What Does it Mean for a Physician to Earn Board Certification?

Board certification represents an important level of achievement for a physician. It is a tangible demonstration that she or he has mastered the core competencies necessary to provide the best possible care in a chosen specialty or specialties. It means that he or she has been tested by peers and proven that his or her level of skill and knowledge is at the very top of the medical profession. It also means that the physician not only is qualified, but just might be a perfect fit for a particular job in his or her specialty.

These are all factors that should be considered as a physician thinks about becoming board certified with one or more of the Member Boards of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). Furthermore, physician board certification sends the right message to patients, whose decisions about where to go for healing or health maintenance often depend on the credentials of a hospital or clinic’s physicians.

While most physicians understand the effect board certification has on career development, the less-obvious benefits include:

• The respect of their peers and the fellowship of practitioners who share best practice techniques and more
• Added incentive to remain as updated as possible about new techniques and treatment methods in their chosen specialty in order to achieve recertification
• An opportunity to be viewed as a leader in their chosen specialty, and to shape the course of the medical profession for years to come

To learn more about the importance and benefits of physician board certification – and why it is so important – contact the ABPS today. The ABPS is the official board certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.