Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine practitioners ensure the health and safety of people in high-pressure environments and apply hyperbaric oxgyen therapy to treat disease. Learn about achieving board certification in this subspecialty.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine certification exam is offered in even-numbered years only.
Subspecialty Overview
The subspecialty of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine is a discipline that deals with the prevention of injury and illness due to exposure to environments in which the ambient pressure is increased, such as in diving or hyperbaric chamber exposure, and the therapeutic use of high environmental pressure and the delivery of oxygen under high pressure to treat disease. The scope of the subspecialty emphasizes the occupational, environmental, safety, and clinical aspects of diving, hyperbaric chamber operations, compressed air work, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine initial certification exam is administered in even-numbered years only. Physicians may apply for the exam only in years in which the exam is administered.
Dates & Fees
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine certification exam is offered in even-numbered years only. Sign up here to be notified when the application for the 2026 certification exams opens.
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.
- Primary Specialty Certification* – Primary specialty certification is a core requirement. Physicians must possess 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).
Some ABMS boards consider maintaining subspecialty certification as meeting the primary certification requirements. In those cases, the individual is deemed certified in the primary specialty. Primary specialty certification status is determined by each individual board. For more information about qualifying primary specialty certificates, please visit the ABMS website.
*Diplomates of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) must apply for certification in Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine through ABEM. More information can be found on the American Board of Emergency Medicine’s website.
Pathway Requirements Overview
Find out easily if you may be qualified to apply by reviewing the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine requirements table.
Pathway Requirements
ACGME-Accredited Fellowship Pathway
Completion of an ACGME-accredited fellowship program of at least 12 months in duration that is acceptable to the ABPM is required.
Full Requirements
Documents and Verifications
- CV/Resume, if 24 months past fellowship completion date
- Medical License Verification (ABPM will confirm after application)
- Current Primary 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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