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Physician Board Certification: The Next Step for Fellows of Approved Integrative Medicine Programs

Physician Board Certification: The Next Step for Fellows of Approved Integrative Medicine ProgramsIf you are a physician who has completed an ABOIM-approved fellowship in integrative medicine, the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) invites you to apply for board certification in the specialty. We are the only multi-specialty certifying board in the United States to offer integrative medicine certification.

Board certification through our Member Board, the American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM), allows you to present yourself to the public as a qualified integrative medicine specialist.

Why Hospitals Prefer Hiring Board-Certified Physicians

Increasingly, hospitals and healthcare organizations are focused on hiring board-certified integrative medicine physicians, and for good reasons. Backed by years of training, board-certified physicians have demonstrated through performance and testing that they possess the knowledge and skills necessary to provide compassionate integrative medical care. Given that board certification helps to allay any doubts patients may have about the quality of care they receive, it’s easy to understand how certified physicians can enhance an organization’s reputation.

Board Certification Through the ABOIM

Integrative medicine, a relatively new specialty, is still evolving, and becoming certified through the ABOIM indicates a physician’s readiness to be at the forefront of that evolution. Even as integrative medicine changes to reflect medical research and patient care needs, the fundamental tenets of the specialty remain constant:

  • Consideration of all factors influencing health, including mind, body, and spirit.
  • Use of both conventional and alternative methods to trigger the body’s innate healing response.
  • Thoughtful consideration of less-invasive and less-harmful interventions when possible, addressing the whole person, not just the disease.
  • The belief that medicine is rooted in good science, is inquiry-driven, and is open to critical examination of new paradigms.
  • Recognizing healthcare as a partnership between physician and patient.

Beyond scientifically sound treatment, an integrative medicine practitioner promotes health, prevents illness, and advocates for healthy living. Practitioners are expected to embody these concepts and remain open to self-exploration and self-development. The ABOIM’s rigorous, clinically based exams allow qualified physicians to showcase their proficiency in all these principles.

Advantages of Integrative Medicine Certification With the ABOIM

To acquire certification through the ABOIM, physicians must meet eligibility requirements and successfully complete a rigorous computer-based exam. Once certified, they will have positioned themselves as thoughtful leaders in integrative medicine. As Diplomates of the ABPS, a nationally recognized choice for board certification, they will also:

  • Join a distinguished community of physicians whose priority is the advancement of patient care and integrative medicine
  • Enjoy more opportunities for career advancement and increased mobility on the job market
  • Demonstrate your commitment to Integrative Medicine and provide potential patients, colleagues and others evidence of your mastery of the core competencies

If you are a graduate fellow of an approved training program by the American Board of Integrative Medicine, we encourage you to apply for certification with the ABOIM. For a complete list of ABOIM approved fellowships, and for detailed information about the ABOIM’s eligibility requirements, contact the ABPS today.

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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.

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
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
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