Get the Drop on Allergies

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Perhaps because I am board certified in internal medicine, I tend to get many referrals from doctors who are also board certified in internal medicine. My father was trained in pediatrics before he did his allergy and immunology fellowship. Oher doctors have done a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency. That would have been too difficult for me; I barely survived the three years of internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine's teaching hospitals.

The American Board of Allergy & Immunology is a conjoint board of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. So every board certified allergist is also board certified in either internal medicine or pediatrics. Most of these boards require their members, or “diplomates,” to re-certify with another examination every six to 10 years. My board certification in allergy and immunology expires in 2011, and I'm already studying!

These medical specialty boards require high standards of training and performance and ensure them by rigid examinations. On the other hand, there are other board certified doctors whose specialty is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. According to www.quackwatch.com, there are more than 75 boards not affiliated with the ABMS. Most of these boards do not require a residency, which usually takes three to five years. Some of these boards only require a weekend course. Among some examples of these boards is the American Board of Chelation Therapy, or Clinical Ecology, or Environmental Medicine.

The Allergy Clinic strives to practice evidence-based medicine, even when we delve into complimentary and alternative medicine. With this in mind, we will start offering high-quality, high-dose allergy drops for our patients who prefer drops to shots. If you're interested, please call 713.797.0993.

David B. Engler, MD

Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.