The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS), the official certifying body for the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

umbrella organization An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

for sixteen medical specialty boards that certifies and re-certifies physicians in fourteen

medical specialties A medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. Examples include those branches of medicine that deal exclusively with children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The ABPS is one of three organizations overseeing

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

(M.D.) and

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O., or in Australia DO USA) is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become lice ...

(D.O.) certification in the United States. The ABPS assists its Member Boards in developing and implementing educational and professional standards to evaluate and certify physician specialists. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

History

The American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS) is the smallest of three multi-specialty physician/surgeon certifying entities in the United States, providing board certification to both M.D. and D.O. physicians. The AAPS has grouped its certification activities within a single subdivision called the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). In August 2005, the ABPS name was registered to AAPS. The ABPS implements certification functions under the direction of AAPS. AAPS (originally known as the American Association of Osteopathic Physicians was founded in 1952 by Dr. E.O. Martin. Since 1984, AAPS has provided a headquarters for medical specialty boards of certification.

Recognition by state medical boards

Today in the U.S. and its territories, there are seventy (70) state medical boards—some state medical boards are composed of an M.D. board and a D.O. board while others are combined as one, called a "composite board". Of the 70 state boards, the vast majority ''do not'' differentiate between any of the three nationally recognized multi-specialty boards of certification (ABMS, ABPS, AOABOS). In other words, the majority of the state medical boards are silent (or neutral) as to which board a given physician is certified by. The remaining boards, approximately twenty (20), have established specific rules for physician advertising by which boards have to petition and receive permission for physicians to be able to advertise themselves as "board certified". Those twenty (20) boards are: * Arizona Medical Board * Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners * Medical Board of California Osteopathic * Medical Board of California * Florida Board of Medicine (ABPS is Recognized) * Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine (ABPS is Recognized) * Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners * Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts * New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners * New York State Board for Medicine (ABPS not recognized as equal to AMBS certification) * North Carolina Medical Board * Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision (ABPS is Recognized) * Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners (ABPS is Recognized) * Oregon Medical Board * Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine * Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicine (ABPS is Recognized) * South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners * Texas Medical Board (ABPS is Recognized) * Utah Department of Commerce (Physicians Licensing Board) * Utah Department of Commerce (Board of Osteopathic Medicine) (ABPS is Recognized) Physicians certified by ABPS and licensed by the

Medical Board of California The Medical Board of California (MBC) is a state government agency which licenses and disciplines physicians, surgeons and certain allied healthcare professionals in California. The Board provides two principal types of services to consumers: (1) ...

are prohibited from using the term "board certified" unless they are also certified by an

American Board of Medical Specialties Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a non-profit organization which represent 24 broad areas of specialty medicine. ABMS is the largest physician-led specialty certification organization in the United States ...

board. It also appears that certification by an ABPS member board is not sufficient to allow use of the term "board certified" by physicians licensed in the State of New York. However, interpreting the law in New York is more complex.

Specialties

The ABPS, the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS), is the United States' third largest recognized physician multi-specialty certifying body, providing physician board certification re-certification for thousands of physicians in following 20 medical specialties: * Administrative Medicine *

Anesthesiology Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...

Dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medica ...

Diagnostic Radiology Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues ( physiology). Medical imaging seeks to r ...

Disaster Medicine Disaster medicine is the area of medical specialization serving the dual areas of providing health care to disaster survivors and providing medically related disaster preparation, disaster planning, disaster response and disaster recovery lead ...

- American Board of Disaster Medicine (ABODM) * Emergency Medicine- Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM) * Family Medicine Obstetrics *

Family Practice Family medicine is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primar ...

Geriatric Medicine Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros' ...

Hospital Medicine Hospital medicine is a medical specialty that exists in some countries as a branch of family medicine or internal medicine, dealing with the care of acutely ill hospitalized patients. Physicians whose primary professional focus is caring for ...

Integrative Medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alte ...

* Internal Medicine * Obstetrics and Gynecology *

Ophthalmology Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

Orthopedic Surgery Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

* Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery *

Psychiatry Psychiatry is the specialty (medicine), medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psych ...

Radiation Oncology Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...

* Surgery *

Urgent Care An urgent care center (UCC), also known as an urgent treatment centre in the United Kingdom, is a type of walk-in clinic focused on the delivery of urgent ambulatory care in a dedicated medical facility outside of a traditional emergency departme ...

References

External links

American Board of Physician Specialties

American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Board Of Physician Specialties Medical associations based in the United States Medical and health organizations based in Florida

History

Recognition by state medical boards

Specialties

See also

References

External links