What does “actively maintaining certification” mean for doctors?
Medicine changes over time. One job of certifying boards (ABMS Member Boards) is to encourage doctors to stay on top of those changes.
A doctor is actively maintaining certification when they keep up on requirements including education, training, and passing an exam, in their area of medical expertise throughout their careers. This process is also called “continuing certification” or “maintenance of certification.”
Benefits of continuing certification include:
- Gives patients confidence in doctors who are board certified and actively maintaining their certification
- Helps doctors stay up to date with changes in medicine
- Finds gaps in a doctor’s knowledge so they know what to learn
- Reduces chance that a doctor will be disciplined for unprofessional behavior
While most doctors who are board certified are required to participate in ongoing activities to maintain certification, some are not required to do so because this requirement was not in place when they were first certified.
