ABMS Member Board Certified Doctors are 'One in a Million'

New Report Reveals More Than One Million U.S. Doctors are ABMS Member Board Certified

CHICAGO, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a newly released report, a record one million-plus physicians and medical specialists (diplomates) are certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Board. ABMS board certification, a voluntary process following the completion of a residency or fellowship, provides an independent evaluation of a physician or medical specialist's knowledge and skills, serving as a trusted credential patients can rely upon when selecting a provider for their health care needs.

"Reaching more than one million board certified physicians and medical specialists is a remarkable milestone for ABMS and its 24 Member Boards," said Richard E. Hawkins, MD, ABMS President and Chief Executive Officer. "It represents the value of board certification as a trusted credential and reflects our diplomates' ongoing commitment to meeting the rigorous standards essential to providing high-quality patient care."

The ABMS Board Certification Report 2024-2025 shows that a record 1,025,104 diplomates are actively certified by an ABMS Member Board. This represents an increase of more than 27,000 diplomates compared with the previous year. This data is current as of June 30, 2025.

The new report offers updated, interesting facts about the ABMS board certification landscape and diplomates, including:

• The 24 ABMS Member Boards awarded 34,619 new specialty certificates and 17,528 new subspecialty certificates.
• The median age of an ABMS diplomate is 53 years, and the mean age is 56 years.
• 34.3 percent of all active diplomates are women, while 59.4 percent are men, with approximately 6.2 percent of diplomates' genders unknown.
• Diplomates within the age ranges of 35-44 years old are nearly evenly distributed between men (46.5 percent) and women (43.7 percent), with approximately 10 percent of those diplomates' genders unknown.

ABMS offers the public two free online tools that provide information on board certified physicians and medical specialists. CertificationMatters.org allows patients to determine if a physician is certified by an ABMS Member Board. The ABMS Data Viewer provides easy access to national and state board certification data—including age, gender, specialty, and geographic location—in an interactive, visual format.

About ABMS
Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is responsible for the creation of standards overseeing physician certification in the United States. Dedicated to improving the quality of care to the patients, families, and communities they serve, the 24 ABMS Member Boards develop educational and professional standards and programs of assessment to certify physicians and medical specialists. More than one million physicians and medical specialists are certified by one or more of the ABMS Member Boards in one or more of 38 specialties and 89 subspecialties. For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties