What is a Board Certified Physician?
Board certification is a way for a doctor to show they have the knowledge, expertise, and skills to provide high quality care to patients. Although board certification is voluntary, ABIM Board Certification is recognized globally as signifying excellence in the practice of internal medicine and its subspecialties.
Physicians with this certification have proven they’re committed to life-long learning by passing rigorous knowledge assessments, which have been correlated to better patient outcomes. Approximately one out of four practicing physicians nationwide is certified by ABIM.*
Why trust your care to a Board Certified Physician?
Research published in peer-reviewed journals, shows that when patients are cared for by a board certified physician, they have a number of better health outcomes, including:
- Lower rates of mortality
- Fewer visits to the emergency department
- Fewer hospitalizations
- Better physician-patient relationships that lead to clearer treatment guidelines and preventative planning.
Learn more about these studies in our research center.
What does a doctor do to become Board Certified by ABIM?
Your physician needs to complete a rigorous set of requirements to earn ABIM certification, including:
Finishing medical school
Completing a residency or fellowship program
Evaluation from training director or hospital chief
Acquiring a license to practice medicine
Passing a certification test
Is Your Doctor Maintaining Board Certification?
Medicine changes rapidly, requiring doctors to stay current in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in order to provide high-quality care. By participating in ABIM's Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, doctors demonstrate their commitment to the highest standards of care.†
After your physician has earned their certificate, they must participate in ABIM’s MOC program to stay certified. The program includes participating in relevant educational activities, as well as periodic knowledge assessments in their discipline to affirm their medical knowledge is current.
You can check the certification of any ABIM certified physician using our Verification of Certification tool on our website.
Sources:
- * ABMS Board Certification Report
- †
Choudhry NK, Fletcher RH, Soumerai SB. Systematic review: The relationship between clinical experience and quality of health care. Ann Intern Med. 2005; 142(4): 260-73.
Davis DA, Mazimanian PE, Fordis M, Van Harrison R, Thorpe KE, Perrier L. Accuracy of physician self-assessment compared with observed measures of competence: A systematic review. JAMA. 2006; 296(9): 1094-102.