The Importance of Board Certification

A Note from Medestar’s Vice President:

     The importance of Board Certification has increased 10 fold over the past 10 years I have spent in the locum industry. In 2001, approximately 1 out of every 10 facilities in need of additional physician coverage required Board Certification. Currently, however, 9 out of 10 facilities require Board Certification. Physicians who are not Board Certified have a much more difficult time finding a position, and I believe there are 2 main reasons for this:

     1. Hospitals and practices want to provide the best care to their patients and having a Board Certified physician shows that the physicians have met a minimum competency requirement and reflects well on the hospital since they have sought out the best providers. The same cannot be said for a physician who is non-certified. Board certification assures the public that board certified physicians have successfully completed the educational, training, and experience requirements of the specialty, including an examination designed to assess the competencies required to provide quality services in that specialty. This process serves to address the competency of the physician, not just knowledge. Board Certification further legitimatizes the overall image of the physician as well as the practice they represent.
     2. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun to offer additional incentives to physicians that are board certified such as an additional .5 percent incentive payment.

     So, if you are a physician debating whether or not to become board certified, our advice is yes, take the test and become board certified. You will open the door to many more professional options concerning where you can practice. You will also give your patients a sense of security knowing you have taken the extra step to make sure you have the knowledge and experience to treat them fully and accurately.