About The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

Founded in 1968 by a small group of physicians who shared a commitment to improving the quality of emergency care, ACEP set out to educate and train physicians in emergency medicine to provide quality emergency care in the nation's hospitals.

In 1979 emergency medicine was recognized as the 23rd medical specialty, a major milestone for ACEP and its members. The American Board of Emergency Medicine, the independent certifying body for the specialty, was also established and the first certification exam was given in 1980.

ACEP passed another historic milestone when criteria-based membership requirements were implemented. Starting January 1, 2000, board certification or residency training in emergency medicine became a prerequisite for active or full-voting membership.

Today, ACEP represents more than 28,000 emergency physicians, emergency medicine residents and medical students. ACEP promotes the highest quality of emergency care and is the leading advocate for emergency physicians and their patients, and the public. The College continually strives to improve the quality of emergency medical services through:
  • The development of evidence-based clinical policies
  • Funding emergency medicine research
  • Providing public education on emergency care and disaster preparedness
  • Legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts
  • Providing industry-leading continuing medical education (CME) in the form of educational conferences, textbooks, Internet-based training, professional references and periodicals
  • Publishing Annals of Emergency Medicine, the specialty's leading peer-reviewed scientific journal.
ACEP's Rich History

August 16, 1968 ACEP incorporated
November 19-21, 1969 First Scientific Assembly (Denver)
July 1970 First emergency medicine residency program (University of Cincinnati)
January 1972 Premier issue of JACEP (which became Annals of Emergency Medicine in 1980)
November 3-10, 1974 National EMS Week proclaimed by President Gerald Ford
December 1975 AMA House of Delegates approved permanent Section on Emergency Medicine and standards for emergency medicine residencies
June 1976 American Board of Emergency Medicine formed
September 1977 ACEP authorized by AMA as an accrediting organization for continuing medical education
September 21, 1979 Emergency medicine recognized as medical specialty by American Board of Medical Specialties and AMA
May 1980 First certification of emergency physicians by American Board of Emergency Medicine
February 1982 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approved special requirements for emergency medicine residency training programs (requirements effective March 1982)
August 1989 First section of membership approved by the Board of Directors
September 21, 1989 American Board of Emergency Medicine status change from conjoint (modified) board to a primary board approved by American Board of Medical Specialties
October 1989 First annual Teaching Fellowship program
1993 25th Anniversary
October 1997 Introduction of ACEP's Recognition of Service Award, ACEP Council approved criteria-based requirements for active membership category
1997 The first Emergency Medicine Basic Research Skills (EMBRS) Workshop held to help physicians with an interest in emergency medicine research to get started.
January, 2000 Criteria-based requirements for active membership category go into effect