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 38 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

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.

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

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.

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.