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Who Are ABPS Diplomates?

ABPS DiplomatesABPS Diplomates – physicians who have received Board Certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties® – are recognized leaders in their specialty areas. The ABPS is the third-largest multi-specialty certifying organization in United States, and currently our Diplomates practice medicine in all 50 states as well as in Canada and Puerto Rico. The ABPS has worked diligently to be dynamic, forward thinking and committed to ensuring that our Diplomates have the opportunity to grow professionally and collaborate to improve patient care.

Physician Board Certification in Emerging Specialties

At the ABPS, we offer Board Certification opportunities that physician candidates may not always be able to find elsewhere. For example, due to the emerging popularity of Integrative Medicine, we developed the American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM), which is the first Member Board to offer Board Certification to physicians who have dedicated their careers to this growing specialty area.

The Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine® (BCEM) is another Member Board at the ABPS. In addition to offering certification to highly qualified EM physicians, we also offer Primary Care physician candidates who have spent their careers in the ER the opportunity to pursue certification. While the eligibility requirements are rigorous, the process is unique to the ABPS and is a great benefit to those physicians who would otherwise be ineligible for certification in their area of expertise.

The ABPS Recognizes the Business Expertise of Physician Leaders

Recent changes in healthcare policy have also created tremendous opportunities for highly motivated, extensively trained physicians to attain leadership positions in healthcare organizations of all sizes, while steering the direction of the medical sector as a whole. For this reason, the American Board of Administrative Medicine® (ABAM) was developed to offer Board Certification to physicians with expertise in both the healthcare and business sides of medicine.

ABPS Diplomates Practice a Variety of Medical Specialties

Of course, these are just three examples of the types of specialties that the ABPS recognizes through formal Board Certification. Our Diplomates also practice:

  • Administrative Medicine
  • Anesthesiology
  • Dermatology
  • Diagnostic Radiology
  • Disaster Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Family Medicine Obstetrics
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Hospital Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Radiation Oncology
  • General Surgery
  • Urgent Care

Eligibility Requirements of the ABPS

Although each of the ABPS Member Boards above has its own eligibility requirements, there are several general requirements that they all share, including:

  • Completion of an accredited residency
  • Attestation of an unrestricted medical license
  • Completion of between 15 and 50 hours of continuing medical education for recertification

To earn certification with an ABPS Member Board, candidates must pass a computer-based, written examination. Some Member Boards also require an oral exam. The written examination for each ABPS Member Board is multiple-choice format and developed by certified physicians as subject matter experts.

The ABPS Invites Physicians to Apply for Board Certification

To learn more about who ABPS Diplomates are and what it takes to become Board Certified through one of our various Member Boards, contact the ABPS today. Healthcare and credentialing organizations are invited to verify physician certification through our portal found here, while members of the public can determine if their physician is board certified here. The ABPS is the official certifying organization of the American Association of Physician Specialists®.

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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.

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
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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