Physician Board Certification Defined
While the term physician board certification is a familiar part of the vernacular to those in the medical profession, the average consumer might have, at best, only a vague notion of what it actually means for a physician to become board certified – and why it is important.
The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) is one of three nationally recognized multi-specialty certifying bodies in the United States. Part of our mission is to educate the public and other members of the medical community about physician board certification, which we define as a voluntary process that indicates a practicing physician’s mastery of the core body of knowledge and skills in his or her chosen specialty at a specific time. This is different, of course, from the required medical license.
ABPS Certification: Rigorous Testing As a True Measurement of Expertise
The ABPS believes that in order to accurately measure a physician’s mastery and knowledge, certification testing should be rigorous. In addition to rigorous standards, the Member Boards of the ABPS also maintain eligibility requirements that reflect the organization-wide commitment to recognizing the accomplishments of competent, respected, career physicians in their medical specialties.
Eligibility Requirements for ABPS Certification
Although the eligibility requirements for physician board certification differ among the various Member Boards, at minimum, the ABPS Member Boards require that physicians have:
- An undergraduate college degree
- Four years of medical school
- Substantial, identifiable training such as a three- to five-year residency in an ACGME accredited program and several years of experience and proven competencies in the specific specialty or sub-specialty
- A license to practice medicine
Nearly as important as the initial achievement of physician board certification is an ongoing commitment to periodic recertification and a willingness to adhere to a code of ethics and professionalism that all Member Boards should expect from their physicians. The medical field, no matter what specialty, is constantly evolving. A physician’s credentials should always reflect a dedication to continuing medical education in his or her area or areas of expertise, and mastery of that newly gained knowledge requires recertification.
What to Know About Physician Certification Boards
It is incumbent upon the three most prestigious certifying bodies in the U.S. to help educate consumers about board certification. Consumers should be made aware of the credentials and credibility of the different board certification bodies, and ask if the organization is a 501(c)6 non-profit, if it has an established national headquarters, and if it has a staff of more than 10 full-time employees. These and other factors support the credibility of a board certifying body, and the three largest – the ABPS, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) – set the highest, most rigorous standards in the nation.
Reasons to Seek Certification Through the ABPS
As you consider your board certification options, take note of these important aspects of the ABPS:
- We offer 12 Member Boards that certify in a range of specialties, including established fields like family medicine and internal medicine, as well as emerging areas like integrative medicine and interventional pain management.
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook now lists the ABPS as a recognized option for board certification.
- Many state medical boards recognize ABPS as meeting their rigorous standards through explicit acknowledgment in their regulations.
- Our certification exams, procedures, and protocols are clinically, psychometrically, and legally robust, on par with those of ABMS and AOA.
- Prominent credentialing organizations like Greely, HCPro, and NAMSS endorse ABPS as a legitimate choice for physician certification.
To learn more about physician board certification and why it is important to consumers, contact the ABPS.