Certification in Pathology
in the United States
Specialty certification for the
medical practice of pathology in the United States is the responsibility of The
American Board of Pathology. For the benefit of physicians planning to
specialize in pathology, the ABP provides the following statement of its aims
and requirements.
There are four steps in recognizing a pathologist by certification. The first
step is completion of professional education in an approved medical school or
college of osteopathic medicine and subsequent licensure in the United States or
Canada.
The second step is specialty training in pathology of sufficient duration and
quality to establish the required level of competence. The training must take
place in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC),
which are responsible for inspecting and evaluating programs for quality and
duration of the educational experience.
The third step is verification of the candidate’s qualifications by the
pathology training program director. The program director has the opportunity to
observe the candidate’s performance over the course of training and the
responsibility to evaluate the candidate’s overall educational advancement.
Therefore, the pathology training program director is asked to verify to the ABP
that the training has been appropriate and successfully completed and that the
candidate is ready to take the certifying examinations. The ABP solicits written
evaluations of the candidate’s performance from the pathology training program
director(s) and from other persons acceptable to the ABP for such evaluation.
This evaluation is a critical factor considered by the ABP in determining the
candidate’s qualification for examination and certification.
The fourth and final step is successful completion of the objective written and
practical examinations, designed to evaluate the candidate’s factual knowledge
of pathology and to assess practical problem solving skills, interpretive
skills, and diagnostic abilities.
The ABP offers three primary certificates: combined anatomic pathology and
clinical pathology, anatomic pathology only, and clinical pathology only. The
examinations for each are to establish general competence in pathology. In
addition, the ABP offers a number of examinations to assess expertise in
subspecialty areas of anatomic pathology and clinical pathology.
Prerequisites for Examination
All candidates must have either (1) graduated from a medical school in the
United States or Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical
Education, (2) graduated from a college of osteopathic medicine accredited by
the Bureau of Professional Education of the American Osteopathic Association, or
(3) graduated from a medical school outside the United States or Canada
acceptable to the ABP.
In addition, the candidate must hold a currently valid, full, and unrestricted
license to practice medicine or osteopathy issued by one of the licensing
agencies of the United States or Canada.
Pathology Training and Credentialing Requirements for Primary Certification
Pathology Training Requirements
A candidate must satisfactorily complete training in a program accredited by the
ACGME or the RCPSC. The requirements are as follows:
a. For certification in combined anatomic pathology and clinical pathology
(AP/CP) -- four years of full-time, approved training in an accredited APCP-4
program that includes at least 18 months of structured training in anatomic
pathology and 18 months of structured training in clinical pathology, plus a
"flexible year (an additional 12 months of full-time, continued training in
anatomic pathology and/or clinical pathology or 12 months full-time, approved
training in other areas of pathology as part of the defined 4-year accredited
AP/CP training program.
b. For certification in anatomic pathology (AP) only - Three years of full-time,
approved training in anatomic pathology in an accredited APCP-4 or AP-3 program
that includes at least 24 months of structured training in anatomic pathology,
plus a "flexible year" that may be either an additional 12 months of full-time,
continued training in anatomic pathology or 12 months of full-time, approved
training in other areas of pathology as part of the defined accredited training
program.
c. For certification in clinical pathology (CP) only - Three years of full-time,
approved training in clinical pathology in an accredited APCP-4 program that
includes at least 24 months of structured training in clinical pathology, plus a
"flexible year" that may be either an additional 12 months of full-time,
continued training in clinical pathology or 12 months of full-time, approved
training in other areas of pathology as part of the defined accredited training
program.
Subspecialty Certification
Candidates holding a primary certificate from the ABP, or in certain specific
situations, from another member medical specialty board of the American Board of
Medical Specialties, may qualify after one to two years of appropriate training
to sit for a subspecialty certification examination in blood banking/transfusion
medicine, chemical pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, forensic
pathology, hematology, medical microbiology, molecular genetic pathology,
neuropathology or pediatric pathology.
Combined Primary and Subspecialty Certification
Primary training in either AP or CP may, under certain circumstances, be
combined with accredited training in one of the appropriate subspecialty areas
of pathology for a single combined certificate recognizing competence in both
areas.
Maintenance of Certification
All certificates issued by the ABP on or after January 1, 2006 are time-limited
and the diplomates holding such certificates are required to participate in the
ABP Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Each certificate is valid for
10-years provided that the diplomate meets all requirements of MOC during that
10 year period. Successful completion of the 10-year cycle will result in a new
certificate which will also be time-limited and subject to the same conditions.
Please see the MOC Booklet of Information on the ABP web site for the latest
updates.
Mission and Purpose
The mission of The American Board of Pathology (ABP), as a member of the
American Board of Medical Specialties, is to promote the health of the public by
advancing the practice and science of pathology.
The ABP accomplishes its mission through the following principal activities:
1. Establishing certification standards.
2. Assessing the qualifications of those seeking to practice the specialty of
pathology.
3. Conducting voluntary primary and subspecialty certification examinations and
awarding certificates to successful candidates.
4. Encouraging the maintenance of certification of those practicing pathology.
5. Participating in the review of pathology training programs and supporting the
directors and trainees of these programs.
6. Maintaining communication with pathology and other medical organizations,
with its diplomates, and with others as appropriate.
7. Encouraging the study of pathology.
8. Maintaining a registry of its diplomates.
The ABP does not seek special privileges for its diplomates, nor does it:
1. Confer an academic degree.
2. Confer a legal qualification or license to practice pathology.
3. Define hospital privileges.
4. Define the scope of specialty practice.
5. Delineate who may or may not engage in the practice of pathology.
Further Information
For more detailed and specific information on the requirements for
certification, consult either the “Requirements for Certification” published in
the Directory of Graduate Medical Education Programs or the Booklet of
Information, FAQs, and Instructions for Candidates on the ABP web site (www.abpath.org).
Additional questions may be directed to questions@abpath.org or send in writing
to:
The American Board of Pathology
PO Box 25915, Tampa, Florida 33622-5915
Phone: (813) 286-2444
Fax: (813) 289-5279
Web site:
www.abpath.org