Each issue of our Health After 50 newsletter includes House Calls, an informative question and answer section. Here’s a sample.
Q. Should my doctor be board certified?
A. Doctors do not have to be board certified to practice; approximately 85% of M.D.s are. Generally, doctors test for certification after completing residency training.
According to Health After 50 Board Member Edward Wallach, M.D., Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins, "Board certification should be one of the top considerations in choosing a doctor. Certification is a sign that the doctor has had his or her credentials reviewed, has up-to-date licensure, has kept up to date on new medical innovations after residency, and is participating in a continual learning process in his or her specialty.”
To become board certified, a doctor must pass exams administered by one of the 24 specialty boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a nonprofit organization composed of leading medical specialists. Subspecialty certificates can be obtained after additional training within a particular field (e.g., a board-certified radiologist may test for a subspecialty certificate in neuroradiology). A similar process is in place for medical doctors with osteopathic degrees (D.O.s) through the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) specialty board. D.O.s may also train and sit for board certification by ABMS specialty boards. Most specialties require recertification testing every 10 years.
Some doctors advertise themselves as "board eligible,” but this term means only that they are eligible to begin the certification process, not that they are actively working toward it. Younger doctors may use this term while they are taking their exams or waiting for examination results, but the term doesn’t guarantee quality. Your insurance provider may note whether its participating doctors are board certified. Alternatively, search the ABMS database at www.abms.org/ newsearch.asp or call (866) 275-2267. For a board-certified osteopath, call AOA Member Service Center at (800) 621-1773.
