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Why Emergency Medicine Board Certification Makes Sense for Career Emergency Physicians

EM Board CertificationPhysicians who have extensive experience working in emergency departments have an opportunity to earn their board certification in Emergency Medicine from the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). In many cases, career EM physicians are board certified in a primary care field, which doesn’t necessarily speak to their substantial experience and expertise working in the emergency department. This is one of the reasons that these professionals should be encouraged to pursue board certification in Emergency Medicine from ABPS by hospitals and emergency practice management groups. If you have satisfactorily completed an accredited primary care residency and have practiced emergency medicine on a full-time basis for five years or more (while accumulating 7,000 hours in the practice of Emergency Medicine), board certification is an obtainable goal.

So why should a physician who is already board certified consider pursuing recognition for their work in emergency departments? Here are a few reasons:

  • Board certification provides increased credibility to the physician in the eyes of hospital administration by showcasing their mastery of the subject
  • Increasingly, medical staffing professionals are prioritizing hiring emergency medicine-certified physicians for positions in emergency departments
  • There are numerous insurance incentives for staffing EM physicians
  • The steps toward earning certification are rigorous, which requires the physician to work and study hard, improving their level of care and mastery of their field in the process
  • On a personal level, board certification provides a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to the Diplomate

Emergency Medicine Certification With No Additional Residency

The biggest hurdle that prevents many physicians from pursuing EM board certification is the belief that they won’t be eligible without completing an additional residency. Yet, with the ABPS, we believe that physicians who have previously completed a residency and have made a career working in an emergency department deserve to be tested in Emergency Medicine. We offer an excellent option toward board certification for motivated physicians who want to demonstrate to their patients and employers that they’re at the top of their field. It’s for these reasons and more that qualified physicians should be encouraged to pursue EM certification with the ABPS.

Eligibility Requirements for BCEM Certification

To qualify for board certification in emergency medicine through the BCEM, a physician must first meet the general requirements set by the ABPS. These requirements include graduating from an accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical college in the U.S. or Canada and holding a valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States, its territories, or Canada.

Specific eligibility criteria set by the BCEM include:

  • Completing an ACGME, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC-accredited residency in emergency medicine, or
  • Completing an ACGME, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC-accredited residency in one of the primary care specialties—family practice, internal medicine, pediatric medicine, or general surgery—with at least 5 years and 7,000 hours of full-time emergency medicine experience, or
  • Completing an accredited residency in one of the aforementioned primary care specialties followed by a 12- or 24-month emergency medicine fellowship approved by the AAEP.

To obtain BCEM certification, candidates from all three pathways are required to pass both a written and an oral exam. The computer-based written exam comprises 325 multiple-choice questions, and candidates must successfully complete this before proceeding to the oral exam.

For more information about the certification process and various eligibility requirements, contact us today.

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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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