One immediate benefit is that graduates of accredited programs will automatically be eligible to sit for the ABAM certification examination. Coupled with the increased visibility accorded by a program‟s listing on the ABAM Foundation website and in other forums, this will help assure a larger pool of highly qualified program applicants. But perhaps most importantly, the ABAM Foundation will soon seek recognition for addiction medicine from the American Board of Medical Specialties and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Programs with ABAM Foundation accreditation will not only enjoy enhanced standing within their host institutions but they will also be at the vanguard of addiction medicine‟s emergence as a fully recognized specialty.