Non-Certified Physicians Working in the ED Can Demonstrate Competency

ED Physicians CompetencyFor physicians who have worked in the emergency department their entire career, the board certification process represents a compelling opportunity to demonstrate competency in the specialty. At the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine® (BCEM), we offer board certification to highly qualified physicians with extensive experience and requisite training in this in-demand, integral specialty area. If you have spent your career in the emergency room and are exploring opportunities to be recognized for your expertise, the BCEM can help – potentially even if you completed residency training in a specialty area other than Emergency Medicine.

Board certification is a voluntary process. Physicians are free to choose whether to pursue this distinction. However, in recent years, board certification has become more essential than ever before. Hospitals are increasingly becoming centralized into largescale healthcare organizations, and policies are being implemented that often require board certification for employment or career advancement. The problem this can create is that many physicians have ended up working in the emergency department to meet the needs of their community even though they completed residency training in a specialty area other than Emergency Medicine. To accommodate these imminently qualified professionals, the BCEM offers an opportunity for board certification to demonstrate their competency in the specialty area.

To be eligible to pursue board certification, a physician must have satisfactorily completed an accredited residency in Emergency Medicine or have practiced Emergency Medicine full-time for at least five years and completed a residency in one of the following Primary Care specialties:

  • Family Practice
  • Internal Medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • General Surgery

Additionally, the physician candidate must meet all eligibility requirements found here.

If you have a strong background in the emergency department and are interested in demonstrating that you have mastered the core concepts and competencies that define your area of expertise, consider board certification through the BCEM. As a Diplomate, you’ll be part of a community of Emergency Medicine specialists who work together to help lead emergency departments throughout North America. To learn more about the numerous benefits to becoming board certified through the BCEM – a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) –  contact us today.

Save the Date
House of Delegates & Annual Scientific Meeting
Innovation & Overcoming Challenges
June 10-15, 2022
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.

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