Standards for Recertification

American Board of Physician Specialties速

Standards for

Recertification

As the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.® (AAPS), the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) requires recertification to ensure the medical competency of its Diplomate members.

All Diplomates, in order to obtain recertification in a specialty, participate in the ABPS Standards of Recertification — a regular schedule of continuing medical education, self-assessment, and examination consistent across all of the following ABPS-certified specialties: Anesthesiology

Family Medicine Obstetrics

Dermatology

Hospital Medicine

Diagnostic Radiology

Integrative Medicine

Disaster Medicine

Internal Medicine

Emergency Medicine

Orthopedic Surgery

Family Practice

Urgent Care Medicine

Developed by the AAPS Board of Directors in 2005, these standards have been in effect for all Diplomates certified or recertified in 2006 or later. The recertification requirements are continually reviewed and, as circumstances warrant, revised. Individual ABPS Boards of Certification may also modify or add recertification requirements for their particular specialty. Diplomates should monitor the requirements listed on the ABPS website under their Board of Certification for possible changes.

American Board of Physician Specialties速 Standards for Recertification

Annual Requirements: 1. An average of 50 hours of CME should be earned in each year of the certification cycle, with 25 of those hours being in the specialty. A total of 400 hours of CME, 200 of those in-specialty, must be reported to ABPS at the end of the eight-year certification cycle.

2. An average of 50 questions of self-assessment CME Examination(s), as approved by the Board of Certification for the specialty, must be satisfactorily completed annually, except in the final year of the certification/recertification cycle. A total of 350 questions of self-assessment CME Examination must be reported to ABPS at the end of the eight-year certification cycle.

3. The annual certification maintenance fee established by the AAPS Board of Directors must be paid by January 31.

4. All ABPS Diplomates must certify annually that all of their medical licenses are full and unrestricted, and that they have not been convicted of a felony. Any change to licensure status must be reported to ABPS in writing within thirty (30) days of the change.

Other Requirements: 1. At least 16 of the CME hours received during the eight years prior to recertification must be obtained through AAPS-sponsored programs.

2. Diplomates must complete 7.5 hours of AAPSapproved Medical Ethics during the eight-year period preceding recertification. Approved courses include the AAPS-sponsored Medical Ethics course held annually in conjunction with the AAPS Scientific Meeting, or must be clearly named or described as a Medical Ethics course, or combination of courses, for physicians. CME hours earned for attending the AAPS-sponsored Medical Ethics course also count as AAPS-sponsored CME. 3. In the final year of their eight-year certification cycle, Diplomates must apply for recertification and pass a 100-question, securely administered, computer-based examination developed by ABPS for recertification.

CME Eligibility: The CME hours received through the self-assessments, AAPS-sponsored CME, and Medical Ethics may be applied towards the annual CME hours required for recertification.

CME hours utilized to meet each physician’s state and hospital requirements may also be applied towards the ABPS recertification requirements.

Application & Fees: The recertification application and additional information regarding recertification eligibility requirements, fees, application deadlines and examination dates can be found on the ABPS website at abpsus.org under Boards of Certification, then the specialty.

Contact Us: For answers to additional questions, or to receive an application by email, contact the ABPS at: certification@abpsus.org or (813) 433-2277.

Have You Heard?

More and more ABMS and AOABOS Diplomates are becoming ABPS Diplomates because of personalization, high standards, and innovativeness.

Interested physicians should contact the ABPS Certification Department.

American Board of Physician Specialties速

5550 W. Executive Drive, Suite 400 Tampa, FL 33609 (813) 433-ABPS (2277) | www.abpsus.org