When was the original International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE) exam created?
For what purpose? The original exam, which was previously called the NASPExAM, was first delivered in 1986. At the time NASPExAM was born, there was no way to assess the competency of physicians and associated professionals in the rapidly growing area of pacing (ICDs were just being placed experimentally at that time). There was no board certification for electrophysiology at that time, either. In addition, the usual pathways towards board certification would not work for pacing, in that people from many specialties were (and are) involved with devices. In the early and mid 1980s, this included Cardiac Surgeons, General Surgeons, and a few adult Cardiologists and pediatric Cardiologists. Thus, a single subspecialty exam would not work. This was the reason that NASPExAM was born. The exam has been highly successful, and is now considered the standard when considering the competency of people in our field. When did you become involved with the IBHRE board? When did you become President?
