Board Certified Vs. Board Eligible

The terms "board eligible" and "board certified" generally describe professionals who are seeking or have attained recognition of their advanced skill and competency within professions that offer structured certification programs under the auspices of authoritative boards. Although certification opportunities are available in a variety of professions, board eligibility and board certification are most often associated with the reputed expertise of physicians within a specific medical specialty.

The Boards

• Most medical specialties have one or more dedicated certifying bodies that operate under an umbrella certification organization such as the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) or the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). Each board is led by physicians within their respective specialties, who oversee the certification process.The ABMS states on its website that completion of initial certification "involves a rigorous process of testing and peer evaluation designed and administered by specialists in the field."

Becoming Board Certified

• The requirements for board certification differ depending on the specialty and certifying body. The ABMS requires that physicians must have a medical degree, be licensed to practice medicine and document the successful completion of specialty training through an accredited residency program before they can take the examination to earn their board certification. Upon passage of the specialty-specific board examination, a physician becomes board certified in that specialty.

Board Eligible

• A physician who has met all the requirements to take the board exam, but has not yet taken the test, is often referred to as board eligible. The American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS) states that physicians are board eligible if they have met all other requirements and have been accepted into the examination process by the AOBS. However, ABMS no longer recognizes board-eligible status, noting that some physicians continue to claim to be board eligible for years without completing the certification process.

Recertification

• In the past, physicians who achieved board certification status were board certified for life. However, in 2006 the ABMS established a maintenance of certification program. Physicians who are board certified through the 24 member boards of ABMS must undergo a "periodic program of re-certification" every six to 10 years, involving "continuing education, credential review and further examination."

State Laws

• Some state medical boards have established rules that only allow physicians certified by specific certifying bodies to advertise themselves as board-certified specialists. For example, the Medical Board of California prohibits physicians from publicly stating that they are board certified unless they are certified by an ABMS member board, a board with equivalent requirements or a board with an approved specialty-specific residency training program.

Checking Board Certification

• To find out if a physician is certified by one of the specialist boards that operate under the ABMS, visit the board's website at www.abms.org. The AOA allows patients to check the certification status of a doctor of osteopathic medicine by calling the AOA Member Service Center at [phone].