ABMS defines board eligibility as the period of time between when a physician completes an accredited residency program and when initial certification in a specialty is achieved. The ABMS physician certification database is the most widely respected and accepted resource for board certification information. • The ABMS Board Eligibility Policy, effective January 1, 2012, limits the period of time that may elapse between a physician’s completion of training and achievement of initial certification in a specialty. It includes information on more than 900,000 physicians. As of January 1, the … ABMS is a nationally recognized, nonprofit organization serving the public and the medical profession by improving the quality of health care, setting professional standards for lifelong certification in partnership with its Member Boards. On January 1, 2012, ABMS established its Board Eligibility Policy which places limits on this time period. For descriptions of all the medical specialties where certification is offered by an ABMS Member Board, see the complete ABMS Guide to Medical Specialties (2020) [PDF] . To find out the requirements associated with a specific Member Board, call the Board directly. The ABMS Board Eligibility Policy for Specialty Certification (effective January 1, 2012) and the ABMS Eligibility Policy for Subspecialty Certification (effective January 1, 2018) places limits on this time period. A listing of contact information for the ABMS Member Boards is available on this website. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has for the first time set new upper and lower time limits for board eligibility.

The ABMS Board Eligibility Policy for Specialty Certification (effective January 1, 2012) and the ABMS Eligibility Policy for Subspecialty Certification (effective January 1, 2018) places limits on this time period. Description of board eligibility. The ABMS Board Eligibility Policy for Specialty Certification and the ABMS Eligibility Policy for Subspecialty Certification enable Member Boards to set parameters for how candidates can use the term "board eligible" as a way to signal their preparations for certification while at the same time closing off the potential for abuse through using the term indefinitely.

About the ABMS Physician Certification Database. Information about a physician’s certification status has always been available through ABMS.