EVANSTON, Ill. - Dec. 18, 2007 - The Board of Directors of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved changes to its Policy on Licensure Standards for Certification and Maintenance of Certification at its recent Annual Assembly Meeting which update and clarify the expectations for medical licensure by physicians who wish to become board certified by an ABMS Member Board or to participate in the ABMS Maintenance of Certification® program in their specialty or subspecialty.

Under the revised policy, physicians must maintain a current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in at least one jurisdiction in the United States, its territories or Canada. This includes all states where the physician currently practices and in which he or she has ever held a license.

The revisions also incorporate specific exceptions to the policy that address situations where a physician has a full license in one state, but not in others; holds an “institutional” license as part of a training program; practices full time in a country other than the United States, its territories or Canada; and individuals who are certified but do not hold a degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine. These serve as the minimum standards by which the ABMS Member Boards can establish procedures for determining a physician’s compliance with the requirements for licensure.

For additional information about how this new policy is being implemented, contact the individual ABMS Member Board.

About ABMS
The American Board of Medical Specialties is the preeminent 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 healthcare credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of board certification data for medical specialists. Patients can visit www.abms.org or call toll-free 1-866-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 (847) 491-9091.