Certificates of Added Qualification

Am I Eligible?

ABFM’s Board Eligibility Policy for Certificates of Added Qualification defines “board eligible” as having completed an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited fellowship training program but not yet attained initial CAQ certification.

• Your CAQ board eligibility period begins the day after successful completion of ACGME-accredited fellowship training, and it expires on December 31 of the seventh calendar year after the training completion date.
• In order to maintain a CAQ board eligible status during the seven-year window, you must maintain ABFM certification and continuously adhere to the ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct.
• There are no extensions of the seven-year CAQ board eligibility period.  If your seven-year period of CAQ board eligibility has expired, there is one pathway to regain an additional seven-year board eligibility period and to qualify for a CAQ Exam. This requires you to complete one year of additional training in an ACGME-accredited fellowship program, or an ABFM-approved alternative fellowship training program.
• Outside of this seven-year window, it is not permissible for you to refer to yourself as CAQ board eligible.

For more information, please review the CAQ Board Eligibility Policy.