How to Check If Doctor is Board Certified

Being "board certified" means your doctor is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and that he is a standout in a particular medical specialty. A doctor does not have to be board certified to practice medicine, but it is an important factor when considering a doctor or surgeon for a specific task. For example, you would not want to have heart surgery done by a doctor who is board certified in plastic surgery. To be board certified, a doctor has to pass a special exam, in addition to several exams that all doctors must pass to earn a medical degree. Often, doctors who are not board certified are recent graduates from medical school.

Instructions

• 1

  Check online. The ABMS allows visitors to check the directory online free of charge. Simply enter your doctor's name. You will have to register in order to use this site.

• 2

  Call ABMS. Reach out to a board agent by dialing 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267). An agent will let you know if your potential or current physician is board certified or not.

• 3

  Refer to the official ABMS directory, which is available in most public libraries. The directory contains the doctor's length of certification and whether he has been re-certified. However, the directory is not always up-to-date, so a phone call would be your best and most current option.

• 4

  Contact a member board directly. Each area of medicine has its own ABMS board. You can reach the board for a particular specialty through mail, email, fax or phone.