The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Board Eligibility Policy for Certificates of Added Qualifications defines “Board Eligible” as having completed ACGME-accredited fellowship training 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 exactly seven years from that date, unless you achieve initial CAQ certification before that time.
- The designation “Board Eligible” applies to those seeking initial CAQ certification following the successful completion of ACGME-accredited fellowship training.
- In order to maintain CAQ board eligible status during the seven-year window, you must hold a valid certificate in Family Medicine issued by ABFM 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 Examination. This requires that you 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.
You can begin the process to obtain your CAQ certification by logging into your MyABFM Portfolio.
