Why is it important to have an accredited, fellowship trained, board certified pain management physician?

Doctors spend anywhere from three to eight years in a residency training program where they receive extensive training of a specific area of medicine in which they wish to practice. After completion of the program and passing general certification testing, they are then fully licensed to practice medicine. Some physicians choose to continue their education going through a fellowship program to develop additional skills and obtain subspecialty board certifications. This will ultimately allow the doctor to provide better care to their patients. Fellowship programs usually last one to two years and provide advanced training in an area of medicine more specific than the initial medical residency. The doctor then receives subspecialty board certification, indicating that the individual has gone above and beyond the basic medical requirements, and is allowed to practice without direct supervision in the specific medical field.

There are many online organizations that offer “board certifications” with online exams and weekend courses. Pain management is no exception. With these websites, anyone can become “board certified” as long as you pay the membership fees. There is no medical training involved, and no standard of care to follow. You literally pay the fee and become “board certified”. This is a disservice to patients as they are misguided in believing they are being treated by a board-certified physician. Additionally, this is potentially dangerous for the public as patients may elect to undergo a procedure with some of these physicians for which they have NO formal training. Many lawsuits and malpractice claims have come from this.

You can verify that your doctor is board certified by checking the American Board of Medical Specialties website (https://www.abms.org/verify-certification/). This is the gold standard and the only governing medical board for board certification in the United States for all medical specialties.