Trends in Dual Board Certification

Dual Board CertificationOver the years, as the healthcare sector has become increasingly specialized, more and more physicians have chosen to become board certified in more than one field. Sometimes physicians have naturally developed experience in a subspecialty or field similar to his or her own residency training. In other instances, physicians have been called upon to fill gaps in their community healthcare system and work in departments that they didn’t intend on making a career in during medical school. The point is, more and more physicians are finding that they have expertise in multiple specialties, and receiving a second or even third board certification is becoming increasingly common.

Board certification is medicine’s preferred method of demonstrating competency in a medical specialty. Physicians, patients, insurers, and employers all recognize board certification as a trusted metric that identifies the best of the best. Yet, there’s also more to board certification than the personal satisfaction and respect that comes from completing the certification process. Today, more than ever, many healthcare and physicians organizations are requiring staff to have board certification in the area in which they practice. This has incentivized physicians to pursue additional certifications to showcase their expertise and ensure that they can continue to work where they want to.

Consider the following: In rural emergency departments around the country, as many as 80 percent of the emergency room physicians are not board certified in Emergency Medicine, because in many cases these men and women completed residency training in a different specialty, but ended up working in the ER because of a staffing shortage at their hospital. After many years of experience, these physicians are experts at Emergency Medicine, and they deserve the opportunity to pursue board certification (or a second board certification) and obtain formal recognition for their expertise. At the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine®, we offer highly experienced physicians with residency training in primary care an opportunity to achieve the certification they require.

As a physician’s career progresses, it’s becoming more and more likely that he or she will specialize or become involved in different areas of medicine. That’s why having multiple board certifications is more popular now than ever before.

If you are considering pursuing board certification in your area of expertise and are interested in learning about the benefits to working with the American Board of Physician Specialties®, contact us today. The ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.®

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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.

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