Process for board certification
The ABMS Member Boards’ certification programs are rooted in the professional and educational standards set by ABMS and the Member Boards for medical specialty practice and certification. The program involves two basic phases of assessment within a continuous process: initial certification and maintaining certification. Initial certification occurs soon after completion of residency training. Each ABMS board has identified what candidates must accomplish to demonstrate competence in order to be eligible for initial certification. Generally, this involves:
- Finishing four years of premedical education in a college or university;
- Earning a medical degree (MD, DO or other credential approved by an ABMS Member Board) from a qualified medical school;
- Completing three to seven years of full-time experience in a residency training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education;
- Providing letters of attestation from the program director and/or faculty; and
- Obtaining an unrestricted medical license to practice medicine in the United States or Canada.
Candidates for certification must then pass an exam created and administered by the specialty board. These exams are developed by physicians and others who are subject experts in the specific area of medicine. Exams are developed against learning requirements, extensively tested, and refined over time. This is done to assure that the exam is a thorough, relevant, and fair assessment of a physician’s medical knowledge, clinical judgment, and diagnostic skills. Candidates who have passed the exam and completed all other requirements are considered certified as a specialist and a diplomate of their board.
A similar eligibility process is followed for certified specialists seeking subspecialty certification. Candidates must be certified by their specialty board, then complete additional training during or after residency and successfully complete assessments of knowledge and clinical judgment in their subspecialty discipline before being granted certification in a subspecialty.
Additional requirements may need to be met by graduates of international medical programs before being allowed to sit for a certification examination. Check with the particular specialty board for more information.