The American Board of Internal Medicine

About ABIM

Certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)

Since its founding in 1936 to answer a public call to establish more uniform standards for physicians, Certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has stood for the highest standard in internal medicine and its 20 subspecialties. Certification has meant that internists have demonstrated – to their peers and to the public – that they have the clinical judgment, skills and attitudes essential for the delivery of excellent patient care. ABIM is not a membership society, but a physician-led non-profit, independent evaluation organization. Our accountability is both to the profession of medicine and to the public.

Quick facts about ABIM Certification

• ABIM certifies approximately one out of every four physicians in the United States.*
• There are more than 200,000 ABIM Board Certified physicians.†
• The subspecialties of Internal Medicine include:

Adolescent Medicine Adult Congenital Heart Disease Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Critical Care Medicine Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism Gastroenterology Geriatric Medicine Hematology Hospice & Palliative Medicine Infectious Disease Interventional Cardiology Medical Oncology Nephrology Pulmonary Disease Rheumatology Sleep Medicine Sports Medicine Transplant Hepatology

ABIM also offers Internal Medicine with a Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine Maintenance of Certification program. While not a subspecialty, it is a variation of Internal Medicine certification.

Research suggests board certification is associated with better care.‡ For details on this study and others on the importance of Certification and Maintenance of Certification, see our Fact Sheets.