocating Examining and Licensing Medical Boards, another predecessor of the FSMB 1904: National Confederation's Committee on Uniform Curriculum issues a report on medical education 1905: American Confederation adopts a recommended standard curriculum for medical education 1908: The American Confederation counts 14 active member boards 1909: National Confederation recommends that state boards add a 'practical' component to their licensing examination  KEY EVENTS OF 1910s  1912: Federation of State Medical Boards is established through a merger of the National and American Confederations of licensing boards 1913: Harper's Weekly welcomes FSMB in the battle against "the forces of knavery and ignorance" 1915: Walter L. Bierring, M.D., assumes role as Secretary for the FSMB — a position he will hold until 1961 1915: The Federation's Quarterly is renamed Federation Bulletin and begins a monthly publication schedule 1918: FSMB membership reaches 34 state boards  KEY EVENTS OF 1920s  1920: Twenty state boards recognize the certifying examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners 1922: Forty-four state boards report having "reciprocal" or endorsement relations with other states 1924: David Strickler, M.D., (Colorado) steps down after seven years as FSMB President 1925: Wisconsin and Connecticut establish the first basic science boards 1926: Eleven states have citizenship criteria as a condition for a medical license 1928: FSMB drops use of the term "reciprocity" in favor of "endorsement"  KEY EVENTS OF 1930s  1930: FSMB House of Delegates adopts resolution recognizing Association of American Medical Colleges as the "standardizing agency" on all matters of medical education 1933: FSMB House of Delegates adopts resolution restricting US students matriculating in a European medical school from sitting for a state licensing examination without a certificate from the AAMC or the AMA Council on Medical Education certifying minimum premedical education requirements 1936: FSMB House of Delegates adopts resolution calling for Mexican government to shut down radio broadcasts promising cancer cure 1937: Research article in Federation Bulletin questions the validity of the essay question format widely used on medical licensing examinations  KEY EVENTS OF 1940s  1940: The plight of the "emigre physician" is a major topic in the Federation Bulletin 1941: FSMB President John Neal M.D., discusses the status of "drugless healers" in his presidential address 1945: Annual Congress on Medical Education and Licensure is cancelled at the request of the federal Office of Defense Transportation; FSMB delegates meet in abbreviated session 1948: An "absence of compositors" leads to a truncated issue of the Bulletin collapsing the March-September issues into a single edition 1949: Twenty-six state boards license physician residents in post-graduate training programs  KEY EVENTS OF 1950s  1950: FSMB increases its annual dues for state boards from $25 to $35 1954: FSMB is one of four organizations forming the Cooperating Committee on the Evaluation of Foreign Medical Graduates 1956: FSMB publishes first edition of its model policy, The Essentials of a Modern Medical Practice Act 1956: FSMB establishes its first Examination Institute 1959: FSMB creates three permanent committees: Public Relations; Legislative; and Constitution and By-Laws  KEY EVENTS OF 1960s  1960: Walter Bierring retires as editor of the Federation Bulletin 1962: FSMB establishes its first central office in Fort Worth, Texas 1964: The Platter Luncheon is established as part of the FSMB annual meeting to honor former Ohio Board Director, Herbert Platter 1966: FSMB formally incorporates as a nonprofit corporation 1968: First administration of the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) 1969: Ray Casterline, M.D., begins his 23-year tenure as editor of the Federation Bulletin  KEY EVENTS OF 1970s  1972: FSMB holds its first Institute for Medical Board Members 1975: A symposium on acupuncture kicks off the 58th FSMB annual meeting 1976: FSMB adds a standing committee — the Long Range Planning Committee 1978: FSMB annual meeting opens with a session on the role of physician "extenders," i.e., nurse practitioners and physician assistants 1979: All 50 states utilize the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX)  KEY EVENTS OF 1980s  1980: FSMB permanent staff grows from 6 to 11 members 1982: FSMB holds its first annual meeting independent of the AMA annual meeting 1985: First administration of the 'new' Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) 1988: Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) is introduced by FSMB and the National Board of Medical Examiners 1988: Anthony J. Cortese, D.O., (Oregon) becomes 1st osteopathic physician elected FSMB president; Susan Behrens, M.D. (Wisconsin) becomes 1st female elected president the following year  KEY EVENTS OF 1990s  1991: FSMB and the NBME establish the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) 1993: Federation Bulletin is renamed the Journal of Medical Licensure and Discipline and resumes a quarterly publication schedule 1995: FSMB establishes its Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) 1995: FSMB purchases the two buildings housing its current main offices in Euless, Texas 1997: During a decade of significant growth, FSMB now has 100 permanent staff 1997: Susan Spaulding became the 1st public member to be elected 1999: FSMB creates the All-Licensed Physicians (ALP) project allowing FSMB to offer a disciplinary alert service the following year  KEY EVENTS OF 2000s  2004: FSMB House of Delegates adopts policy that state boards have a responsibility to ensure ongoing competence of physicians seeking relicensure 2004: Step 2 Clinical Skills added to the USMLE sequence 2007: FSMB Foundation begins distributing Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician's Guide 2009: FCVS produces its 100,000th physician packet 2009: Former FSMB Chair Regina Benjamin, M.D., becomes the 18th U.S. Surgeon General  KEY EVENTS OF 2010s  2010: FSMB opens an advocacy office in Washington D.C. 2010: FSMB introduces eNews, a twice weekly electronic communiqué 2010: FSMB House of Delegates adopts framework for a maintenance of licensure program as part of physician license renewal 2010: FSMB's Journal of Medical Licensure and Discipline is renamed the Journal of Medical Regulation 2011: FSMB draws upon its all-licensed physician database to publish a demographic census of actively licensed physicians in the US. 2012: 100th anniversary of the FSMB's founding 1890s1900s 1910s 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s