Specialty Eligibility Requirements Table

Review the table below to compare the pathways to certification in ABPM specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

Specialty Eligibility Requirements

	Residency Pathway	Complementary Pathway	Special Pathway
Pathway Purpose	This pathway applies to all applicants who have completed a two-year (or longer) ACGME-accredited or RCPSC residency in the specialty in which certification is being sought.	This pathway is designed to accommodate physicians who are making a mid-career shift into the practice of Preventive Medicine. To qualify through this pathway, physicians must complete two or more years of training in a clinical residency program and one year in an ACGME-accredited residency program in the Preventive Medicine specialty in which certification is being sought.	This pathway is designed for current ABPM diplomates certified in a specialty (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and Public Health & General Preventive Medicine) to qualify for another ABPM specialty. Diplomates certified in a subspecialty (Addiction Medicine; Clinical Informatics; Medical Toxicology; Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management; and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine) do not qualify for the Special Pathway.
Board Certification	N/A	N/A	Current ABPM specialty certification
Clinical Training	One year of clinical training	At least two years of prior ACGME-accredited training in another ABMS-recognized specialty	One year of clinical training
Residency	Completion of a two-year (or longer) ACGME-accredited or RCPSC residency in the specialty in which certification is being sought	Completion of one full-time year or two half-time years as an “other learner” in an ACGME-accredited residency program in the specialty in which certification is sought.¹ The residency must include a direct patient care component. The minimum length of this component varies by specialty. – Aerospace Medicine: at least 8 months of direct patient care; – Occupational and Environmental Medicine: at least 8 months of direct patient care; – Public Health and General Preventive Medicine: at least 4 months of direct patient care.	N/A
Graduate Coursework	An MPH and coursework in the five content areas Courses that include multiple content areas must meet the equivalent academic requirements and content of the traditional individual courses.	MPH and coursework in the five content areas Courses that include multiple content areas must meet the equivalent academic requirements and content of the traditional individual courses.	N/A
Practice Activity	One year of practice within the previous three years, if applying between 24 months and seven years after completing residency.¹	Two years of practice within the previous five years	Two years of practice within the previous five years

Documents and Verifications

Applicants should gather the following documents and verifications when they apply.

	Residency Pathway	Complementary Pathway	Special Pathway
CV/Resume	Required only if applying between 24 months and seven years after completing residency.¹	Required	Required
Board Certification Verification	N/A	N/A	Required
Graduate Coursework Transcript	Required	Required	Required
Residency Program Verification	Required	Required	N/A
Letters of Reference	Three letters required, if applying between 24 months and seven years after completing residency.¹ At least one letter writer must be certified by ABPM in the specialty for which the applicant is applying.	Three letters required; at least one letter must be written by a diplomate certified by ABPM in in the specialty for which the applicant is applying.	Three letters required; at least two letters must be written by ABPM diplomates certified in the specialty for which the applicant is applying

¹If applying more than seven years after completing residency, please see ABPM’s Policy for Re-entry.