A lowly M2 here wondering what the difference is between being board certified and board qualified. I'm assuming you have to be qualified before certified? Where can I find more info?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Board Certified vs. Board Qualified
- Thread starter myrtle
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I believe by qualified you mean eligible. Being board eligible just means that you have completed all the requirements to sit for your boards. Obviously, being board certified means you have passed your specialty boards.
Many states do not require you to be board certified to practice a specialty. That is, there is often nothing legally keeping a family doctor from practicing cosmetic dermatology. This is frequently regulated at the hospital and insurance company level - a hospital will not grant you privileges unless you're BC or an insurance company will not reimburse if you're not BC.
Many states do not require you to be board certified to practice a specialty. That is, there is often nothing legally keeping a family doctor from practicing cosmetic dermatology. This is frequently regulated at the hospital and insurance company level - a hospital will not grant you privileges unless you're BC or an insurance company will not reimburse if you're not BC.
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There is 'board certified' and 'not board certified'.
A lot of places will use 'board eligible' for anyone who has finished a residency in the respective specialty and is as such eligible to sit for the board exam but hasn't taken it (yet). It is the same as 'not board certified', just sounds better.
Never heard 'board qualified' as a designator.
It is funny how attorneys (who don't know a lot about qualifications in medicine) get hung up on this. 2 weeks ago I testified as a witness in a criminal case. The DA and the defense attorney both asked me whether I was 'what would be considered board certified'. I am sure the members of the jury wouldn't have believed me that the foot was broken if I had just been some lowly 'BE' doc.
A lot of places will use 'board eligible' for anyone who has finished a residency in the respective specialty and is as such eligible to sit for the board exam but hasn't taken it (yet). It is the same as 'not board certified', just sounds better.
Never heard 'board qualified' as a designator.
It is funny how attorneys (who don't know a lot about qualifications in medicine) get hung up on this. 2 weeks ago I testified as a witness in a criminal case. The DA and the defense attorney both asked me whether I was 'what would be considered board certified'. I am sure the members of the jury wouldn't have believed me that the foot was broken if I had just been some lowly 'BE' doc.
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To make this more complicated, different state medical boards have different rules on what boards are "recognized" and how you are allowed to advertise various board certifications.
Texas,for example,only recognizes ABMS member boards and a couple of other boards. You can only advertise as board certified if you are a member of these boards. Furthermore you can't advertise yourself as being board certified in a specialty that is not ABMS covered.
New York,on the other hand lets you advertise more liberally even though they only "recognize" ABMS and Canadian boards. The rule is that you have to state the name of the board that certifies you. You will see statements like these in New York physician ads:
Board Certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging
Board Certified by the American Board of Laser Surgery
Hey, spending a weekend in Las Vegas is a great way to get board certified!
Texas,for example,only recognizes ABMS member boards and a couple of other boards. You can only advertise as board certified if you are a member of these boards. Furthermore you can't advertise yourself as being board certified in a specialty that is not ABMS covered.
New York,on the other hand lets you advertise more liberally even though they only "recognize" ABMS and Canadian boards. The rule is that you have to state the name of the board that certifies you. You will see statements like these in New York physician ads:
Board Certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging
Board Certified by the American Board of Laser Surgery
Hey, spending a weekend in Las Vegas is a great way to get board certified!
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The American Board of Emergency Medicine specifically says that they don't recognize the term "board eligible". Their nomenclature for pre-boarding is "board prepared".
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The term Board Qualified comes up in Gen Surg, albeit not very often:
if you have finished an approved residency, paid your fees, etc. you are: Board Eligible
if you have passed the written ABS exam but not the oral exam, you are: Board Qualified (the written exam is officially referred to as the Qualifying Exam)
if you have passed the oral and written ABS exams, you are: Board Certified
if you have finished an approved residency, paid your fees, etc. you are: Board Eligible
if you have passed the written ABS exam but not the oral exam, you are: Board Qualified (the written exam is officially referred to as the Qualifying Exam)
if you have passed the oral and written ABS exams, you are: Board Certified
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The American Board of Pathology has taken many steps to let it be known that there is no such thing as being board eligible.
They also sent me an official letter when I applied for the board exam stating that I was eligible to take the board exams until 2010.
So I am eligible to sit for the boards until 2010, which sounds like I am board eligible, except there is no such thing ?!?!?
PS Now Im board certified, so its a moot point for me.
They also sent me an official letter when I applied for the board exam stating that I was eligible to take the board exams until 2010.
So I am eligible to sit for the boards until 2010, which sounds like I am board eligible, except there is no such thing ?!?!?
PS Now Im board certified, so its a moot point for me.
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ha ha ha.. that is even more nebulous..
the reason why people dont recognize board eligible term is because people were calling themselves board eligible forever as long as you finished residency you were board eligible. You cant discriminate against someone for being board eligible but you can if you are not board eligible. Board eligibility runs out after a certain amount of years. But who knows what the hell board prepared means. geez.. put that in the yellow pages and that sounds good.
