What is ABEM?

The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) is one of 24 medical specialty certification boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. ABEM certifies emergency physicians who meet its educational, professional standing, and examination standards. ABEM certification is sought and earned by emergency physicians on a voluntary basis; ABEM is not a membership association.

ABEM Mission

The ABEM mission is to protect the public by promoting and sustaining the integrity, quality, and standards of training in and practice of Emergency Medicine.

ABEM Purposes

The ABEM purposes are scientific and educational:

• To improve the quality of emergency medical care
• To establish and maintain high standards of excellence in the specialty of Emergency Medicine and its approved subspecialties
• To improve medical education and facilities for training emergency physicians, and subspecialists in approved ABEM subspecialties
• To evaluate specialists in Emergency Medicine who apply for initial certification and continuous certification and subspecialists in approved subspecialties who apply for subcertification, and continuous certification 
• To grant and issue to qualified physicians certificates or other recognition of special knowledge and skills in Emergency Medicine and approved ABEM subspecialties and to suspend or revoke same
• To serve the public, physicians, hospitals, and medical schools by furnishing lists of those diplomates certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine