A Quick Guide To Board Certified Pediatricians

Choosing the right pediatrician for your child is a big decision for you to make as a parent, and the options available can be quite daunting. Regardless of where you are in the country you want to make sure that the doctor or doctors at your chosen clinic have an excellent reputation for offering the highest standards of care, while also utilizing the latest developments in pediatric treatment. One way to check this out is by seeing if the clinic has board certified pediatricians on their roll.

A Quick Guide To Board Certified Pediatricians

This may seem like another thing you have to add to your ‘to-do’ list before birth or a move to another city, but it will offer you extra peace of mind in the future. That is because Board Certified Pediatricians have made a commitment to the continuous development of pediatrics in America and have undergone a rigorous training program. And, once they are certified they have to constantly prove that they are using the latest methods and best practices.

But, what exactly are board certified pediatricians and how do they get certified in the first place?

What is a Board Certified Pediatrician?

Pediatrics is such a vital field of medicine, which is why The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) was formed. This organization’s mission is to ensure all of its members are committed to continually develop and improve the standard of care within their chosen field.

To become certified the doctor has to undergo a rigorous training program after they have completed their initial medical training. This involves completing a three-year residency and meeting all the necessary obligations of the state licensing board. After this, they are eligible to sit the APB examination, which if successfully passed, will give them the status of board-certified pediatrician.

All of this requires a significant commitment from the physician, and as such, the qualification is a voluntary one. And the commitment doesn’t stop there. To remain board-certified the doctors must actively participate in the development of treatment in their chosen field and take an additional exam every ten years. 

Benefits of Being Treated by a Board Certified Pediatrician

It is very easy to take things at face value, and then get disappointed later. You don’t want this to be the case when choosing a doctor for your kids. When searching for a new doctor, it is reassuring to know that you can verify a pediatrician’s credentials through the APB directory before deciding to put your child in their care.

As mentioned above, just because the doctor has been board-certified, doesn’t mean they can rest on their laurels. There is an initial qualification period followed by the APB’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC): five-year cycles where they must continually look at ways to improve their practice and demonstrate best practice in the following competencies:

  • medical knowledge
  • patient care
  • communication skills
  • practice improvement
  • professionalism
  • understanding of the medical system

Not only do the doctors have to be skilled physicians, but they also need to find ways to make their little patients as comfortable as possible, whatever their reason for visiting the clinic. So, when you see the certificate on the wall, you have one less thing to worry about.

Additional Benefits

Another role of the APB is to bring certified doctors together, making it the largest collaborative community of its kind in the country. This has many benefits for your child, as the doctors have access to the latest knowledge in their field and also work alongside highly skilled physicians on other fields, effectively giving your child access to a team of physicians specializing in all areas of pediatrics.

Need to know more?

If you would like to know more the APB’s have a website full of lots of useful information or, alternatively, give us a call and we will be happy to discuss any questions you have.