The American Board of Pathology

Initial certification in anatomic & clinical Pathology. Board certification is a voluntary process that goes above and beyond state licensing requirements for practicing medicine. It signifies an ongoing commitment by a physician to continually update their knowledge in The medical specialty of Pathology. The Board has certified 39,227 physicians in primary certification since 1936. In 2023, 479 physicians were certified in anatomic and clinical Pathology, 76 were certified in anatomic Pathology only, and 55 were certified in clinical Pathology only and 5 physicians were certified in anatomic and neuropathology. (continued on schedule o) to become certified, a physician must complete an accredited residency training program in Pathology. The residency program director must certify that The physician is competent in all areas of practice before The physician is permitted to take The Board examination. In addition to being successful in a residency program, The physician must hold a full, unrestricted license to practice medicine. Once The physician has passed The primary examination, they are diplomates of The American Board of Pathology (abpath).

Continuing certification. After becoming certified, The diplomate is enrolled in The continuing certification (cc) program. This program has four components: part i: professionalism and professional standing, part ii: life-long learning and self-assessment, part iii: assessment of knowledge, judgement, and skills, part iv: improving health and health care. Diplomates of The abpath must hold a full, unrestricted medical license to maintain certification. (continued on schedule o)diplomates report professional standing, lifelong learning, and improving health and health care (ihhc) requirements by reporting in pathway every two years. The assessment requirement is met by score at least 60% in a four-year assessment cycle. All cc program requirements and deadlines are based on The year of enrollment in The cc program. Diplomates with non-time limited (lifetime) certificates issued prior to 1/1/2006 may voluntarily enroll in The cc program at any time. All trustees and The chief executive officer of The abpath are currently participating in The cc program. A diplomate issued a primary certificate (apcp, ap only, cp only, or apnp) after 1/1/2006 must maintain their primary certificate in order to maintain his/her abpath subspecialty certification. Diplomates with more than one certificate need only submit a single reporting form and answer one set of abpcl questions to maintain all certificates held. The diplomate may use The same lifelong learning and ihhc activities to meet cc requirements for all certificates. A diplomate must be up to date in reporting requirements before they will be allowed to sit for any additional primary or subspecialty examinations. To successfully maintain certification, a diplomate must continuously answer all assigned abpcl questions each quarter and submit a reporting form every two years.

Certification in Pathology subspecialties. After becoming certified in a primary discipline some pathologists complete additional training in a subspecialty fellowship program. The fellowship training program director must certify that The physician is competent in all areas of practice within The subspecialty and has met all requirements for professionalism including maintaining a full, unrestricted license to practice medicine before The physician is allowed to take The certifying Board examination. (continued on schedule o)the abpath offers 11 subspecialty certificates: blood banking/transfusion medicine, chemical Pathology, clinical informatics (in cooperation with The American Board of preventive medicine), cytopathology, dermatopathology (in cooperation with The American Board of dermatology), forensic Pathology, hematopathology, medical microbiology, molecular genetic Pathology (in cooperation with The American Board of medical genetics and genomics), neuropathology and pediatric Pathology. In 2023, a total of 535 physicians were certified in The various subspecialties.