President's Blog - August 2018

Dear SBSM Members,

Educational opportunities in behavioral sleep medicine are a current concern of many members and it was also identified as a relatively small domain in the BSM concept map, indicating a need for more development and allocation of resources.  The SBSM is actively addressing this issue.   The BSM Fall conference in Birmingham on September 16 &17 will include a review course for those taking the DBSM exam that will be given in September and again in March.  Other tracks at the conference will provide new research and updates in the field of BSM and sleep.  The conference gives CEs that can be used for future renewal of DBSM certification as well as for those using the CBSM credential pathway for the new DBSM certification.   The SBSM is working to expand educational and CE offerings including more webinars, online modules, practice exams, courses, CE packages and meeting presentations.  Our new Science Advisory Committee is already working on the 2019 BSM program.

The education of our trainees and students is also very important for the growth of our field and the ongoing work of the SBMS.  The board is discussing ways to increase the role of trainees in our society’s activities and committees.  This will provide a great mentoring opportunity for leadership roles, networking and education. 

We are proud to announce that The Journal of Behavioral Sleep Medicine is now ranked 59/142 in the Psychiatry category and 83/197 in the Clinical Neurology category.  Its 2017 Impact Factor is up to 2.871.  Its 5-year impact Factor is 3.175.  While this number primarily reflects the number of citations to the JBSM, the results also indirectly reflect the importance of BSM in many healthcare areas as well as the quality of the published research.

The concept map addressing “What is BSM?” will be published in the JBSM.  This bird’s eye view of the many current facets of BSM will help clinicians and researchers identify strengths and weaknesses in the field, research gaps and help other healthcare provides and the public to better understand the scope of our field.  It will also help guide our strategic planning.  The board wants to thank Jason Ong for overseeing the development of the concept map and all of the BSM members who provided input.

CBSM holders expressed concern about the BBSM’s one-year timeframe for the CE credits requirement.  These concerns were communicated to the BBSM and after review, they have extended the timeframe to 2 years for the CE requirement.

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine is a new board that was formed to develop and oversee the new DBSM exam.  It is important for accreditation purposes that this board is independent.  The SBSM has open communication with the BBSM president, but they make all decisions related to the exam. Please contact the BBSM for all credential and exam related questions to avoid a delay in response.

With warm regards,
Donna Arand PhD
SBSM President