Board-certified specialists

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Board-certified specialists

Board-certified specialists are doctors who have advanced education, clinical training, and certification in a specific field. A subspecialist is a doctor who is trained or certified as a specialist and then receives additional training in a specific area (subspecialty).

A doctor becomes board-certified by completing training in a specialty area and passing an examination. To be board-certified, the doctor must complete the education required to get an MD (medical doctor) or DO (doctor of osteopathy) degree, complete 3 to 7 years of training in a residency program in the specialty field, and pass a written test given by the specialty board. Many specialty boards also require doctors to pass an oral test.

Specialty boards certify that doctors have met certain standards. Certification is voluntary; not all specialists are certified. There are 24 specialty boards currently recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Medical Association. Most specialties require recertification every 5 to 10 years.

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Author	Jeannette Curtis
Author	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated	May 25, 2007

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Last updated:	May 25, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC

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