What Board Certification in a Physician’s Specialty Means to Patients, Employers, and the Doctor’s Career
A patient’s decision to consult a specialist is not something that’s taken lightly. It often comes after the patient has already visited a primary care physician and tried various treatments without success. Or, it’s a sober acknowledgment that the patient’s condition requires the care and attention of someone with specialized knowledge and skills. Patients visit specialists fully expecting them to have experience in treating specific conditions, whether it’s a torn shoulder ligament or gestational diabetes. Nonetheless, these visits can be fraught with anxiety.
That’s where physician board certification helps. While it’s true that an attentive doctor, backed by years of medical training, can do much to allay a patient’s uncertainty, board certification continues to be a reliable indicator of a doctor’s ability to deliver compassionate and expert medical care patients need. It serves as confirmation that a doctor is uniquely qualified in his or her specialty, instilling patients with confidence that they are in good hands.
Board certification also benefits the physician specialist’s employer. With certified specialists on staff, an organization can rightly declare to the public that it is committed to offering the highest standard of medical care. Thus, board-certified specialists lend their organizations prestige that allows them to stand out in today’s competitive healthcare marketplace.
Because earning board certification is no easy feat, only the most talented and dedicated specialists become certified. This means that certified specialists are considered leaders in their fields, and as a result, are more marketable to employers. Having demonstrated their expertise through a rigorous certification process, they also enjoy expanded opportunities for career advancement along with increased earning potential.
If you are a licensed physician who is considering becoming board certified in your specialty, the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) encourages you to apply to one of our Member Boards. We are a nationally recognized multi-specialty certifying body with countless Diplomates practicing across the United States. We offer certification in traditional fields like family medicine and dermatology as well as emerging specialties like integrative medicine and urgent care medicine. Other certification options include disaster medicine, family medicine obstetrics, and orthopedic surgery, just to name a few.
Contact the ABPS today to learn more about our boards or for information about our eligibility requirements. The ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS), Inc.