Medical specialty certification in the United States is a voluntary process. While medical licensure sets the minimum competency requirements to diagnose and treat patients, it is not specialty specific. Board certification, which demonstrates a physician’s exceptional expertise in a particular specialty and/or subspecialty of medical practice, involves a rigorous process of testing and peer evaluation that is designed and administered by specialists in the specific area of medicine. The San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS) recognizes board certifications from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the Medical Board of California (MBC), and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
Self-designated specialties or special interest areas are those specialties, subspecialties, or areas of interest in which a San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS) member physician may choose to practice but for which he or she is either not board certified, in the case of board-recognized specialties and subspecialties, or for which there is no SDCMS-recognized certifying board. A self-designated specialty, subspecialty, or special interest area does not reflect any endorsement of competency by SDCMS.
