What is board certification?

As put by Michael Roizen, M.D. in his book You: The Smart Patient, board certification simply means that a "doctor passed several exams in a specialized area." A doctor who is a specialist should have had three years of supervised training in their specialty, in addition to four years of medical school. After their three years of training, doctors are given an examination by an organization recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Medical Association. "And he has to receive continuing education in that area to keep his board certification as well, so that's a credential to look for whether it's board certification in pediatrics, dermatology, or the dozens of other areas," writes Dr. Roizen. Many experts believe that board certification should be your most important criterion in the selection of a specialist.

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