General Policies & Requirements
- Special Training Policies
- Other Policies
- ABIM Evaluations and Judgments
- Board Eligibility
- Reporting Certification Status
- Representation of Certification Status
- Errors and Disruptions in Examination Administration
- Confidentiality Policy
- Licensure
- Disabled Candidates
- Substance Abuse
- Suspension and Revocation of Certification
- Irregular Behavior on Examinations
- ABIM Sanctions for Irregular Examination Behavior, Violation of its Copyright, or Other Misuse of its Materials
- Copyright and Examination Non-Disclosure Policy
- Competency in Technology
- Re-examination
Special Training Policies
TopDisclosure of Performance Information
Trainees planning to change programs must make requests to their current program and ABIM to send written evaluations of past performance to the new program. These requests must be made in a timely manner to ensure that the new program director has the performance evaluations for review before offering a position. A new program director may also request performance evaluations from previous programs and from ABIM concerning trainees who apply for a new position. ABIM will respond to written requests from trainees and program directors by providing any performance evaluations it has in its possession and the total credits accumulated toward ABIM's training requirements for Certification. This information will include the comments provided with the evaluation.
TopDue Process for Evaluations
The responsibility for the evaluation of a trainee's clinical competence and moral and ethical behavior rests with the program, not with ABIM. ABIM is not in a position to re-examine the facts and circumstances of an individual's performance. As required by ACGME in its Essentials of Accredited Residencies in Graduate Medical Education, the educational institution must provide appropriate due process for its decisions regarding a trainee's performance.
TopLeave of Absence and Vacations
Up to one month per academic year is permitted for time away from training, which includes vacation, illness, parental or family leave, or pregnancy-related disabilities. Training must be extended to make up any absences exceeding one month per year of training. Vacation leave is essential and should not be forfeited or postponed in any year of training and cannot be used to reduce the total required training period. ABIM recognizes that leave policies vary from institution to institution and expects the program director to apply his/her local requirements within these guidelines to ensure trainees have completed the requisite period of training.
TopDeficits in Required Training Time
For deficits of less than one month in required training time, ABIM will defer to the judgment of the program director and promotions or competency committee in determining the need for additional training. With program director attestation to ABIM that the trainee has achieved required competence, additional training time will not be required. Trainees cannot make a request to ABIM on their own behalf.
Examples:
- A rheumatology trainee who initiated training July 1, 2009 and anticipated completion by June 30, 2011 exceeds the total time permitted for leave over the 24 month training period by less than one additional month. If the program director and the institution's promotions or competency committee deem the trainee competent and attest to the competency on the ABIM FasTrack evaluation, the trainee could complete his or her training on the June 30, 2011 completion date.
- An internal medicine trainee who initiated training on July 15, 2008 (two weeks off cycle) has a scheduled completion date of July 14, 2011. The program director and the institution's promotions or competency committee deem the trainee competent on June 30, 2011 and attest to the competency on the ABIM FasTrack® final evaluation, documenting the reasons for the earlier completion date.
In either of these scenarios, if the program director and the competency or promotions committee deem the trainee competent, training does not need to be extended.
TopDefinition of Full-time Training
Full-time training is defined as daily assignments for periods of no less than one month to supervised patient care, educational or research activities designed to fulfill the goals of the training program. Full-time training must include formative and summative evaluation of clinical performance, with direct observation by faculty and senior trainees.
TopInterrupted Full-Time Training
ABIM approval must be obtained before initiating an interrupted training plan. Interrupted full-time training is acceptable, provided that no period of full-time training is less than one month. In any 12-month period, at least six months should be spent in training. Patient care responsibilities should be maintained in a continuity clinic during the non-training component of the year at a minimum of one-half day per week. Part-time training, whether or not continuous, is not acceptable.
TopOther Policies
TopABIM Evaluations and Judgments
Candidates for certification and Maintenance of Certification agree that their professional qualifications, including their moral and ethical standing in the medical profession and their competence in clinical skills, will be evaluated by ABIM, and ABIM's good faith judgment concerning such matters will be final.
ABIM may make inquiry of persons named in candidates' applications and of other persons, such as authorities of licensing bodies, hospitals or other institutions as ABIM may deem appropriate with respect to such matters. Candidates agree that ABIM may provide information it has concerning them to others whom ABIM judges to have a legitimate need for it.
ABIM makes academic and scientific judgments in its evaluations of the results of its examinations. Situations may occur, even through no fault of the candidates, that render examination results unreliable in the judgment of ABIM. Candidates agree that if ABIM determines, in its judgment, that the results of their examination are unreliable, ABIM may require the candidates to retake an examination at its next administration or other time designated by ABIM.
TopBoard Eligibility
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is requiring all member boards, including ABIM, to establish a Board Eligibility policy to define a time period for candidates to achieve certification and a process of re-entry for all candidates who do not successfully achieve certification during that time. All member boards are required to limit the period that may elapse between the completion of training in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited US training program or a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) accredited Canadian training program and attainment of board certification to no less than three years and no more than seven years.
ABIM is in the process of developing a final recommendation for the period of Board Eligibility for internal medicine, its subspecialties and the re-entry process. Once the policy is final, ABIM will share it with the Program Directors of all internal medicine training programs accredited by the ACGME and RCPSC and on this website. Please visit www.abim.org frequently for updates to this policy.
TopReporting Certification Status
ABIM will routinely report, through its website or by mail, whether physicians are certified (including dates) or not certified. If a physician was previously certified, the dates of former certification will be reported. If certification has been revoked or suspended, ABIM will report that fact, including the date of revocation or suspension.
On a candidate's written request to ABIM, the following information will also be provided in writing: (1) that an application for certification or Maintenance of Certification is currently in process and/or (2) the year the candidate was last admitted to examination.
TopRepresentation of Certification Status
Physicians must accurately state their ABIM Board Certification status at all times. This includes descriptions in curriculum vitae, advertisements, publications, directories and letterheads.
Please note: ABIM does not authorize the use of its logo by others.
Diplomates with expired time-limited certification or those whose certification is suspended or revoked may not claim ABIM Board Certification and must revise all descriptions of their qualifications accordingly. Diplomates who have multiple certifications and allow one of them to lapse should revise their public materials (letterhead, business cards, advertisements, etc.) to reflect those certifications that are currently valid. When a physician misrepresents Board Certification status, ABIM may suspend or revoke certification, suspend or revoke the physician's opportunity to participate in the certification or maintenance of certification process, and may notify local credentialing bodies, licensing bodies, law enforcement agencies and others.
TopErrors and Disruptions in Examination Administration
Occasionally problems occur in the creation, administration and scoring of examinations. For example, power failures, hardware and software problems, human errors or weather problems may interfere with some part of the examination process. When problems occur and ABIM determines that they have compromised the integrity of the examination results, ABIM will provide affected candidates with an opportunity for re-examination. Re-examination shall be the candidate's sole remedy. ABIM shall not be liable for inconvenience, expense or other damage caused by any problems in the creation, administration or scoring of an examination, including the need for retesting or delays in score reporting. In no circumstance will ABIM reduce its standards as a means of correcting a problem in examination administration.
TopConfidentiality Policy
ABIM considers the certification or recertification status of its candidates and diplomates to be public information.
ABIM provides a diplomate's Certification status and personal identifying information, including mailing address, e-mail address and social security number, to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) which publishes The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists. FSMB and ABMS use personal identifying information, including social security numbers, as a unique internal identifier and maintain the confidentiality of this information. On request, ABIM provides a diplomate’s Certification status and address to professional medical societies and other organizations that provide ABIM-sanctioned educational resources and products used for self-assessment of medical knowledge or practice performance in the Maintenance of Certification program.
ABIM provides residency and fellowship training directors with information about a trainee's prior training and pass/fail status on certifying examinations. If a trainee has given permission, ABIM will provide the program director with the trainee's score on his/her first attempt at the Certification examination for that area of training. ABIM uses examination performance, training program evaluations, self evaluations of knowledge and practice performance, and other information for research purposes, including collaboration with other research investigators and scientific publications. In such research, ABIM will not identify specific individuals, hospitals or practice associations. All practice performance data is HIPAA-compliant.
ABIM reserves the right to disclose information it possesses about any individual whom it judges has violated ABIM rules, engaged in misrepresentation or unprofessional behavior, or shows signs of impairment.
TopLicensure
ABIM diplomates and candidates for certification and Maintenance of Certification must possess a valid, unrestricted, and unchallenged medical license in the United States, its territories or Canada. Physicians practicing exclusively abroad and who do not hold a U.S. or Canadian license, must hold a license where they practice and provide documentation from the relevant licensing authority that their license is in good standing and without conditions or restrictions. A physician whose license has been restricted, suspended, revoked, or surrendered in any jurisdiction, cannot be certified, recertified or admitted to a certification examination and may be subject to suspension or revocation of certification or eligibility to participate in the certification process. Restrictions include but are not limited to conditions, contingencies, probation, and stipulated agreements.
TopDisabled Candidates
ABIM recognizes that some candidates have physical limitations that make it impossible for them to fulfill the requirement for proficiency in performing procedures. For such individuals, the procedural skills requirement may be waived. Program directors should write to ABIM for an exception before the individual enters training or when the disability becomes established.
ABIM is committed to offering suitable examination accommodations for all candidates, including individuals with disabilities. When necessary, alternative arrangements under conditions comparable to those provided for other candidates are offered to disabled individuals. Candidates who need accommodation for a disability during an examination must provide a written request to ABIM and documentation must be received by ABIM no later than the examination registration deadline. Reapplication for special accommodation is not required for each examination administration unless a new accommodation is requested. ABIM treats requests for accommodations as confidential. For additional information about the process and documentation requirements, please contact ABIM at accommodations@abim.org, or refer to Take the Exam: Testing Accommodations for Exam Takers with Disabilities.
TopSubstance Abuse
If a candidate or a diplomate has a history of substance abuse, documentation of at least one year of continuous sobriety from a reliable monitoring source must be submitted to ABIM for admission to an examination or to receive a certificate. ABIM treats such information as confidential.
TopSuspension and Revocation of Certification
ABIM may, at its discretion, revoke or rescind certification if the diplomate was not qualified to receive the certificate at the time it was issued, even if the certificate was issued as a result of a mistake on the part of ABIM. It may also revoke or suspend certification or participation in the certification process if (1) the physician fails to maintain moral, ethical or professional behavior satisfactory to ABIM, or engages in misconduct that adversely affects professional competence or integrity; (2) the physician made any material misstatement of fact or omission of fact to ABIM in connection with application or to any third party concerning the physician's certification status; or (3) the physician's license to practice medicine has been revoked, suspended, restricted or surrendered in any jurisdiction. Restrictions include but are not limited to conditions, contingencies, probation, and stipulated agreements. A physician may petition ABIM for admission to the certification process upon restoration of unrestricted licensure. If ABIM grants the petition, and upon such conditions as ABIM may require, the physician must complete ABIM's Maintenance of Certification program. Upon successful completion of the Maintenance of Certification program, the physician will be granted certification consistent with the then current policies of ABIM.
TopIrregular Behavior on Examinations
All ABIM Examinations are administered in secure testing centers by test administrators who are responsible for maintaining the integrity and security of the certification process. Test administrators are required to report to ABIM any irregular or improper behavior by a candidate. Examples of irregular or improper behavior include giving or obtaining information or aid, looking at the test material of others, removing examination materials from the test center, taking notes, bringing unauthorized items, including watches or electronic devices (e.g., beepers, pagers, cell phones, etc.), into the examination, failing to comply with time limits or instructions, talking, or other disruptive behavior. Test administrators may intervene to stop any of the foregoing. In addition, as part of its effort to assure exam integrity, ABIM utilizes data forensic techniques that use statistical analyses of test-response data to identify patterns of test fraud, including cheating and copyright infringement. ABIM investigates all irregularity reports.
TopABIM Sanctions for Irregular Examination Behavior, Violation of its Copyright, or Other Misuse of its Materials
Irregular or improper behavior in examinations that is observed, made apparent by data forensics, statistical analysis, or uncovered by other means will be considered a subversion of the certification process and will constitute grounds for invalidation of a candidate’s examination. In addition, ABIM may at its discretion suspend or revoke certification, exclude candidates from future examinations and inform program director(s), licensing bodies, impaired physicians advocacy groups, or law enforcement agencies of ABIM's actions. Those who take ABIM examinations have a continuing obligation to maintain examination confidentiality
If you see cheating or other inappropriate behavior before, during and after an examination, please contact ABIM’s Exam Integrity Hotline at 1-800-884-2246 or send an e-mail to security@abim.org. Note: the Exam Integrity Hotline should be used ONLY to report irregular behavior.
TopCopyright and Examination Non-Disclosure Policy
All ABIM materials are protected by the federal Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq. Access to all such materials, as further detailed below, is strictly conditioned upon agreement to abide by ABIM's rights under the Copyright Act and to maintain examination confidentiality.
ABIM examinations are confidential, in addition to being protected by federal copyright and trade secret laws. Candidates and diplomates who undertake examinations agree that they will not copy, reproduce, adapt, disclose, or transmit examinations, in whole or in part, before or after taking an examination, by any means now known or hereafter invented. They further agree that they will not reconstruct examination content from memory, by dictation, or by any other means or otherwise discuss examination content with others. Candidates and Diplomates further acknowledge that disclosure or any other use of ABIM examination content constitutes professional misconduct and may expose them to criminal as well as civil liability, and may also result in ABIM's imposition of penalties against them, including but not limited to, invalidation of examination results, exclusion from future examinations, suspension, revocation of certification and other sanctions.
With respect to ABIM's Maintenance of Certification (MOC) products, including its Medical Knowledge Modules and ABIM PIMs Practice Improvement Modules®, candidates agree that they will not copy, reproduce or make any adaptations of such materials in any manner; and will not assist someone else in the infringement or misuse of these or any other ABIM-copyrighted works.
TopCompetency in Technology
Consistent with the ABMS/ACGME General Competencies in Systems-Based Practice, ABIM requires its candidates and diplomates to possess sufficient competencies in information technology, including the use of personal computers, the Internet, and e-mail, for correspondence and completion of examinations and modules throughout their participation in ABIM Certification and Maintenance of Certification programs.
TopRe-examination
Candidates who are unsuccessful on an examination may apply for re-examination as set forth below. To be granted admission, candidates must meet all applicable licensure, professional standing, and procedural requirements.
Beginning with the 2011 administration of initial certification exams, candidates who fail three consecutive initial certification exams in the same discipline over three years will not be permitted to take an exam in that discipline during the next annual exam administration.
For example:
- A candidate who is unsuccessful on the Internal Medicine Certification Exam in 2011, 2012, and 2013 would need to wait until the 2015 administration of the exam to re-apply for admission.
As long as the above requirements are met, there is no restriction on the total number of opportunities for re-examination. Only exam failures occurring 2011 and after will count toward the three-examination limit.
This policy applies only to ABIM initial certification exams offered annually; it does not apply to:
- Certification exams offered every other year - Sleep Medicine, Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Transplant Hepatology or Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
- Certification and MOC exams offered by other ABMS boards - Sports Medicine and Adolescent Medicine
- Maintenance of Certification exams