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What Physician Recruiters Should Know About ABPS

Physician showing illness diagnosis report to senior patient. If you are a physician recruiter who is seeking to identify the most qualified candidates to join your organization, consider the specialists certified by the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS). As one of the three major nationally recognized multi-specialty certifying entities in the United States, we offer board certification for qualified allopathic  and osteopathic physicians. Since certifying our first physician in 1960, we have certified and recertified physicians in a wide range of specialties, and today, ABPS Diplomates can be found in all 50 states, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. In fact, many ABPS Diplomates are leaders at respected institutions across the country, thanks to hospital leaders and hiring boards committed to  hiring only the most qualified medical professionals.

Why ABPS Board Certification Is a Trusted & Unique Credential

As with other prominent certification boards, the eligibility requirements of the ABPS are stringent, and our candidates must pass a comprehensive specialty exam to achieve certification. In fact, ABPS certification exams, procedures, and protocols are clinically, psychometrically, and legally defensible, and have been found to be equivalent to those set by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

ABPS Code of Ethics

The ABPS is the only major certifying body that requires a non-remedial medical ethics course every eight years. Guided by the ABPS code of ethics, our Diplomates:

 

  • Maintain an unimpeachable standard of personal conduct
  • Uphold the laws and regulations related to the practice of medicine
  • Utilize only legal and ethical means to care for patients
  • Provide impartial patient care, offering no special privileges based on a patient’s race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin or handicap
  • Maintain the confidentiality of privileged patient information
  • Accept no personal compensation from any party that would require special consideration in how patient care is provided
  • Cooperate in every reasonable way with other physicians to deliver quality patient care

 

The ABPS: A Pragmatic Approach and Unique Certifications

Part of what makes the ABPS unique is our pragmatic approach to physician board certification. That means we do not discriminate based on training and we actually test physicians on their knowledge of their specialty, whether it’s in a traditional field like family medicine or it’s an emerging specialty like integrative medicine.

And that’s another part of why we are unique: The ABPS is the only multi-specialty board to offer integrative medicine certification. In addition to the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM), other unique ABPS boards include:

  • The Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics (BCFMO)
  • The American Board of Administrative Medicine (ABAM)
  • The Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM)

Other Important Facts About the ABPS

Here are a few salient facts about the ABPS to keep in mind:

  • The ABPS consists of 12 Member Boards, offering certification in various specialties including family medicine, internal medicine, integrative medicine, and family medicine obstetrics.
  • The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook now includes the ABPS as a viable option for board certification.
  • Several state medical boards acknowledge and accept the ABPS as a certifying entity meeting their stringent certification standards.
  • ABPS certification exams, procedures, and protocols are clinically, psychometrically, and legally robust, deemed equivalent to those of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
  • Recognized credentialing organizations like Greely, HCPro, and the National Association of Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) endorse ABPS certification as a reliable choice for physicians.

If you would like to learn more about the ABPS, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to provide you with information about our Member Boards, our eligibility requirements, and our rigorous certification process.

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Patient Care Is Our Priority

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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