Interventional Pain Management Eligibility Requirements

Updated April 2023

To be eligible for certification in Interventional Pain Management through the Board of Certification in Anesthesiology (BCA), the applicant must:

ABPS General Requirements:

  1. Be in conformity with the Code of Ethics of the American Board of Physician Specialties, be known in his/her community as an ethical member of the profession, and be an active specialist in Interventional Pain Management.
  2. Be a graduate of a recognized U.S., Canadian, or international allopathic or osteopathic college of medicine. International graduates must also hold a valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Certificate.
  3. Hold a valid and unrestricted license(s) to practice medicine in the United States, U.S. territories, or Canada.

Interventional Pain Management Training and Experience:

  1. Residency All applicants must have completed an Anesthesiology residency program approved by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
  2. Training and Experience – must qualify under one of the following:
    1. Hold current certification in Anesthesiology through ABMS, ABPS, or AOA, AND have been actively practicing interventional pain management for a minimum of two (2) years, OR 
    2. Must have completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Pain Management or Regional Anesthesia.
  3. Active Practice – Verify active practice in interventional pain management by means of a letter on facility letterhead detailing active privileges, the period of service, and signed by of the Chief of Department, Chief of Staff, or Chair of Credentialing Committee
  4. Procedure Ledger Candidates must complete and submit a procedure ledger, attesting to the types and number of procedures performed in the twelve-month period preceding the application, using this FORM.
  5. Continuing Education – Submit documentation of a minimum of [30] hours of continuing medical education (CME) in Pain Management earned within the last two years from the date of application. CME reported must be documented by copies of the CME certificates or a transcript from the granting organization. For applicants within two years of residency/fellowship completion at the date of application submission, no CME is required.

Additional Application Requirements:

  1. Provide two (2) Letters of Recommendation from Diplomates of any ABPS, ABMS, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC Board of Certification. All letters of recommendation must be signed by the author, printed on letterhead, dated within the twelve month period just  prior to the submission of the application, and must include author contact and board certification information.
  2. All U.S. physicians must perform a self-query of the National Practitioner Data Bank and submit the report. Get your self-query report at www.npdb-hipdb.hrsa.gov. All Canadian physicians must request a Testament Statement from each province in which a license is held verifying that there have been no disciplinary actions against the applicant.
  3. Submit a current curriculum vitae, which includes medical school, degrees earned, and work experience, in chronological order.
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