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ABPS Physician Certification:  A ‘Big Tent’ Approach to the Advancement of Patient Care

Physician CertificationPhysician certification from the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) is based on rigorous scientific standards and innovative examination techniques that prove your professional competency. When you achieve physician certification through the ABPS, you are doing more than merely passing an exam. You are demonstrating to the world that you are among the best and the brightest in your chosen specialty or subspecialty.

Yet, physician certification from the ABPS means so much more than that. ABPS Diplomates are staunch advocates of ensuring that patient care always supersedes the business side of medicine.

ABPS Board Certification Builds Patient Trust

Earning board certification through the ABPS demonstrates more than just clinical expertise—it reflects a physician’s commitment to prioritizing patient care above all else. Each ABPS Member Board shares a core mission: to put patient safety and well-being first. In today’s healthcare environment, where trust is essential, ABPS certification stands as a mark of credibility and integrity.

For patients, seeing that a physician is ABPS-certified signals more than professional achievement. It shows that the physician is not only highly qualified but also dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered care. This blend of skill and empathy strengthens the patient-provider relationship and helps ensure a higher standard of care, leaving patients with a strong sense of confidence and reassurance.

What’s more, when you earn board certification through the ABPS, you become a member of a distinguished community of like-minded physicians who prioritize the advancement of patient care and safety, rather than things like reimbursement and coding. In order to strengthen that cause, the ABPS community of board certified physicians takes a “big tent” approach to medicine that provides opportunities for all Diplomates to share in the advocacy of improved patient care. Each ABPS member is a valued participant whose voice is heard and respected. Experiences and best practices are shared with the ABPS community at large, enabling members to learn from the successes and setbacks of others.

ABPS Works to Give Diplomates a Strong Voice in the Medical Community

In addition to promoting honest, open internal communication among our members, we believe that it is vital to proactively reach out to healthcare organizations, hospitals, legislators, and the communities where members practice in order to reinforce the importance of placing patients first. In that respect, the ABPS community’s strength and unity enable our Diplomates to make their voices heard in the public arena, thereby helping shape the very future of healthcare.

Key Facts About the ABPS

As you explore your options for physician board certification, keep in mind these important attributes of the ABPS:

  • High standards – The ABPS upholds rigorous certification and recertification requirements that align with those of the ABMS and AOA, ensuring only the most qualified physicians earn certification.
  • Clinical expertise comes first – ABPS Member Boards emphasize clinical competence and real-world experience, focusing on practical medical knowledge rather than internal politics.
  • Flexible recertification options – ABPS is the only multi-specialty certifying body that offers recertification to eligible diplomates of both ABMS and AOA, highlighting its inclusive and excellence-driven approach.
  • National recognition – ABPS-certified physicians practice across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada, demonstrating the organization’s broad acceptance and growing influence in healthcare.

If you believe physician board certification should be more than a perfunctory requirement for employment, and if you believe it is important for physicians to have a more powerful voice as advocates for the advancement of patient care, contact ABPS to learn more about our certification and recertification process. The ABPS is the certifying body for the American Association of Physician Specialists, providing board certification for 18 medical specialties. We also welcome physicians certified by other bodies who would like to seek dual board certification through one of our Member Boards.

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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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