If your board certification lapses, the catch-up period deadline is three years from the original end date of your incomplete certification stage. You will need to complete the Certification Re-Entry Process to be approved to take the Family Medicine Certification Examination and regain your certification status.
For details about your specific requirements, log into your ABFM Portfolio.
Certification Re-Entry Process
You will need to complete the Certification Re-Entry requirements no later than three calendar years following the year in which you started the process. These include six requirements:
- The completion of self-assessment and quality improvement activities totaling a minimum of 50 points achieved through:
- At least one of the following Knowledge Self-Assessment (KSA) activities;
- At least one Performance Improvement (PI) activity, utilizing data from your patient population
- Additional activities to reach a minimum of 50 points. These can be accomplished in various ways, including, but not limited to:
- Additional ABFM-developed Knowledge Self-Assessment activities (KSA)
- Additional Participation with Continuous Knowledge Self -Assessments (CKSA)
- Approved Alternative Self-Assessment activities
- Performance Improvement activities (PI)
- Completion of (150) credits of acceptable Continuing Medical Education (CME) (minimum 50% Division I), acquired in the three years before you take the examination
- Continuous compliance with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct which includes holding medical license(s) which meet the licensure requirements of the Guidelines
- Submission of Re-Entry Process Fee
- Submission of application and accompanying full examination fee for the Family Medicine Certification Examination
- Successful completion of the Family Medicine Certification Examination
You will need to complete the Certification Re-Entry requirements no later than three calendar years following the year in which you started the process; otherwise, a new cycle will be required to gain certification. Any modules you may have completed prior to starting the Re-Entry Process (and associated fees) will not carry forward. Any incomplete modules started prior to the Re-Entry Process will be reset so they may be started anew, and unused fees will be refunded.
If you experience problems using the ABFM website or have any other questions for the ABFM Staff, please contact the ABFM Support Center at 877-223-7437, or you may email us at [email protected].
