The History and Founding Organizations of the American Board of Ophthalmology.

In the early 1900s, ophthalmologists became the first group of American physicians to lead the call for the establishment of higher standards in the practice of medicine. This movement for excellence in practice evolved into a program of board certification through the creation of what is today the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). Three organizations-the American Ophthalmological Society, the Section on Ophthalmology of the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-are credited as the founders of the ABO. Representatives from these organizations were charged with overseeing the development of board certification programs from the ABO's inception in 1916 through 1982, when it became a fully autonomous organization.