Do we need to be board certified?

[prettymean]

Hello, I would like to know do we have to be board certified to practice or as long as we are fully licensed. Because I can get licensed during the first year of my family practice residency. If I can practice after that, why should I finish the residency?

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[southerndoc]

Some states only require a year of GME (e.g., your internship).

However, many hospitals now require that you be not only board-eligible, but board-certified as well before you can have priviledges at their hospital. It's expected that nearly all hospitals will require this in the future. Rumor has it that JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) is going to require it.

If you plan on practicing in a doc-in-the-box without admitting priviledges, then you can probably get by with it. I'm still not so sure it's a wise idea though. You would be better off to finish your residency.

 

[DrMom]

I have done physician credentialling for hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies for years...all of these entities strongly prefer having contracts with board certified physicians and some of them absolutely require board certification. Considering that most insurance plans are managed care (where the insurance company and physician have a contractural agreement), it will probably be difficult to do business without the board cert.

I also think that more and more patients are asking about things like board certification when selecting a physician, so that is another consideration.

My opinion? Why go through so much training to then cut yourself short?

 

[ckent]

The older generation of docs used to be able to get away with not being board certified in most specialties. These days, it is a requirement for most residency and fellowship programs that you become board certified before you graduate from their program. 1 yr of residency may enable you to set up a private practice out in some rural town, but it's not advised that you "aim" to do that because as previous posters indicated, you will be very limited in your practice.

 

[prettymean]

Can we take the board within the first year of our residency?

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I did a third-year family practice clerkship with a physician who was not board certified....he had done an internship only. He was the worst doctor I have ever worked with. He had only been out of training 10 years, but I'm not lying when I say I could be a better family practitioner upon graduation from med school. (And I'm nothing special) Residency exists for a reason. Medicine (any specialty) is too complicated to learn in only 5 years.

 

[southerndoc]

Originally posted by prettymean
Can we take the board within the first year of our residency?

No. If you could, then residencies would only be a year long.

Most residencies require 3 years of graduate medical education. Exceptions include surgery (requires 5 years), psychiatry (4 years), radiology (4-5 years + 1 year of transitional), and of course all the fellowships (cardiology, gastroenterology, etc.) require 3 years or comparable of GME plus 2-5 years of fellowship.

 

[joelee955]

I agree, one year is not enough to practice medicine. There are physicians out there who know very little even after 3 years. I think it also depends on how much you keep up with the literature once you're done with residency.

There are tons of doctors out there who are not board certified who have very busy practices, and are good doctors.

Also, you can certainly moonlight on a permanant basis too.

Do you want to start working after one year of residency due to financial reason? You may be able to moonlight for a few years and go back to residency as a second year in family practice. FP is not competitive and many programs will be willing to take a second year resident.

 

[blackcat]

if you do not complete a residency and get board certified you could work but your marketability is low and will likely decrease as we become more specialized.

 

[BenHoganFan]

You can practice in a primary care setting (ambulatory care) with just 1 year of training. Certain states (KY is one) accept physicians, with just one year of training, as a General Medical Officer. There are openings in prisons for physicians with this training. To work in an outpatient urgent care, you won't be elligible for a full time position with full pay and benefits. You may want to try for pharmaceutical companies but most positions require a board certified internist. There are also Federal positions where you can practice as an Occupation Medical Officer.

 

[mandownunder]

In the old days before Family Practice became a specialty, many doctors practiced General Medicine after one year of training. In the military if there is a need, sometimes they make you work as a General Medical Officer (GMO) after just one year of training before allowing you to enter residency and specialize. Many DOs also practice after just the internship, sometimes in the "Doc-in-the-Box" type facilities.

 

[smackdaddy]

only if you want to be reimbursed.
you could go into pharmaceuticals or some other paramedical profession. or law school. if for some reason you only do one year. even these are becoming increasingly competitive.

at least for internal medicine-there is no longer the category- board eligible. you are either board certified or not.

if you want to work in the sticks somewhere, you may get away without being board certified if you are in a specialty they need. good luck if you get sued though.

 

[DermRes]

Once you are lisenced by the state to do anything you want to do after the internship. you can legally do brain surgery if people let you. But without the board certification, you can only do it in your own home because no hospital will give you the previledge

 

[HiFi]

No offense, but I never met any interns on the last day of their internship, that looked competent.
Why some states license people after 1 year is beyone me.

Fortunately, no hospital will give you priviliges and most of the insurance companies won't accept your services unless your are BC/BE

 

[DermRes]

That is my whole point. You can LEGALLY do it. But no one will let you and no insurance co will pay you...

Thus the need for board certification