Why is it Important to Become Board Certified in Your Chosen Specialty?

Physician board certification represents an important, even vital, level of achievement for a physician. It demonstrates that she or he has mastered the core competencies and knowledge necessary to provide the best possible medical care. It means that the physician not only is qualified, but is also an ideal candidate for a position in his or her specialty.

There is another reason why it is important to become board certified in a chosen specialty. The rapid transformation of the American medical system reflects the personal reinvention that many physicians undergo throughout their careers. If you are a physician whose career has progressively moved toward a new, unanticipated specialty such as Hospital Medicine, Disaster Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care Medicine or Integrative Medicine, it might be time to consider board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS).

Patients making decisions about where to turn for healing or health maintenance often make their choices based on the credentials of a hospital or clinic’s physicians. While most physicians understand the effect board certification has on career development, the less-obvious benefits include:

• The respect of their peers and the fellowship of practitioners who share best practice techniques and more
• Added incentive to remain as updated as possible about new techniques and treatment methods in their chosen specialty in order to achieve recertification
• An opportunity to be viewed as a leader in their chosen specialty, and to shape the course of the medical profession for years to come

To learn more about why it is important to achieve physician board certification within your chosen specialty or specialties, contact the ABPS today. The ABPS is the official board certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.