How Specialty Certification Helps Physicians Differentiate Their Credentials

The primary function of physician board certification is to provide a platform for physician specialists to demonstrate a mastery of the core competencies required to provide the best possible care in a given medical specialty. The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) governs 18 specialty boards that allow physicians to prove they possess the skill and experience necessary to practice their chosen specialties. Naturally, there is more to specialty certification than a nice, framed certificate. In fact, very little else can help a physician differentiate his or her credentials for the purposes of career advancement.

How does specialty certification from the ABPS help a physician stand out? Consider the standard career path for many physicians − medical school, residency, perhaps a fellowship, then practice. Most physicians also seek board certification, typically in a broad field such as internal medicine or family medicine. As careers advance, however, some physicians find themselves gravitating toward more specific practices of medicine. These physicians might practice in an emergency department at a hospital, or move into a field such as Integrative Medicine. The job might lead them to work at an urgent care center, or move from an urban area into a rural area, where practitioners of specialties such as Family Medicine Obstetrics are less prevalent. In all of these cases, achieving specialty certification can serve to distinguish a physician from the competition. Specialties that fall into this category can include:

• Hospital Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Urgent Care Medicine
• Family Medicine Obstetrics
• Disaster Medicine
• Integrative Medicine
• And others

To learn more about how specialty certification can differentiate a physician within a competitive job market, contact the ABPS. The ABPS is the official board-certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.