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Family Physicians Working in Emergency Medicine Can Distinguish Themselves With BCEM Certification

BCEMRight now, there are thousands of family physicians working with great dedication in emergency departments across the country. Their impeccable diagnostic skills and patient care expertise should come as no surprise to members of the medical community. After all, family medicine is a multi-disciplinary specialty that includes extensive training in emergency medicine departments and requires a skill set that’s broad enough to serve a wide variety of patients.

Too often, however, potential employers overlook the emergency medicine contributions of these specialists because, unlike many of their peers, they have not completed a specific residency in emergency medicine. As a further complication, family physicians who work in emergency departments have traditionally been considered ineligible for certification in emergency medicine. So, in a time when more healthcare organizations are viewing board certification as a prerequisite for employment, these specialists may find that the road to career advancement presents one obstacle after another.

Thankfully, the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine® (BCEM), a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), offers a unique opportunity for qualified family medicine physicians who have extensive experience in the ED.

BCEM Certification Expands Physicians’ Career Opportunities

BCEM certification can markedly increase a physician’s employment opportunities, says Jerry Allison, MD, FAAEP, BCEM Diplomate and emergency medicine physician leader in Dallas. “Candidates who present the BCEM credential help simplify the hiring and verification process. Certification is an added credential when presented along with other primary care physicians who do not hold this certificate.”

A BCEM-certified physician is one who has demonstrated competency in emergency medicine by passing a psychometrically sound written and oral exam. Furthermore, through BCEM certification, Diplomates improve their qualifications for leadership positions in emergency medicine and acquire credentials that strengthen their ability to prevent and fight litigation.

The BCEM Certification Process

The BCEM has developed rigorous standards to ensure that emergency medicine physicians have the requisite training and skills essential for providing exceptional medical care in the demanding environment of a bustling emergency room. To qualify for BCEM certification, physicians are required to meet stringent eligibility criteria, and they must successfully complete a comprehensive examination to attain certification. In essence, obtaining BCEM certification not only formally attests to their competency but also signifies to both patients and the general public that these committed practitioners of emergency medicine are among the most highly skilled in their profession.

Get More Information About the BCEM

To be eligible to apply for initial board certification with the BCEM, an applicant must first satisfy the general requirements of the ABPS. These include graduation from a recognized U.S. or Canadian allopathic or osteopathic college of medicine and possession of a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States, its territories, or Canada. The BCEM has its own eligibility requirements. If you are a family physician with emergency medicine experience who wants a well-deserved career boost, contact the ABPS. We can give you information about the eligibility requirements for BCEM certification as well as more details about the advantages of earning this nationally recognized distinction.

 

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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.

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
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 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
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
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
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