The ABPM Board of Directors elected David W. Niebuhr, MD, MPH, MSc, FACPM, FAAFP to the Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Director position.
Dr. Niebuhr is currently the Medical Officer for the Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and serves as Professor of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. (Note: Dr. Niebuhr is serving in his personal capacity.)
Dr. Niebuhr graciously answered a few questions to help us learn a little bit more about him.
How did you choose the specialty of Public Health and General Preventive Medicine?
As a senior at Johns Hopkins I did the course work for my MPH and solidified my interest in determinants of health and population-based interventions to address high burden conditions. I completed a family medicine residency which gave me a strong background in primary care for individuals over the lifespan. The limitations of a curative approach led me to pursue a general preventive medicine residency. Since then I have been fortunate to have positions across the spectrum of public health including practice, policy and research, all focused on improving the health of populations.
What would you like to accomplish during your term on the Board?
As an ABPM Board Director I hope to contribute substantively to the Board’s efforts to enhance the value of certification and maintenance of certification to a broad range of stakeholders including our specialty physicians, health systems and the public.
Why did you choose to become board-certified in Preventive Medicine, and what value do you think board certification provides for physicians?
Board certification and recertification is a validated indicator of my competency in the specialty and so is a high priority for me, the broad medical profession and my patients/populations.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy travel, music, theater, dining out with friends and spending time with our grandchildren
Any other information you’d like to share with ABPM Diplomates?
Healthcare, medicine and public health are evolving and our specialty must anticipate and accommodate these changes. Therefore the training, certification, continuing education and recertification requirements must continually be reviewed and periodically revised to maintain the relevance and credibility of our specialty.