AOA vs. ABIM: The importance of board certification

Board certification is “the linchpin” of physicians being able to practice medicine in contemporary U.S. health care. Without it, their career and practice options could be limited. In training, not having an attestation of completion of a residency effectively blocks the career of a budding physician. American Osteopathic Association President Robert G.G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN, continues his explaination about the effects of a policy of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Medical Economics: Can you talk about the importance of having that attestation of completion of a medical student or a resident? If they don't have that, it sounds like that's going to be stopping their career potentially.

Robert G.G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN: Well, it does, because the attestation basically states that you have reached the qualifications and the minimum requirements to proceed to the next phase of certification to be able to eventually get your license, to be board-certified. And that’s, I mean, that's the linchpin in this day and age of being able to be paneled by insurance companies, being able to move forward, and being able to basically practice. It's not that it's a hundred percent necessity to practice to the best of your ability, meaning being able to take insurances and that. It's the standard these days that you have to be board-certified to do well.