Why Get Board Certification?

[prominence]

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Obviously, board certifcation within one's specialty adds creditability to the individual, as it looks impressive on a resume, and helps with advertising one's private practice. Also, I understand that hospitals and private practices strongly prefer someone who is board certified/board eligible when it comes time to hiring physicians.

But other than for "cosmetic" reasons, is there any necessity or legal requirement to get board certification in one's specialty as far being ELIGIBLE to practice in the U.S.?

(Note: In this scenario, I am assuming that an individual has completed an accredited U.S. residency, and has met the requirements for getting a state license within the U.S.).

Please reply if you are knowledgeable about this topic. Thanks.

 

[DrMom]

More and more insurance companies are requiring board cert/board eligibility in order to contract with them. If you're in an area with a lot of people on managed care plans, then you rely on these contract to make a living.

Also, some hospitals and clinics strongly prefer if not require board cert/board eligibility in order to get privlidges there.

Many of the older docs are excepted from these situations, but as far as the new docs go...it really is expected that we be board cert.

BTW: my knowledge of this comes from working in physician credentialing for a number of years.

 

[prominence]

The reaon I ask this question is that I have come across a few fellowships which are not "ACGME" accredited. To my understanding, those who have completed such fellowship training programs are not eligible to sit for their respective subspecialty board exams. Thus, they cannot be board certified within their subspecialty.

Can they still practice their subspecialty?

 

[docB]

What specialty are you talking about? There are some fellowships in "subspecialties" that don't offer a board cert such as EMS and ultrasound (I'm an EP so I know about the EM related ones). For those it wouldn't matter. If you're talking about something like cardiology I would suggest that you not do a program that isn't ACGME accredited. Why spend your time and effort only to be severly limited in your practice when you could just do an accredited fellowship? You are correct that you can legally practice without the board cert but in reality you can't due to the restrictions of hospital credential requirements as Dr. Mom pointed out. You're getting in to that area with the people that ask "Can I practice without completing a residency?" Answer: Legally yes. Realistically no.

 

[prominence]

You're getting in to that area with the people that ask "Can I practice without completing a residency?" Answer: Legally yes. Realistically no.

I was under the impression that you are legally required to complete a residency, but board certification is not required. Is this accurate?

 

[DrMom]

I believe that most states require that you complete an internship year & pass step 3 in order to be licensed. I'm sure there is some variation from state-to-state.

 

[prominence]

I believe that most states require that you complete an internship year & pass step 3 in order to be licensed. I'm sure there is some variation from state-to-state.

Thank you for your reply. But, what does this have to do with board specialty certification?

 

[DrMom]

Thank you for your reply. But, what does this have to do with board specialty certification?

It doesn't. I was responding to this post of yours:

I was under the impression that you are legally required to complete a residency, but board certification is not required. Is this accurate?

In other words, I was saying that you don't usually have to complete an entire residency to practice. I thought that was what you were referring to in your post above.

 

[prominence]

Dr. Mom, thanks for the clarification to my earlier post. I appreciate it.

 

[radonc]

board certification = more $$$, in addition to everything else mentioned above.

why not get board certified? its just another test, in addition to the sat, mcat, boards x3 and every test for college/med school that we had to take...

 

[prominence]

board certification = more $$$, in addition to everything else mentioned above.

why not get board certified? its just another test, in addition to the sat, mcat, boards x3 and every test for college/med school that we had to take...

i fully agree with you that being board certified within a subspecialty provides more advantages and options. i really don't understand why certain institutions/departments offer fellowship programs which are not ACGME certified though. for a competitive subspecialty, i would figure that its better to get into a nonaccredited program if this was your only option, than not get in altogether, right?

 

[docB]

i fully agree with you that being board certified within a subspecialty provides more advantages and options. i really don't understand why certain institutions/departments offer fellowship programs which are not ACGME certified though. for a competitive subspecialty, i would figure that its better to get into a nonaccredited program if this was your only option, than not get in altogether, right?

I don't think so. I'd say that being a non-boarded cardiologist from a non-accredited program would be useless and a big waste of time. You'd never be allowed to do anything in any hospital.

 

[ny skindoc]

As stated some sub-specialties do not yet have a certification process in place,this was the case in pediatric dermatology until recently.So merely completing such a fellowship would be fine.If a non accredited fellowship is offered in a field which does have such certification then it may be a new program with provisional accreditation.Sometimes non-accredited fellowships are offered in competitive fields as a way of generating income for the program(sometimes not even offered by hospitals but individual groups of practitioners).In general training in such programs would be a poor choice.However if one was interested in practicing in a physician -specialist shortage location, as may be found in rural communities or smaller midwestern towns someone who completed such a fellowship may well be able to get a practice going and could get hospital privileges if they can demostrate that they are otherwise qualfied.