What Board Certification in a Physician’s Specialty Means to Patients, Employers, and the Doctor’s Career

What Board Certification in a Physician’s Specialty Means to Patients, Employers, and the Doctor’s CareerA 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.

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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.

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
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