ABIM has four special consideration pathways to enable osteopathic or international trained physicians to obtain ABIM Board Certification.
Learn more about specific eligibility requirements below, or check out pathway requirements at a glance (pdf).
Pathway A: International Medical Graduates Who Are Full-Time U.S. or Canadian Faculty
A full-time faculty member at an LCME- or Canadian-accredited medical school, or at an ACGME- or Canadian-accredited residency or fellowship program, who has successfully completed training in internal medicine and/or a subspecialty abroad may become eligible to achieve ABIM Board Certification in Internal Medicine and/or a subspecialty as a candidate for special consideration.
The candidate may not propose themselves for consideration in this pathway, but must be proposed by the Chair of the Department of Medicine, or the internal medicine and/or subspecialty program director at the institution where the candidate holds a current full-time faculty appointment.
Who is eligible?
Eligible faculty will have:
- Completed three or more years of verified graduate medical education training in internal medicine and/or a subspecialty abroad.
- An academic rank of Assistant Professor or higher at the time of application.
- A full-time faculty appointment for a minimum of three (3) immediately prior and consecutive years at the same institution.
- Full-time faculty members are those who supervise and teach trainees (students, residents, or fellows) in clinical settings that include direct patient care.
- The appointment must be at an LCME- or Canadian-accredited medical school or at an ACGME- or Canadian-accredited internal medicine residency or subspecialty fellowship training program.
- Certification in Internal Medicine from ABIM for certification in a subspecialty.
- A valid, unrestricted and unchallenged medical license to practice medicine in the United States, its territories or Canada.
Download Pathway A Application (pdf)
Pathway B: Program Directors of ACGME-accredited training programs under the Single GME Accreditation System
A program director of an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship training program under the Single GME Accreditation System who has successfully completed training in internal medicine and/or a subspecialty in an AOA-accredited residency and/or fellowship training program may become eligible to achieve ABIM Board Certification in Internal Medicine and/or a subspecialty as a candidate for special consideration.
Through its tracking process, FasTrack®, ABIM requires verification of trainees' initial certification eligibility criteria from an ABIM-certified program director (other ABMS Member Board and Canadian certification is acceptable, if applicable). In support of the Single GME Accreditation System, ABIM has recognized the need for a transition period, which has been extended through 2023. During this transition period, ABIM will accept attestations for ABIM initial certification eligibility criteria from those who are program directors through the Single GME Accreditation System, but who have not yet become ABIM certified. Beginning in 2024, all attestations to ABIM initial certification eligibility criteria will need to come from program directors who are ABIM certified in the discipline of their program, consistent with ABIM policy.
Who is eligible?
Eligible program directors will have:
- Designation as the program director of an ACGME-accredited internal medicine and/or subspecialty training program.
Download Pathway B Application (pdf)
Pathway C: Faculty members of ACGME training programs accredited under the Single GME Accreditation System
A faculty member of an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship training program under the Single GME Accreditation System who has successfully completed training in internal medicine and/or a subspecialty in an AOA-accredited residency and/or fellowship training program may become eligible to achieve ABIM Board Certification in Internal Medicine and/or a subspecialty as a candidate for special consideration.
The candidate may not propose him/herself for consideration in this pathway, but must be proposed by the internal medicine and/or subspecialty program director at the institution where the candidate holds the full-time faculty appointment.
Who is eligible?
Eligible faculty will have:
- AOBIM Certification in Internal Medicine and/or a subspecialty.
- A full-time faculty appointment for a minimum of three (3) immediately prior and consecutive years at the same institution.
- Full-time faculty members are those who supervise and teach trainees (students, residents or fellows) in clinical settings that include direct patient care.
- The appointment must be at an ACGME- or Canadian-accredited internal medicine residency or subspecialty fellowship training program.
- Faculty at ACGME-accredited residency and/or fellowship programs may still qualify if the program became ACGME-accredited less than three years ago.
Download Pathway C Application (pdf)
Pathway D: Graduates of AOA-accredited training programs who have completed ACGME-accredited fellowship training
A graduate of an ACGME-accredited fellowship program who has successfully completed training in internal medicine in an AOA-accredited residency program may become eligible to achieve ABIM Board Certification in Internal Medicine as a candidate for special consideration.
AOBIM Certification does not meet the underlying certification requirement for ABIM Board Certification in a subspecialty.
Who is eligible?
Eligible fellows will have:
- Completed three or more years of verified graduate medical education training in internal medicine in an AOA-accredited residency program and/or certified by the AOBIM.
- Completed all required subspecialty training in an ACGME accredited fellowship program.
- Satisfactory subspecialty training must be attested for each year of subspecialty fellowship training via ABIM's FasTrack Clinical Competence Evaluation System. Those who pass ABIM's Internal Medicine Certification Examination would then become eligible for subspecialty certification.
Download Pathway D Application (pdf)