Is your Physician Board Certified?
Not all students who graduated from medical schools have medical licenses to legally practice medicine and not all physicians who have medical licenses are board certified. More so, not all board certified physicians are immediately available in hospital ERs and urgent care clinics.
Board certification is a voluntary process which has a specific specialty. It meets additional standards beyond basic licensing. They have to earn the board certification through one of the 24 Member Boards that are part of the not-for-profit American Board of Medical Specialties, also known as ABMS.
If a physician is board certified, it means that that physician is dedicated in providing exceptional patient care through a commitment of a lifelong learning. They also participate in an ongoing process of a continuing education to keep up to date with the latest advances in medical science and technology in his or her specialty.
Thankfully, with the present advanced technologies, there are ways to know whether a physician is board certified or not by checking them online, calling ABMS toll-free 1-866-ASK-ABMS (1-866-275-2267), contacting an ABMS member board, or checking them in medical and public libraries.
Moreover, it is good to know that there are freestanding ERs, like Physicians Premier ER, that can vouch for board certified physicians, who serve patients of all ages 24/7 with compassion, integrity and with clinical excellence.
