OEM Board Certification
The OEM board certification process is operated by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). This is one of the component boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), just like most other specialties, such as orthopedic surgery and internal medicine. OEM board certification is critical to becoming a highly capable and respected OEM physician.
Pathways
There are three ABPM pathways to OEM board certification:
- Residency Pathway – This pathway is open to all applicants who have completed an ACGME-accredited or a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency of not less than two years. Physicians who entered a residency with advanced standing and therefore have completed only one year of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency should also apply via the Residency Pathway.
- Complementary Pathway – The complementary pathway is designed to accommodate physicians who wish to make a mid-career shift into the practice of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. In order to qualify through this pathway, physicians must complete two or more years of training in a clinical residency program. They must also complete one year with an ACGME-accredited Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency program.
- Special Pathway – Current diplomates of the American Board of Preventive Medicine who possess certification in a primary specialty (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and Public Health & General Preventive Medicine) may apply for one additional ABPM primary specialty through the Special Pathway. The Special Pathway may only be used by a physician to qualify for one additional ABPM Specialty Certificate. Subject to all eligibility requirements, a third (or more) ABPM Certificate may be obtained by a single physician exclusively through the Residency Pathway. Diplomates with subspecialty certification (Addiction Medicine; Clinical Informatics; Healthcare Administration, Leadership, and Management (HALM); Medical Toxicology; and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine) do not qualify for the Special Pathway.
For more information, visit the ABPM site here.
Schematic of Pathways to OEM board certification