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Get Board Certified in Emergency Medicine

Get Board Certified in Emergency MedicineAn increase in emergency room visits and the ongoing shortage of qualified emergency medicine physicians have meant that emergency departments across the nation continue to be staffed by doctors who are not residency-trained in EM. Many ER doctors are instead trained and certified in primary fields, such as family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and general surgery, and they have proven themselves highly capable of delivering expert medical care in the high-stress ER environment. In fact, many of them go on to establish productive careers in emergency departments.

But as more emergency departments require that their emergency doctors be certified in emergency medicine, non-EM-residency-trained doctors should consider becoming board certified in the specialty. If you are an EM physician who has completed a primary care residency and have had substantial and identifiable experience working in the ER, then it may be time to consider verifying your qualifications to your employer and the public by becoming board-certified in emergency medicine. There is only one pathway to accomplish this.

The Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM)

The American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) offers qualified candidates a path to certification in EM through its Member Board, the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). While the BCEM has some of the most rigorous eligibility standards in North America, the benefits of BCEM certification are undeniable. Chiefly, it gives ER physicians the opportunity to display competency in this demanding specialty. BCEM certification also shows current and prospective employers that non-EM-certified doctors possess skills that are on par with residency-trained ER specialists. BCEM certification can also lead to opportunities for advancement in the medical field given that board certification is considered a significant professional achievement.

Furthermore, BCEM certification helps boosts the reputations and authority of emergency rooms because BCEM Diplomates are formally recognized as physicians who have shown themselves masterful at delivering the highest level of emergency care.

Before applying for BCEM certification, candidates are required to fulfill the general prerequisites set by the ABPS, which includes:

  • Graduation from a recognized U.S. or Canadian allopathic or osteopathic college of medicine.
  • Holding a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States, its territories, or Canada.

You can find more information about the eligibility requirements for BCEM certification here.

Once candidates are deemed eligible, they must pass both a written and oral exam to attain BCEM certification. The written exam consists of 325 multiple-choice questions and is computer-based. Candidates must pass the written exam to be eligible for the oral exam. Once granted, BCEM certification is good for eight years, expiring on December 31 of the eighth year.

You can find information about dates and fees for the application and the written exam here.

Candidates for BCEM certification must submit documentation attesting to their case experience and conforming to the ABPS code of ethics. Additionally, the BCEM requires that non-EM-certified physicians complete an accredited and approved primary care residency and at least five years and 7,000 hours of full-time practice in an emergency room.

Need more information about the BCEM’s eligibility requirements? Contact the ABPS today. The ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.®

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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.

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
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 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
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
Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
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