Requirements for Board Certification

Each ABMS Member Board has different requirements and it is best to contact the particular board directly.

Generally speaking, candidates for initial Board Certification must:

1. Finish four years of premedical education in a college or university;
2. Earn a medical degree (MD, DO or other credential approved by an ABMS Member Board) from a qualified medical school;
3. Complete three to seven years of full-time experience in a residency training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education;
4. Provide letters of attestation from the program director and/or faculty; and
5. Obtain an unrestricted medical license to practice medicine in the United States or Canada.

Candidates for initial certification must then pass an exam created and administered by their specialty’s board. A similar eligibility process is followed for certified specialists seeking subspecialty certification. These individuals must be certified by their specialty board, then complete additional training during or after residency and successfully complete assessments of knowledge and clinical judgment in their subspecialty discipline before being granted certification in a subspecialty.