How to Check If Doctor is Board Certified
Being "board certified" means your doctor is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and that he is a standout in a particular medical specialty. A doctor does not have to be board certified to practice medicine, but it is an important factor when considering a doctor or surgeon for a specific task. For example, you would not want to have heart surgery done by a doctor who is board certified in plastic surgery. To be board certified, a doctor has to pass a special exam, in addition to several exams that all doctors must pass to earn a medical degree. Often, doctors who are not board certified are recent graduates from medical school.
Instructions
Check online. The ABMS allows visitors to check the directory online free of charge. Simply enter your doctor's name. You will have to register in order to use this site.
Call ABMS. Reach out to a board agent by dialing 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267). An agent will let you know if your potential or current physician is board certified or not.
Refer to the official ABMS directory, which is available in most public libraries. The directory contains the doctor's length of certification and whether he has been re-certified. However, the directory is not always up-to-date, so a phone call would be your best and most current option.
Contact a member board directly. Each area of medicine has its own ABMS board. You can reach the board for a particular specialty through mail, email, fax or phone.