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Physicians Who Are ABMS- or AOA-Certified Are Eligible to Recertify With ABPS

ABPS RecertificationAt the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), we urge physicians to remember that they are eligible to recertify with one of our Member Boards even if their initial board certification was through the American Board of Medical Specialties® (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association® (AOA). When the time comes to begin to prepare for recertification, you owe it to yourself to thoroughly research the options at your disposal and ensure that you partner with the organization that best meets your needs.

ABPS Gives Physicians a Meaningful Voice in the Healthcare Community

There are three primary multi-specialty physician certifying organizations in North America, and each organization has its own unique advantages. At the ABPS, it is our position that physicians should do their due diligence and pursue board certification with the certifying body that offers the best fit. For instance, one of our top priorities is to provide a voice to our Diplomates. Rather than just being one in a crowd, our Diplomates know that their voices are heard and respected as part of a community. We are constantly looking for ways to not only better our Member Boards but also provide as many opportunities as possible for our Diplomates. To that end, ABPS works tirelessly developing relationships with physician CEOs, legislators, and credentialing organizations to educate them about our Member Boards as well as our Diplomates.

Explore the Advantages of ABPS Recertification

Every eight years, board certified physicians are required to go through a recertification process. Regardless of whether you earned board certification through the ABMS, the AOA, or the ABPS, we encourage you to thoroughly research the options at your disposal. You may find that ABPS is more in line with your values and offers you opportunities that you might not find elsewhere.

Requirements for Recertification With an ABPS Member Board

To become recertified through ABPS, you must provide documentation of your ABMS or AOA certification, which must be current or no more than two years past the expiration date. You may start applying for recertification as early as two years before your current certification expires. To recertify with the ABPS you must also:

  • Complete a non-remedial medical ethics course
  • Certify annually that their medical licenses are full and unrestricted in every state in which they practice
  • Pass a 100-question, securely administered written exam in the final year of the eight-year certification cycle

When you earn recertification through an ABPS Member Board, you enjoy:

  • Unlimited board certification verification and attestation
  • Public confirmation
  • Use of the ABPS Certification mark
  • Participation in Member Board development and governance
  • Membership in a specialty Academy of Medicine
  • Career networking opportunities

To learn more about the ABPS, our various Member Boards, and our eligibility requirements, contact us today. We currently have Diplomates practicing medicine in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Canada.

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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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