Board Certification
What is board certification?
Board certification is awarded by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which is the recognized leader in developing and setting the physician specialty certification gold standard in the United States.
The ABMS consists of 24 Member Boards offering board certification in 40 specialties and 88 subspecialties. These Member Boards adhere to rigorous training and assessment standards.
Are all doctors board certified?
To become a practicing doctor, an individual must complete an internship, residency, and additional medical education. They must then pass a general exam for the state they intend to practice in that grants a medical license for that state.
Board certification is not required to practice as a doctor. However, doctors who are board certified in one or more specialties have proven that they are skilled and knowledgeable experts in their specialty and that they meet a higher standard.
To be board certified is an immense achievement for doctors and something that not all doctors attain.
For the patient, board-certified doctors come with the confidence that the doctor is highly qualified in their specialty and works to continually improve their level of care and healthcare advances.