ABMS Establishes Time Limits for Achieving Board Certification
A new policy defines a limited period for “Board Eligibility”

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CHICAGO – February 7, 2012 – For the first time, a new policy of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), effective on January 1, 2012, establishes limits to the time that can elapse between a physician’s completion of residency training and achievement of Board Certification.

The policy establishes a window of no fewer than three years and no more than
seven years between training and certification. Within that timeframe, the maximum time allowed will depend on the specialty.

The flexibility in the time limit recognizes that 24 ABMS Member Boards, each certifying physicians in a specialty, have different requirements for Board Certification and offer their certification exams at different intervals. Each of the 24 ABMS Member Boards must choose the time limit by April 16, 2012. Physicians who do not achieve certification within the specified time period will need to restart the process according to the requirements of the Member Board in their specialty.

“Board Certification is the gold standard for specialists in this country,” said Kevin B. Weiss, MD, ABMS President and CEO. “In recent years, ABMS Member Boards have made it even stronger by requiring physicians to take part in a rigorous program of professional development. The new policy ensures that physicians enter into this process of lifelong learning and professional development without too big a gap after their training.”

Before the new policy went into effect, physicians who had applied but not yet completed the process of Board Certification often referred to themselves as “Board
Eligible.” ABMS and its Member Boards did not recognize the term, and the period could stretch indefinitely. Clarity around the meaning of Board Eligibility will further strengthen the credibility of Board Certification.

“We recognize that physicians sometimes need to signal their intention of becoming Board Certified when they apply for jobs and attending privileges in hospitals and other facilities,” said Dr. Weiss. “This policy legitimizes the term ‘Board Eligible’ during a specific time period, but shuts off the potential for abuse of the term.”

Member Boards will also determine the sanctions for physicians who claim Board Eligibility after the permitted time between training and certification has elapsed. 

The ABMS Board of Directors approved the policy on September 19, 2011. In addition to specifying their time limits going forward, all Member Boards will choose a year by which physicians currently in the process must achieve certification. That year must occur between 2015 and 2019.

Unlike medical licensure, Board Certification is a voluntary process. Physicians who achieve and maintain Board Certification consistently demonstrate commitment and expertise that results in superior clinical outcomes. 

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About ABMS
For more than 75 years, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has been the
medical organization overseeing physician certification in the United States.  It assists its
24 Member Boards in their efforts to develop and implement educational and
professional standards for the evaluation and certification of physician specialists.  ABMS Member Boards provide physician certification information to ABMS for its certification verification service programs.  ABMS is recognized by the key health care credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of Board Certification data for medical specialists.  Patients can visit www.CertificationMatters.org or call toll-free (866) ASK-ABMS to see if their physician is Board Certified by an ABMS Member Board.  For more information about ABMS, visit www.abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

The 24 Member Boards that comprise the ABMS Board Enterprise and certify nearly 800,000 physicians include the: American Board of Allergy and Immunology, American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Board of Dermatology, American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Medical Genetics, American Board of Neurological Surgery, American Board of Nuclear Medicine, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Board of Ophthalmology, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology, American Board of Pathology, American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Preventive Medicine, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Radiology, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery and American Board of Urology.