Source: American Board of Family Medicine
On May 2, the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) introduced Certification 2025, the new Continuous Certification 5-Year Cycle. Built on the same foundational components as the current certification process, the new 5-Year Cycle offers increased flexibility and convenience to customize your certification.
To meet the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Assessment Standards for Continuing Certification, the ABFM will transition to Certification 2025, the new Continuous Certification 5-Year Cycle, effective Monday, January 1, 2025.
Visit the ABFM website to watch a brief video for an overview of the new 5-Year Cycle.
The ABMS standard for continuing certification states that “member boards must determine an interval no longer than five years of whether a Diplomate is meeting continuing certification requirements to retain each certificate.” This change will help Diplomates maintain awareness of increasingly rapid medical advancements and changes in practice guidelines.
Every ABFM-certified physician will be enrolled in the new 5-Year Cycle when their next exam requirement is due.
“We will honor the current 10-year exam requirement. Diplomates will not be required to transition to the new 5-Year Cycle any earlier than 10 years from when they last met their exam requirement. We intend to make the transition as seamless as possible for every Diplomate,” stated ABFM President and CEO Warren Newton, MD, MPH.
Physician Benefits of the New 5-Year Cycle
- The option to answer quarterly exam questions or take the traditional one-day exam to meet the exam requirement.
- More time to complete certification activity requirements. Five years versus every three years.
- The flexibility to choose how and when to complete certification activities.
- Fifth year off for Diplomates who complete all their requirements in four years.
- No changes to annual fees in 2025.
Requirements (Every Five Years)
The new 5-Year Cycle includes continuous compliance with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, completion of certification activities and continuing medical education (CME), and ongoing participation in cognitive assessment.
- Certification Exam: Answer 25 quarterly exam questions (longitudinal assessment) or opt to take the one-day exam.
- Certification Activities: Earn 60 certification points through Self-Assessment and Performance Improvement activities.
- CME: Earn 200 CME credits.
- Professionalism and Licensure: Continuously comply with the ABFM’s Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, which includes maintaining active, valid, and full license(s) to practice medicine in the United States or Canada.
- Annual Fee: Submit annual certification fee
All Diplomates will receive an email notification that will provide details for the timing of their transition to the new 5-Year Cycle. To learn more, log in to your MyABFM Portfolio if you are an ABFM Diplomate.
The ABFM is committed to the ongoing improvement of the continuous certification process so that it’s both valuable and meaningful to Diplomates. It is committed to upholding the highest standard of knowledge, skills, and ethics possible to support the delivery of high-quality healthcare for all patients.
Watch future editions of the Weekly Family Medicine Update for more information.
