Primary ABPM Certification
Fellowship Programs
Practice Pathway
Primary ABPM Certification
I am not currently certified by ABPM, but I am certified through another ABMS member board. Could I still be eligible for the HALM certification exam?
You may be eligible to take the HALM certification exam; however, if you are currently certified by an ABMS member board other than ABPM, you will not be able to apply for HALM certification through ABPM.
- If you are certified in an American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) specialty, please apply through the ABA.
- If you are certified in an American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) specialty, please apply through the ABFM.
- If you are certified through an ABMS member board other than ABPM, ABA, or ABFM, please apply through the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM).
If I am certified in an ABPM subspecialty but not certified in any of ABPM’s primary specialties, will my ABPM subspecialty certification satisfy the ABPM certification requirement to be eligible to take the HALM certification exam?
Yes. To be eligible to apply for HALM certification through ABPM, you must possess current underlying certification in an ABPM specialty (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Public Health and General Preventive Medicine) or subspecialty (Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine).
I am not currently certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board. Can I still be eligible for HALM certification?
Physicians who do not possess current primary certification through an ABMS member board are not eligible for HALM certification.
You must currently possess specialty or subspecialty certification through the ABPM to be eligible for HALM certification through ABPM.
Fellowship Programs
I am interested in fellowship training in HALM. I found both 12-month and 24-month ACGME-accredited HALM fellowship programs. Could programs of either duration fulfill ACGME-accredited Fellowship Pathway requirements?
The ACGME accredits HALM fellowships that are both 12 and 24 months in duration. To meet the requirements of the ACGME-accredited fellowship pathway, you must successfully complete all the months of training for which ACGME has accredited your fellowship.
Practice Pathway
Can I fulfill some or all of the practice pathway requirements during my residency or non-HALM fellowship training?
No, practice performed concurrently with residency or fellowship training cannot count towards practice pathway requirements.
Can I receive 12 months’ credit for my ACHE certification and an additional 12 months’ credit for my AAPL certification, for a total of 24 months’ credit towards practice pathway requirements?
No, you may receive credit for either your ACHE certification or your AAPL certification but not both. ABPM cannot grant more than a total of 12 months’ credit toward practice pathway requirements for current certification by ACHE or AAPL, even if you are certified by both organizations.
I completed a non-ACGME-accredited HALM fellowship, but I have worked in the field for fewer than 24 months. Will my non-accredited fellowship training alone satisfy practice pathway requirements?
No, if you complete a non-ACGME-accredited HALM fellowship, you must also complete a minimum of 24 months of qualifying practice time (find details here) to be eligible for HALM certification.
For six of the past seven years, I’ve had a full-time position in which 25% of my time was devoted to administrative functions with high-level organizational impact in talent management, data management, and fiscal responsibility. Will this satisfy the practice pathway requirements?
No, the requirements of the practice pathway stipulate that, within the previous seven years, you must have held a position for a minimum of 36 months in which at least 50% of your time is devoted to managing administrative functions with high-level organizational impact (learn more here). The minimum of 50% may not be pro-rated or decreased based on the number of years the position is held.