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Fellowship and Residency Program Directors Should Empower Residents with all of their Options for Physician Specialty Certification

Fellowship & Residency Program Directors At the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), we encourage all fellowship and residency program directors to give their staff the information they need to make the right decision when it comes to considering physician specialty certification. The business side of medicine has greatly changed over the last 50 years, and the need for a physician to be able to prove his or her expertise in a specialty area is more important today than ever. As a result, board certification has become an industry standard that is practically mandatory for demonstrating competency in the field. At the ABPS, we know how important board certification and re-certification is to physicians, and we have worked very hard to develop a number of highly respected member boards for our candidates to consider.

The ABPS Offers Unique Certifications

In North America, there are only three nationally recognized multi-specialty physician certifying organizations: the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association® (AOA), and the ABPS. Each organization is established, well regarded, and trusted to provide board certification to the most qualified physicians in the healthcare industry. Yet, each member organization also has its own unique advantages. At the ABPS, for example, we have options for board certification that aren’t available anywhere else. As healthcare has become more specialized, we’ve expanded to accommodate these new areas of expertise. For instance, we have options for physicians who have extensive training in:

  • Integrative medicine
  • Emergency medicine
  • Administrative medicine
  • Disaster medicine
  • Orthopedic surgery
  • Family medicine/obstetrics

Additionally, our Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine® offers the opportunity for primary care physicians who have made their careers in the emergency room to pursue board certification in Emergency Medicine. This is so important because as many as 80 percent of emergency department physicians in rural America are not board certified in EM in part because they completed their residency training in a field other than Emergency Medicine. These physicians deserve to be eligible to pursue certification in their area of expertise, and BCEM was developed to provide this opportunity to qualified individuals.

ABPS Board Certification Standards

The ABPS has set some of the highest board certification standards in the medical industry. Developed in collaboration with accomplished physicians, these standards ensure that every certified physician presented by our Member Boards is recognized as a qualified specialist.

To apply for ABPS certification, candidates must meet general requirements and specialty-specific eligibility criteria. Each specialty’s standards signify mastery of its core competencies, emphasizing psychometrically evaluated testing, advanced training, moral character, and experience.

For certification in any specialty, candidates must pass a written examination with multiple-choice questions. Some specialties also require an oral exam to showcase candidates’ knowledge and skills in patient diagnosis and treatment. ABPS certifications cover the essential technical knowledge, skills, and abilities required of physicians practicing their medical specialties.

Recertification standards vary by specialty board. Typically, Diplomates and eligible physicians seeking ABPS recertification must commit to ongoing medical education, pass a recertification exam, and participate in a non-remedial medical ethics program.

Learn More About the Wide Range of ABPS Physician Certification Boards

As physicians complete their residency training, they should be encouraged to research all of the options available to them. Ultimately, we all want the same outcome: for the best and brightest physicians in America to receive the recognition they deserve. To learn more, contact us today. The ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.®

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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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