How do you know if an Emergency Physician is Certified?

Most board certified emergency physicians possesses a certificate from the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and is referred to as a Diplomate of the ABEM. Alternatively, for those that trained in osteopathic emergency medicine programs, the certificate comes from the American Board of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine (AOBEM). There are other organizations that claim to be certifying agencies (e.g., BCEM), which are not endorsed by the specialty and felt by many to be a sham.

Information about ABEM certification status can be obtained by calling the ABEM at (517) 332-4800 or the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) at (800) 776-2378 or visit their web site.

Certified specialists are also listed in directories published by the ABMS. These include individual directories for each specialty and The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists, which can be found in many public and university libraries, hospital libraries, and medical school libraries.

Information about AOBEM certification status can be obtained by calling the AOBEM (312) 335-1065 or visiting their web site.