What Hospital Administrators Need to Know About Physician Choice for Board Certification

Group of modern doctors standing as a team with crossed arms and stethoscopes in a sunny hospital office.When making staffing decisions, it is incumbent on hospital administrators to ensure that they have the best candidate pool available. One of the most trusted indicators of a physician’s abilities is the successful completion of a board certification program. Currently, in the United States there are three primary, multi-specialty physician certifying organizations – the AMA, AOA, and ABPS – and each organization provides the exact same standard of board certification. Diplomates of each group have met the same baseline of eligibility requirements and have successfully demonstrated a mastery of the core concepts and competencies that define their specialty area.

Board Certification Is a Verifiable Indicator of a Physician’s Expertise

Choosing to hire a board-certified physician is a savvy decision because, in order to become board certified, the physician must show demonstrable firsthand experience in the specialty as well as successful completion of a standardized examination that tests fundamental knowledge of the field. Board-certified physicians are also required to stay focused on the trends in the specialty they practice and commit to continuing medical education (CME) to ensure they remain qualified for periodic re-certification. These requirements ensure that board-certified physicians remain eminently qualified in their field even as medical technology and best practices are rapidly changing.

Yet, while each physician-certifying organization offers the same standard for board certification, there are differences among the three that hospital administrators should understand. When a physician candidate begins to pursue board certification, he or she has the opportunity to partner with the organization that is most in line with their values and offers the benefits that resonate with the candidate most highly. For instance, at the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), we have built a reputation for giving our Diplomates a voice, and our team works tirelessly with hospital administrators across the country to ensure that our physicians get every opportunity for professional advancement. We also work with legislators and other decision-makers to ensure that our community is well represented.

What Differentiates the ABPS From Other Certification Boards

Of the three primary multi-specialty physician certifying bodies, the ABPS is the smallest, which allows us to be more responsive to each individual Diplomate and offer increased opportunities to seek leadership opportunities and involvement in the process.

Our Diplomates are also encouraged to share key learnings and assume leadership roles in their areas of expertise to help the medical field grow as a whole. We also offer board certification in a number of specialties that other certifying organizations currently don’t, including administrative medicine, urgent care medicine, disaster medicine, and integrative medicine. We also offer career emergency medicine physicians a unique opportunity for board certification. For example, physicians who have extensive experience working in emergency departments, but who completed their residencies in a primary care field, can earn board certification in emergency medicine through the ABPS without needing to complete an additional residency.

The ABPS Offers a Pragmatic Approach to Board Certification

At the ABPS, our non-discriminatory and pragmatic approach to board certification has endured since our founding in 1952, and today the ABPS remains committed to helping physicians gain personal and professional advancement while meeting increasing demands for patient care. Our Diplomates practice throughout the United States, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico, and are widely considered to be leaders in their fields. Top medical entities and professional organizations have updated their bylaws, policies, and standards to include the ABPS. And the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Veterans’ Health Administration, and the United States Armed Forces under the GI Bill are just a few of the federal organizations that recognize ABPS certifications.

If you are a hospital administrator and you are interested in learning more about our organization, our eligibility requirements, and the advantages to hiring ABPS Diplomates, contact us today. The ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.®

Save the Date
House of Delegates & Annual Scientific Meeting
Innovation & Overcoming Challenges
June 10-15, 2022
Patient Care Is Our Priority

Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD
Emergency Medicine
When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD
Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO
Internal Medicine