The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) is committed to providing board re-certification for both MDs and DOs that ensures physician compliance with national standards and promotes lifelong learning.
Apply/Recertify for NBPAS Board Certification
Application takes less than 15 minutes to complete! Before applying, make sure you meet these requirements:
- Previous initial certification by an ABMS or AOA member board
- Current, unrestricted medical license and NPI number
- At least 50-100 hours of ACCME-accredited CME (depending on status of prior board certification) completed within the past 24 months (physicians-in-training are exempt)
- Active hospital or outpatient facility privileges are required for selected specialties
- Clinical privileges have not been permanently revoked
Learn more about NBPAS certification requirements here.
8,000
Current Diplomates
133
Accepting Hospitals
431
Volunteer Advocates
Join Our Mailing List and Stay Informed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NBPAS “accepted” or “recognized” by hospitals, payers (i.e. insurance companies), and state medical boards?
This is the most common question we receive. It is important to understand what ”accepted” or “recognized” means with respect to these types of organizations.
READ MORE >
If I am currently board certified but not due for re-certification for several years, should I still certify with NBPAS?
YES! While you could wait, the more physicians NBPAS certifies, the stronger and more influential it will be. This is a grass roots organization. We need your support.
READ MORE >
What specialties are offered?
We are currently accepting applications for all ABMS and AOA specialties. Check out our full list of specialties by clicking here.
READ MORE >
When applying for certification for multiple specialties, do I need all 50 hours in every specialty?
No, a total of 50 CME hours in any of the specialties applied for is sufficient.
READ MORE >
If I am grandfathered in a specialty (i.e. my ABMS member certification never expires) do I need to have 50 or 100 hours of CME?
If you are grandfathered in a specialty, your certification has not, by definition, expired and you only need to submit at least 50 hours (not 100 hours) of CMEs completed in the past 24 months.
READ MORE >
Stay informed with recent news, updates, articles, and more.
In response to COVID-19, NBPAS extends a 6 month grace period to submit CMEs
Dear NBPAS Colleagues, In response to the COVID-19 health crisis, NBPAS will be providing a 6-month extension to certifications expiring between now and August 31st, 2020. We know many conferences and meetings have been cancelled around the country and we hope that this will give you the time needed to complete your ACCME accredited CMEs. When you complete your renewal, your certification will be backdated showing no lapse in board certification. NBPAS is here to support you as we tackle this growing health crisis. If you need additional assistance with your recertification, please contact us at info@nbpas.org. As we stand together to fight MOC, we will do the same to fight COVID-19! Be safe and stay healthy, Paul Teirstein, MD, DNBPAS
READ MORE ›URAC Releases Change to Board Certification Standard for its Independent Review Organization (IRO) Accreditation Programs
As of March 4th, the new version 5.2 of URAC’s IRO programs went live and IROs can now use physicians with any board certification that is recognized by a government entity. Please reference their program guides for more information (e.g., IR-RCQ 1-5 or IR-RCQ 1‑6). The revised IRO standards were reviewed by URAC’s Health Standards Committee and approved by the URAC Board. URAC will provide a free (live and recorded) webinar later in the spring highlighting the changes for version 5.2. An email notice will be sent to IROs next month containing the specific date and time and login information. What does this mean for NBPAS diplomates working with IRO Accredited Organizations and IRO Applicant Organizations? This revision provided an opportunity to refine and simplify standards and eliminate “nested” mandatories as well as any reference to specific Board certifications. URAC now acknowledges the same board certifications accepted…
READ MORE ›Support the New Missouri Anti-MOC Bill
Senate Bill 933 – Introduced by Senator Bob Onder (Internal Medicine Physician) “SB 933 – Under this act, hospitals, health care facilities, and institutions owned, operated, or licensed by the state are prohibited from conditioning employment or the granting of medical staff privileges of a physician based on his or her maintenance of certification or maintenance of licensure. This act also prohibits health carriers from conditioning physician reimbursement or participation in the carrier’s health plans on a physician’s maintenance of certification or maintenance of licensure.” https://www.senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=30555663 Dear Colleagues, The SB 933 bill was sent to the “Professional Registration” Committee this week. NBPAS sent a formal endorsement letter to the committee Chairwoman Senator Jeanie Riddle. We need your help to flood the Chairwoman with a show of support for the passing of this bill. We prepared a letter on your behalf that you can edit and personalize. …
READ MORE ›Tennessee physician takes second crack at suing American Board of Radiology over ‘worthless’ certification requirements
“Siva and his attorneys first filed suit against the ABR a year ago in February 2019, seeking class action for their complaint to loop in other affected radiologists. However, an Illinois judge dismissed the claim in November, unconvinced that the group used anti-competitive practices to promote its certification programs. At the time, Judge Jorge Alonso ruled that ABR sells just one product: certification of radiologists. So, what’s different this time around? Siva and his lawyers are now labeling ABR’s maintenance of certification offering as a continuing medical education-type product. They note that other CME vendors do not sell initial certification. The suit attempts to establish that the first certification and MOC are separate products, and that the American Board of Radiology is violating the law by tying the two together.” READ MORE: https://www.radiologybusiness.com/topics/healthcare-economics/american-board-radiology-lawsuit-cpd?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=hi_news
READ MORE ›Virginia Diplomates: Support HB 1449 and ask your Medical Society to add it to their Legislative Agenda!
Dear NBPAS Diplomates from Virginia, There has been a new pro-competition bill introduced into this legislative session in Virginia. The bill (HB1449) titled “Physicians; medical specialty board certification options.” – can be found here – http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB1449+pdf. You will find that NBPAS is listed by name as a re-certification option that hospitals, insurance companies, and other stake holders must accept. The bill is currently being reviewed. The bill was developed with NBPAS recommendations and introduced by a group of physicians in Virginia called the “Virginia Coalition on MOC Reform”. They are asking for the help of other Virginia physicians to write letters to your local Medical Society asking for their support. You can send a letter automatically from this link https://www.vamocreform.org/hb1449. They have prepared a letter for you to send, note that it can be modified. We appreciate your support and we hope to see this pro-competition bill naming NBPAS go into law! Regards, NBPAS…
READ MORE ›Radiologists With Lifetime Certification Aren’t Participating in the ABR MOC Program
Article from Health Imaging: https://www.healthimaging.com/topics/healthcare-economics/radiologists-lifetime-certification-not-participate-abr-moc
READ MORE ›Maintenance of Certification: To MOC or Not to MOC?
Read article here: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/maintenance-certification-to-moc-or-not-to-moc
READ MORE ›ABIM announced it plans to develop a “longitudinal assessment” option for internists to maintain certification
“The American Board of Internal Medicine(ABIM) announced on its blog Friday that it plans to develop a “longitudinal assessment” option for internists to maintain certification.” Read article: https://www.medicaleconomics.com/news/internists-get-new-option-maintaining-board-certification
READ MORE ›NBPAS Newsletter – Summer 2019
“NBPAS is now 7500 diplomates STRONG! If each of you ask one colleague to join NBPAS we will be at 10,000 diplomates by end of Summer. The larger we are the louder we are.” Read newsletter here: http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1772015&f=4200&s=4486&m=40610&t=1354262aacda92ca6ff19ce1b1684f9ec3bb4207c210ee20335849486c461dc8
READ MORE ›