Question:
"Bolen says "Simply speaking, Stephen Barrett is not licensed to practice medicine anywhere in the United States, and has not been since 1993. MDs, in order to keep their licenses, have to maintain certain minimum requirements - like Continuing Medical Education. Also, a governing body keeps a licensed MD accountable for the MD's actions, using the title of "MD." Barrett has lost the ability to "practice" as an MD. He cannot diagnose, treat, prescribe, etc., etc., etc. That "license" makes a big, big, big, big, difference...

Furthermore, Barrett holds himself out as an expert in things "Alternative" with his criticisms, without pre-qualifying himself to his readers. He doesn't start out to say, when he writes some article on "Alternative Medicine, "I'm no longer licensed to practice medicine, and I haven't had ANY training in this field I'm about to write about, but..."

Barrett lets the "Stephen Barrett M.D," logo, and the bio that describes him as a "retired Psychiatrist," do his work for him to SOUND AUTHORITATIVE on any subject. In fact, last year Barrett was dis-qualified as an "expert witness" in a case in New York when it was discovered that although he claims to have "been a Psychiatrist for 35 years" he NEVER passed the requirements to be admitted to the Board of Psychiatry, and hence was never "Board Certified." Hmmm?....

MDs do not rate automatic "expert" status just because they are MDs. There are official steps that must be taken (like Board Certification) to be acknowledged as an expert. As far as I know, Stephen Barrett has NO educational training in any medical specialty that might be remotely labeled "Alternative Medicine" - therefore, I do not believe he is qualified to advise, criticize, or comment on it."

Answer: So what. you can get certified in any of the following:American Board of Chelation TherapyAmerican Board of Holistic MedicineAmerican Board of Environmental MedicineInternational Board of Environmental Medicine

Board certification means nothing unless you are talking about a specificboard and a specific title.

Now if you are talking about the American Board of Medical Specialties,then that is another story. Also please note the word "Specialties".