Clinical Informatics
Learn more about the application process, continuing certification
process, and important dates and events.
Specialty Overview
Physicians who practice Clinical Informatics collaborate with other health care and information technology professionals to analyze, design, implement and evaluate information and communication systems that enhance individual and population health outcomes, improve patient care, and strengthen the clinician-patient relationship. Clinical Informaticians use their knowledge of patient care combined with their understanding of informatics concepts, methods, and tools to: assess information and knowledge needs of healthcare professionals and patients; characterize, evaluate, and refine clinical processes; develop, implement, and refine clinical decision support systems; and lead or participate in the procurement, customization, development, implementation, management, evaluation, and continuous improvement of clinical information systems.
The American Medical Informatics Association created a series of videos illustrating why board certification matters and why Clinical Informatics professionals should apply today.
Certification Requirements Overview
There are multiple pathways available to achieve board certification through the ABPM.
Find out easily which pathway you may be qualified to apply by taking the “Am I Eligible?” quiz and reviewing the Aerospace Medicine Requirements Table.
General Requirements
- Medical License – An unrestricted and currently valid license(s) to practice medicine in a State, the District of Columbia, a Territory, Commonwealth, or possession of the United States or in a Province of Canada is required. If the applicant has licenses in multiple states, no license may be restricted, revoked, or suspended or currently under such notice.
- Medical Degree – Graduation from a medical school in the United States which at the time of the applicant’s graduation was accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a school of osteopathic medicine approved by the American Osteopathic Association, an accredited medical school in Canada, or from a medical school located outside the United States and Canada that is deemed satisfactory to the Board is required.
- Board Certification – Current primary specialty certification is a core requirement. Current primary specialty certification through an ABMS member board, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) will satisfy this requirement.
- For some ABMS member boards, diplomates who maintain their subspecialty certification are considered to be also meeting primary certification requirements. In those cases, the diplomate is deemed certified in the primary specialty. Primary specialty certification status is determined by each individual ABMS member board.
Pathway Requirements
Practice Pathway* (Open through June 2025)
The 2025 application cycle is the final year to apply through the practice pathway. Learn more.
The practice pathway is the mechanism for physicians to meet eligibility requirements for certification in Clinical Informatics without completing an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Clinical Informatics. Additional requirements include a minimum duration of time in subspecialty-specific practice.
Full Requirements
This pathway applies to applicants who have not completed ACGME-accredited fellowship training in Clinical Informatics.
Two options are available in the Practice Pathway:
Time in Practice
Three years of practice in Clinical Informatics is required. Practice time must be at least 25% of a Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) to be considered. Practice time need not be continuous; however, all practice time must have occurred in the five-year period preceding June 30 of the application year. Practice must consist of broad-based professional activity with significant Clinical Informatics responsibility. Fellowship activity that is less than 24 months in duration or non-ACGME accredited may be applied toward the practice activity requirement. The actual training must be described for any fellowship activity. Documentation of Clinical Informatics research and teaching activities may also be submitted for review.
Masters or PhD in Biomedical Informatics
Credit for completion of a 32-credit-hour Masters or PhD program in Biomedical Informatics, Health Sciences Informatics, Clinical Informatics, or a related subject from a university/college in the US and Canada, deemed acceptable by the Board (e.g. NLM university-based Biomedical Informatics Training) may be substituted for the Time in Practice option above. ABPM has developed guidelines to assist applicants better understand the degree/curriculum requirements for the graduate degree option. ABPM still recommends documenting practice time to give the ABPM’s physician board reviewers a comprehensive understanding of your experience. See ABPM Clinical Informatics Guidelines for Acceptance of Masters Degrees for details.
Documents and Verifications
- CV/Resume
- Practice and training verification(s), if applicable
- Fellowship cerification, if applicable
- Graduate coursework transcript, if applicable
- Graduate program curriculum, if applicable
- One letter of reference written by a physician who is certified through an ABMS Member Board, the American Osteopathic Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
*The Clinical Informatics Practice Pathway expires in 2025. Beginning in 2026, the exam will be available only for those physicians who have completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Clinical Informatics. This subspecialty certification exam will be given annually throughout this period.
ACGME-Accredited Fellowship Pathway
Requires successful completion of a minimum of 12 months in an ACGME-accredited Clinical Informatics fellowship program. If the program is longer than 12 months, the physician must successfully complete all years of training for which the program is accredited in order to meet the eligibility criteria for certification.
Full Requirements
Documents and Verifications
- CV/Resume, if 24 months past fellowship completion date
- Medical License Verification (ABPM will confirm after application)
- Current Specialty Certification Verification (ABPM will confirm after application)
- Fellowship Verification
- If 24 months past fellowship completion date, one Letter of Reference from a physician who is certified through an ABMS Member Board, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
Subspecialty FAQS
Exam Information
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