Verification of a diplomate’s current board certification status can be accessed at no charge on the ABPN verifyCERT® certification and status verification system. For verification letters, diplomates can access and provide verification letters directly through their ABPN Physician Portal’s Certifications section.
If primary source verification is required, credentialers must use ABMS Solutions, as ABPN is not a primary source verification.
Change in Certification Status Reporting
As of January 2012, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) implemented new certification standards which specify that ongoing certification with ABPN is contingent upon meeting the requirements of Continuing Certification (CC). Once a diplomate is certified or their current, time-limited certificate expires, these individuals are required to enroll in the Continuous Certification Program (CC) and successfully complete specific requirements throughout ongoing CC cycles to maintain certification. Accordingly, the ABPN no longer issues certificates with end dates. See Change in ABPN Certification Status Reporting for more information.
Utilizing an Annual Reverification Date
The ABPN recognizes that some entities may still require a certification end date to complete verification. To assist in this process, we encourage credentialers to utilize an annual reverification date of March 1st in any given year. Please note, this date is not necessarily reflective of individual CC requirements, nor does it indicate certification or CC cycle end dates.
ABPN diplomate certification status will only change at the beginning of a specific year unless a certificate is invalidated or revoked for disciplinary reasons, or if they are not up to date with the certification requirements. Therefore, by utilizing the annual reverification date suggested, you will have accurate information about diplomate’s current certification status via the ABPN verifyCERT® system.
Lifetime Certification
Lifetime certificate holders are not required to participate in CC to remain certified by ABPN; however, those who choose to participate are designated as “Meeting CC Requirements” on ABPN verifyCERT®.
ABPN
