Medical Licensure
ABEM-certified physicians must continuously hold a current, active, valid, full, unrestricted, and unqualified license to practice medicine in at least one jurisdiction in the United States, its territories, or Canada and in each jurisdiction in which they practice. Physicians may hold additional licenses to practice medicine, each of which must be valid, full, unrestricted, and unqualified, or voluntarily inactive.
If a physician's license does not comply or, if a physician does not hold a medical license, ABEM will revoke their certificate.
License Reporting
ABEM-certified physicians must report medical licenses that do not meet the ABEM Policy on Medical Licensure. Physicians may update their medical licensure information through their ABEM Personal Page.
ABEM continuously receives medical license information from a third-party verification agency for all ABEM board-certified physicians and formerly certified physicians attempting to regain certification.
When completing continuing certification activities, physicians may be asked to confirm medical license information. If physicians confirm that their licensure complies with ABEM policy, they can move to the next step of the activity.
Licensure Appeal Process
A two-step appeal procedure is available to physicians whose medical licenses do not meet ABEM policy. Once ABEM certification is revoked, the formerly board-certified physician may not participate in ABEM's continuing certification process until the medical licensure requirement is fulfilled.