To become board certified in a specialty, physicians must complete an approved educational program through the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). They also go through an evaluation process which includes a test designed to measure the knowledge, skills and experience of the physician in that specialty.
In addition to getting certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties (which has 24 medical specialty boards), D.O.s can also get certified by one of the 18 American Osteopathic Association Approved Specialty Boards. Certification by an AOA Approved Board is not a requirement to practice in a medical specialty.
| Physicians can receive the following certifications from the ABMS: |
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| American Board of... |
General Certificates |
Subspecialty Certificates |
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| Allergy & Immunology |
Allergy & Immunology |
Clinical & Laboratory Immunology |
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| Anesthesiology |
Anesthesiology |
Critical Care Medicine |
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Pain Management |
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| Colon & Rectal Surgery |
Colon & Rectal Surgery |
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| Dermatology |
Dermatology |
Clinical & Laboratory Dermatological Immunology |
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D-pathology |
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Pediatric Dermatology |
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| Emergency Medicine |
Emergncy Medicine |
Medical Toxicology |
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Pediatric Emergency Medicine |
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Sports Medicine |
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Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine |
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| Family Practice |
Family Practice |
Geriatric Medicine |
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Sports Medicine |
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| Internal Medicine |
Internal Medicine |
Adolescent Medicine |
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Cardiovascular Disease |
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Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology |
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Clinical & Laboratory Immunology |
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Critical Care Medicine |
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Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism |
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Gastroenterology |
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Geriatric Medicine |
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Hematology |
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Infectious Disease |
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Interventional Cardiology |
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Medical Oncology |
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Nephrology |
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Pulmonary Disease |
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Rheumatology |
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Sports Medicine |
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| Medical Genetics |
Clinical Biochemical Genetics |
Molecular Genetic Pathology |
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Clinical Cytogenetics |
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Clinical Genetics - M.D. |
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Clinical Molecular Genetics |
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Ph.D. Medical Genetics |
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| Neurological Surgery |
Neurological Surgery |
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| Nuclear Medicine |
Nuclear Medicine |
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| Obstetrics & Gynecology |
Obstetrics & Gynecology |
Critical Care Medicine |
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Gynecologic Oncology |
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Maternal - Fetal Medicine |
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Reproductive Endocrinology |
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| Opthalmology |
Opthalmology |
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| Orthopaedic Surgery |
Orthopaedic Surgery |
Hand Surgery |
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| Otolaryngology |
Otolaryngology |
Otolog/Neurotology |
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Pediatric Otolaryngology |
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Plastic Surgery within the Head and Neck |
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| Pathology Anatomic |
Anatomic Pathology & Clinical Pathology |
Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine |
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Anatomic Pathology |
Chemical Pathology |
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Clinical Pathology |
Cytopathology |
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Dermatopathology |
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Forensic Pathology |
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Hematology |
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Immunopathology |
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Medical Microbiology |
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Molecular Genetic Pathology |
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Neuropathology |
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Pediatric Pathology |
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| Pediatrics |
Pediatrics |
Adolescent Medicine |
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Clinical & Laboratory Immunology |
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Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics |
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Medical Toxicology |
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Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine |
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Neurodevelopmental Disabilities |
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Pediatric Cardiology |
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Pediatric Critical Care Medicine |
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Pediatric Emergency Medicine |
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Pediatric Endocrinology |
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Pediatric Gastroenterology |
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Pediatric Hematology-Oncology |
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Pediatric Infection Diseases |
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Pediatric Nephrology |
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Pediatric Pulmonolgy |
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Pediatric Rheumatology |
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Sports Medicine |
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| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitiation |
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation |
Pain Management |
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Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine |
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Spinal Cord Injury Medicine |
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| Plastic Surgery |
Plastic Surgery |
Hand Surgery |
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Plastic Surgery Within the Head and Neck |
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| Preventive Medicine |
Aerospace Medicine |
Medical Toxicology |
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Occupational Medicine |
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine |
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Public Health & General Preventive Medicine |
Undersea Medicine |
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| Psychiatry & Neurology |
Psychiatry |
Addiction Psychiatry |
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Neurology |
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry |
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Neurology with Special |
Clinical Neurophysiology |
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Qualifications in Child |
Forensic Psychiatry |
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Neurology |
Geriatric Psychiatry |
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Neurodevelopmental Disabilities |
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Pain Management |
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| Radiology |
Diagnostic Radiology |
Neuroradiology |
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Radiation Oncology |
Nuclear Radiology |
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Radiological Physics |
Pediatric Radiology |
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Radiology |
Vascular & Interventional Radiology |
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| Surgery |
Surgery |
General Vascular Surgery |
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Pediatric Surgery |
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Surgery of the Hand |
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Surgical Critical Care |
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| Thoracic Surgery |
Thoracic Surgery |
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| Urology |
Urology |
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