What does “board certified” mean–is it different from being licensed?
Yes, it is different. Every physician must hold a license to practice medicine. Medical boards in U.S. states and other jurisdictions (such as Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and so forth) issue licenses. These boards have legal authority to issue licenses, investigate and discipline practitioners, and regulate the practice of medicine within their state or territory. In addition to licensing, some physicians may be board certified in their specialty. These boards are different from the state boards that issue licenses. Practitioners of a certain medical specialty can establish a specialty board or professional association. The specialty board or association determines appropriate qualifications (such as examinations, competency demonstrations, or training) which show an acceptable minimum level of knowledge and awards a certificate or certification to those practitioners who meet the qualifications. Every recognized medical specialty and many subspecialties have established boar
