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Not all Physicians are Board Certified in the Specialties They Practice

In order to practice medicine, a physician must have graduated from medical school, fulfilled applicable residency requirements, and been approved by the state’s official medical board. With board certification, these same general eligibility requirements apply, but the physician must also meet additional training requirements, complete a thorough application process, and pass standardized examinations. In short, board certification is intended to be a rigorous process signifying the physician has obtained expertise in the same field of medicine.

Physician Board Certification Serves as a Mark of Distinction

While board certification is not required to practice medicine, it is a valuable tool for determining the expertise and experience of a physician in a particular field of medicine. Every physician is required to be licensed to practice medicine in the state they work.  Board Certification is an extra step a physician may take to assure a patient of that specialty training. And, if you require the services of a specialist, you deserve to know that the physician is a leader in that specialty.

There are specific benefits to board certification that extend beyond the credential. At the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), for example, our Diplomates have the needed resources to stay up-to-date within their specialties in order to continue their competency in the medical field.

Furthermore, the learning doesn’t stop when a physician becomes board certified no matter their qualifications. ABPS board certified physicians are required to recertify after a set number of years.  During each recertification process, ABPS reviews the physicians’ credentials and administers tests to assure that the physician still demonstrates exemplary knowledge and mastery within their field of certification. Patients can relax knowing that their ABPS board-certified physicians have proved their knowledge and training in a particular field.

Furthermore, the learning doesn’t stop when a physician becomes board certified no matter their qualifications. ABPS board certified physicians are required to recertify after a set number of years.  During each recertification process, ABPS reviews the physicians’ credentials and administers tests to assure that the physician still demonstrates exemplary knowledge and mastery within their field of certification. Patients can relax knowing that their ABPS board-certified physicians have proved their knowledge and training in a particular field.

How to Verify a Physician’s Certification Status With the ABPS

If you are interested in determining if a physician is board certified through the American Board of Physician Specialties®, visit our online physician verification database here. Your ABPS physician’s board expertise and educational skills are displayed with this online tool.

The first time you visit the database, you’ll be required to create a user account for your organization. Once inside the database, you can search for physicians using last name, first name, and UPIN (unique physician identification number). A limited amount of physician information will be available before you purchase the profile to help you confirm that you have found the correct physician. Each full profile costs $40 and will be billed to the credit card associated with the user account.

The ABPS also maintains a scaled-down database for members of the general public who wish to confirm that a particular physician has achieved and maintains board certification in a specialty or specialties. There is no charge to use this public database.

Unable to find your physician in the database?  Please call the Verification Department at (813) 433-2277. And for more information about board certification with the ABPS, contact us today. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as a choice for physician board certification, we offer qualified allopathic and osteopathic physicians a path toward board certification in a variety of specialties.

 

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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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