About ABMS Board Certification

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The American Board of Medical Specialties® (ABMS®) sets the gold standard for medical specialty certification in the United States. Its 24 Member Boards certify doctors in 40 specialties and 89 subspecialties, following rigorous standards for training and assessment.

Board certification is a significant achievement that not all doctors attain. Board certified doctors are:

    • Skilled and knowledgeable
    • Experts in their specialty
    • Meeting a higher standard

ABMS board certification gives doctors a way to show they have the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe and effective care in a specific area of medicine. It is a credential that patients can rely upon when selecting a doctor for their needs.

ABMS board certification encourages doctors to continue learning, fosters research and innovation in health care, and leads to improvements in health care practices.

See FAQs: Definitions and How to Use this Site

Why Does Board Certification Matter?

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Patients say board certification helps ensure good patient care.*

When looking at the level of quality medical care that patients receive, and how they do after getting treated, studies show board certified doctors get better results. Board certification also improves patient safety in doctors’ offices, clinics, and hospitals. On average, doctors who actively maintain their board certification deliver care at a lower cost.

* Source: Nationwide survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago on behalf of ABMS.

Expert health care in medical specialties

When you or a family member needs health care or medical treatment, you want a highly qualified doctor dedicated to providing outstanding care.

When choosing a doctor who is board certified by one of the 24 ABMS Member Boards, you can be confident they are skilled and knowledgeable, an expert in their specialty, and that they meet a higher standard developed and overseen by volunteer doctors.

The Highest Standard

About Board Certified Doctors

Board certification is an extra step that many doctors take to demonstrate that they know the latest advancements in their specialty. Board certified doctors show their desire to practice at the top of their profession.

Doctors with an ongoing commitment to board certification:

    • Participate in assessment and training beyond what is required of their peers
    • Deliver high-quality care to their patients
    • Work to continually improve the care they deliver
Why should I want my doctor to be certified by an ABMS Member Board?

As a patient or family member, you want to feel confident that your doctor is qualified to provide expert care.

ABMS Member Boards require medical doctors to maintain a high level of knowledge and experience that is recognized as the gold standard in board certification.

Throughout their careers, doctors who are certified by one of the ABMS Member Boards must keep up on requirements including education, training, and passing an exam, for certification in their area of medical expertise.

More than 975,000 doctors nationally are certified by one of the 24 ABMS certifying boards.

What is ABMS?

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Higher standards mean better care

For nearly a century, the not-for-profit American Board of Medical Specialties has been committed to providing patients with the highest quality care. ABMS works with its 24 Member Boards to create the requirements for education and training that doctors must meet to be board certified. Doctors must also pass exams given by their certifying board.

You can trust board certified doctors to take excellent care of you and your family. That’s because doctors who are certified by an ABMS Member Board are voluntarily part of a rigorous process that continually assesses and enhances their medical knowledge, judgment, professionalism, clinical techniques and communication skills.

A trusted resource

ABMS collaborates with its Member Boards to create lifelong learning standards that help ensure doctors stay up to date on the latest practices and treatments. Patients, the government, schools, businesses, and hospitals nationwide all rely on ABMS board certification, because it is the foundation for a national movement to support physician accountability and the highest standards of quality care for every patient.

 

How Does A Doctor Become Board Certified?

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Doctors are “board certified” when they first meet education and training requirements, then pass an exam, in their area of medical expertise (called a medical specialty). The requirements are set by the certifying board for that area of medicine.

Working with the American Board of Medical Specialties, the 24 ABMS Member Boards decide what knowledge and skills a doctor must have in their area of expertise. The education, training, and exams required by the Member Boards mean that the doctors meet high standards to provide quality care for their patients.

Before becoming certified, doctors graduate from medical school, earn a state medical license, and go through training in their area of expertise.

What is the difference between a licensed doctor and a board certified doctor?

To practice medicine in the United States, all doctors must have a medical license in each state where they work. State licensing boards are responsible for granting those licenses, which are not limited to a specific area of medical expertise.

Licensed doctors may choose to continue their education and training, then pass an exam, to become board certified in their area of medical expertise. The organizations that grant board certification are called “certifying boards.”

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