ABMS General Policy on Certification by Medical Specialty Boards

Policy 3.02.13 of the American Board of Medical Specialties, adopted by the ABMS Board of Directors and effective on June 22, 2023.

Definitions:

1. 1. A “Conjoint Board” is a body established under the joint sponsorship of not less than two (2) Primary Boards, although national specialty organizations may be included as sponsors. The purpose of a Conjoint Board is to set training standards and evaluate the qualifications of individual candidates in an area of specialty practice common to the sponsoring groups. A Conjoint Board resembles a Primary Board in that it is separately incorporated and has similar responsibility for determination of requirements for certification, accepting candidates for certification, administering examinations, and issuing certificates. A Conjoint Board differs from a Primary Board in that it is established and functions under the joint sponsorship of not less than two (2) Primary Boards. A Conjoint Board’s members are appointed by some or all of the respective sponsors and approved by the sponsoring Primary Boards, its policies are determined in conformity with the policies jointly established by the sponsoring boards, and it may or may not be financially independent. Applicants for certification by a Conjoint Board must complete satisfactorily a preliminary training program acceptable to at least one (1) of the sponsoring boards and to the Conjoint Board in order to be considered for examination by the Conjoint Board.
   2. “General Certification” is the first certification awarded by a Member Board to approved candidates who meet the requirements for certification in a specified field of medical practice.
   3. “Maintenance of Certification/Continuing Certification” is the recognition by a Primary or Conjoint Board, from time to time, of the continuing qualification oaf a diplomate and a diplomate’s satisfaction of the requirements of its Maintenance of Certification or Continuing Certification program.
   4. A “Primary Board” is a separately incorporated, financially independent body which determines its own requirements and policies for certification, elects its members in accordance with the procedures stipulated in its own bylaws, accepts its candidates for certification from persons who fulfill its stated requirements, administers examinations, and issues certificates to those who voluntarily satisfy its requirements.
   5. “Subspecialty Certification”
      1. Subspecialty Certification is conferred by one or more Member Boards in a component of a Medical Specialty or Medical Subspecialty; and
      2. Subspecialty Certification is authorized to be conferred only to certified physicians or medical specialists who have been certified by one or more Member Board(s) in an area of General Certification.

GENERAL CERTIFICATION AND SUBSPECIALTY CERTIFICATION:

Member Boards may issue general certificates of qualification to physicians and medical specialists in the fields represented by such Member Boards and subspecialty certificates of qualifications to physicians and medical specialists in the fields represented by such Member Boards.

1. When approved by the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.2 below, a Member Board may issue, alone or in conjunction with another Member Board, certificates to designate qualifications in one or more subspecialty areas of the specialty field represented by that Member Board. When authorized by the Corporation for subspecialty certification, the Member Board may establish subspecialty committees or sub-boards in the approved subspecialty, without further authorization from the Corporation. Subspecialty certification is conferred by one or more Member Boards in a component of the specialty or subspecialty authorized by the Corporation for certification by one or more Member Boards.
2. While subspecialty certification is intended to apply primarily to diplomates of the sponsoring Member Board(s), a sponsoring Member Board may accept applicants holding certificates from other Member Boards for examination and subspecialty certification authorized by the Corporation on a case by case basis or by establishing additional pathways to encompass more than one individual. The additional pathways to subspecialty certification must be:
   1. endorsed by the Member Board sponsoring the subspecialty certification;
   2. endorsed by the Member Board whose diplomates are being proposed for certification; and
   3. approved by the Board of Directors by a Representational Supermajority Vote.
3. Training programs leading to general certification and subspecialty certification must be associated with a residency accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or equivalent Canadian accredited residency.
4. The program for training required for general certification must be a minimum of three (3) years in duration and subspecialty certification must be a minimum of one (1) year in duration. General certification and subspecialty certification incorporate a specific and identifiable body of knowledge that may include certain procedural skills or practice modes, but must not be limited only to training in a technical skill.
5. Approval of any general certification or subspecialty certification must be accomplished by the mechanism and process authorized in Section 7.2. The Member Board(s) seeking authorization to issue general certification or subspecialty certification in a proposed area must provide assurance that the Member Board will conduct an evaluation of the impact and effect of the proposed general certificate or subspecialty certificate on its own general and subspecialty training and practice as well as that of other Member Boards.
6. All future applications from the Member Boards for authorization to issue subspecialty certificates will be approved by the Board of Directors by a Representational Supermajority Vote with the name of the subspecialty designation only.