ABPS Urgent Care Physician Board Certification Eligibility Highlights
In addition to the standard requirements for eligibility expected of every application with the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS), physicians who seek board certification through the Board of Certification in Urgent Care Medicine (BCUCM) must meet the specific requirements of that specialty.
The primary BCUCM-specific eligibility requirement is completion of a residency training program approved by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and deemed acceptable to the Board of Certification in Urgent Care Medicine. Failing that, an applicant can become eligible by holding current Board Certification acquired prior to Dec. 31, 2001.
In addition to the primary eligibility requirements above, applicants must meet at least one of the following general qualifications:
- Two consecutive years (2,800 hours) of Urgent Care Medicine practice or are currently practicing Urgent Care Medicine and have acceptable equivalent acute care experience, in addition to the prescribed residency
- Two consecutive years as a full-time Urgent Care Medicine instructor with 2,800 hours of Urgent Care practice
- Five consecutive years of Urgent Care Medicine practice (7,000 hours) or are currently practicing Urgent Care Medicine and have acceptable equivalent acute care experience and the appropriate residency or board certification
- Completion of a 12-month Urgent Care Medicine Fellowship training program approved by the academic committee of the Urgent Care Association of America
For more details on the eligibility requirements for applicants who wish to achieve board certification through the BCUCM, contact the ABPS today. The ABPS is the official board certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.