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ABPS Diplomate Sarah Gilbert, MD, on the Value of BCEM Certification in Emergency Medicine

Sarah Gilbert, MDEarning certification with the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM), has undoubtedly helped me prove my knowledge and skills to employers and colleagues. For instance, in the hospital system where I am currently employed (which is comprised of a main urban hospital and a critical access hospital), physicians must be board certified to hold staff privileges in the emergency room. Prior to the hospital’s current administration, physicians trained in family practice or internal medicine, but those who were not board certified in EM could work in the emergency department. Every ED physician was given the chance to sit for the ER boards. However, family practice and internal medicine physicians who were certified by the ABMS in their respective specialties did not qualify to sit for the AOBEM or ABEM boards mid-career. They did qualify for the BCEM boards; they all sat for the exams, passed and thus became board certified. As a result, they continue to practice EM in our organization.

All of the EM doctors at our facility are now board-certified by either the ABEM or the BCEM. Our administration compensates, treats, and respects all of us equally and actively recruits new physicians who are certified by any of the major EM boards in the United States.

For my initial certification, I sat through a weeklong intensive EM review course.  For my recertification exams, since I have been an active participant in the BCEM and in its exam development, I continually reviewed new material and our major EM texts—Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine Manual and Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Serving on exam development committees, which we encourage our Diplomats to do, is a wonderful way to renew knowledge and stay updated. I also listened to the tapes from EM Boot Camp, which is an incredibly comprehensive emergency medicine review course.

Unfortunately, in some parts of the country, the BCEM is regarded as a second-class citizen, and not being residency trained in emergency medicine disqualifies me from employment in major urban areas and in tertiary care teaching hospitals. However, in the nation’s heartland and in rural areas where there are not enough residency trained EM physicians to fill the available ER positions, there is a much greater appreciation for the BCEM. Physicians certified by the BCEM have been trained primarily in one specialty but have additional training in EM. Given our competency, experience, and knowledge, BCEM-certified physicians deserve to have a high rate of acceptance and administrative appreciation. In the areas where this is indeed true, it allows us to serve the health care needs of the public in emergency rooms in our country.

BCEM certification is an investment in my career and my future. I have stayed active in the BCEM for over 20 years because I wholeheartedly believe in what this board is trying to accomplish—to bring well-educated, well-trained, and competent emergency medicine physicians into the nation’s emergency rooms. As a doctor who originally trained in surgery and then switched to emergency medicine, I would not have enjoyed such a long career in emergency medicine had it not been for the BCEM.

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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
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