What is BoardCertified.com?

BoardCertified.com is an Internet Directory containing information on over 700,000 physicians and 6,000 hospitals. The primary purpose of this user-friendly website is to search for and identify physicians in any area of medical specialty by name or geography, as well as providing supporting information on procedures and treatments. Whether your search is defined by general geographical parameters, or as specific as a particular physician or hospital, you can find qualified medical professionals and facilities to help you make the most informed choice.

What does it mean for a physician to be Board Certified?

Board Certification represents the pinnacle of achievement for physicians. Physicians can legally practice medicine by being licensed from the state or territory in which they intend to practice. Licensure is not specialty specific, but sets the minimum competence requirements to diagnose and treat patients. To become Board Certified, however, involves further examination and testing beyond the standard medical license and indicates a physician's expertise in and commitment to a particular medical specialty and/or subspecialty of medical practice.

While identifies a physician's specific area of medical specialty, this website is not intended to be the only source for board certification verification. Each area of medical specialty maintains its own board which oversees physician credentialing within that particular area of medicine. Membership in medical associations and societies also exemplifies a physician's elevated expertise in that given area.

Can't consumers access physician information directly from the Physician's Medical Board or Association?

Absolutely, yes. However, most patients are not aware of the hierarchy of medical boards much less how they function. Instead, they prefer to perform general Internet searches to access this type of information. With over half a million pages of medical content that search engines like Google recognizes, this is often how consumers often arrive at BoardCertified.com.

How do people find BoardCertified.com?

BoardCertified.com is programmed such that every page of content is read by search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and others. Because we have over 800,000 pages of content, there are an enormous number of keywords that attract visitors to as a result of general Internet searches. This type of content-driven programming is knows as Search Engine Optimization and our content is constantly being refreshed which allows the site to highly optimized.

How long has BoardCertified.com been in existence?

The website domain name was Registered in 1999. The Physician Directory component of the site has been functional since March 2006.

How and where does BoardCertified.com get their extensive data/information from?

BoardCertified.com utilizes over a dozen public-record sourced databases including phone books, medical directories, government sources and others, to create a massive Physician Database which is updated monthly. As all of this information can be publically accessed, we can reproduce this information into our Physician Directory without physician consent. However, BoardCertified.com also makes every effort to attempt to contact each physician's office to verify their listing is 100% accurate. BoardCertified.com has recently made changes to its functionality to allow physicians to access their own listings through the website at any time to amend, make changes, or update as necessary.

Why can't I find my doctor in search results?

If your physician is not board certified, they will likely not appear in search results on BoardCertified.com. While BoardCertified.com strives to keep all records updated and published on the site, in rare instances omissions of certified physicians can occur. We ask that you please email us at and advise us of the physician's full name and location (at least city and state) and telephone number if possible. We will then verify his information and credentials and get their record added as soon as possible.

How can I use BoardCerified.com to help me locate a physician?

The primary purpose of this user-friendly website is to search for and identify physicians by name, geography, or medical specialty. This means you can search for a specific type of doctor in a certain city or zip code, and even define your distance parameters. This type of search will yield a Directory Result, or list of physicians. From there you can view additional detail on any physician by clicking on their name to open their Personal Web Profile Page which will reveal further information about this physician.

How do I decide which Physician's Specialty is the one I am looking for?

You can perform a general search by typing in the procedure you are interested in the Keyword box. Physicians include their primary medical specialty, subspecialty, and often the specific procedures they specialize in directly within their profile pages. Therefore, you can still yield an effective and appropriate search result without knowing the specific medical specialty beforehand.

What does it mean to be certified as a medical specialist?

Physicians can legally practice medicine by being licensed by the state or territory in which they intend to practice. Licensure is not specialty specific, and only sets the minimum requirements to diagnose and treat patients. As a result, physicians can claim to be qualified to practice a medical specialty without any demonstration to an independent certifying body that they in fact possess the qualifications they claim. The most reliable indication of a physician's qualification to practice a medical specialty is certification by an independent and objective medical specialty board. Currently, the most widely recognized and accepted medical specialty certification is that granted by a Member Board of the .

While BoardCertified.com identifies a physician's specific area of medical specialty, this website is not intended to be a primary source for board certification verification. Each area of medical specialty maintains its own board which oversees physician credentialing within that particular area of medicine. Membership in medical associations and societies also exemplify a physician's elevated expertise in that given area.

To verify a particular physician's board certification credentials, association or society affiliations, we encourage you to contact the appropriate group directly. Please find contact information and direct website links to various medical boards, associations, and affiliations below:

PLASTIC AND COSMETIC SURGERY:

 

737 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2100 Chicago, IL 60611 Telephone: 312-981-6760 Online:

 

American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 310 S. Henry Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Telephone: 703-299-9291 or (800) 332-FACE Online:

   

American Board of Cosmetic Surgery Online:

 

American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 115C South Street Asaph Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Telephone: 703-549-3223 Online:

   

American Board of Plastic Surgery Seven Penn Center , Suite 400 1635 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-2204 Telephone: 215-587-9322 Online:

 

American Society of Plastic Surgeons 444 E. Algonquin Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Telephone: 847-228-9900 Online:

   

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 11081 Winners Circle Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Telephone: 800-364-2147 or 562-799-2356 Online:

 

American Board of Hair Restoration Surgeons 18525 South Torrance Avenue Lansing, IL 60438 Telephone: 708-474-2600 Online:

   

International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery 13 South 2nd Street Geneva, IL 60134 Telephone: 800-444-2737 or 630-262-5399 Online:

 

DERMATOLOGY:

 

American Academy of Dermatology 1350 I Street, NW, Suite 870 Washington, DC 20005-4355 Telephone: 202-842-3555 Online:

 

American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine 645 375 Water Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6 Telephone: 604-681-5226 Online:

   

American Board of Dermatology Henry Ford Health System 1 Ford Place Detroit, MI 48202-3450 Telephone: 313- 874- 1088 Online:

 

American Dermatological Association PO Box 554 Millwood, NY 10546 914-923-8540 Online:

   

American Society of Dermatology P.O. Box 9013 Port St. Lucie, FL Telephone: 561-873-8335 Online:

 

American Society for Dermatologic Surgery 5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Suite 120 Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Telephone: 847-956-0900 Online:

   

American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery 2100 Stewart Avenue, Suite 240 Wausau, WI 54401 Telephone: 715-845-9283 Online:

 

American Osteopathic College of Dermatology 1501 East Illinois Street P.O. Box 7525 Kirksville, MO 63501 Telephone: 800-449-2623 or 660-665-2184 Online:

 

OPHTHALMOLOGY:

   

American Academy of Ophthalmology P.O. Box 7424 San Francisco, CA 94120-7424 Telephone: 415-561-8500 Online:

   

American Board of Ophthalmology 111 Presidential Boulevard, Suite 241 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004-1075 Telephone: 610-664-1175 Online:

   

American Osteopathic College of Ophthalmology 4764 Fishburg Road , Suite F Hyber Heights, OH 45424 Telephone: 800-455-9404 Online:

   

American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 5841 Cedar Lake Road, Suite 204 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Telephone: 952-646-2038 Online:

 

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY:

 

American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2915 Vine Street Dallas, TX 75204 Telephone: 214-871-1619 Online:

   

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 409 12th St., S.W., PO Box 96920 Washington, DC 20090-6920 Telephone: 202-638-5577 Online:

   

American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society 409 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20024-2188 Telephone: 202-863-1648 Online:

   

Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Online:

   

NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY:

   

American Association of Neurological Surgeons 5550 Meadowbrook Drive Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Telephone: 847-378-0500 or 888-566-2267 Online:

   

American Board of Neurological Surgery 6550 Fannin Street, Suite 2139 Houston, TX 77030 Telephone: 713-441-6015 Online:

   

The Society of Neurological Surgeons Online:

 

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY:

 

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 6300 North River Road Rosemont, IL 60018-4262 Telephone: 847-823-7186 Online:

   

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery 400 Silver Cedar Court Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Telephone: 919-929-7103 Online:

   

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine 6300 North River Road, Suite 500 Rosemont, IL 60018 Telephone: 847-292-4900 Online:

   

OTHER BOARD, ASSOCIATIONS, AND SOCIETIES:

 

American Medical Association 515 N. State Street Chicago, IL 60610 Telephone: 800-621-8335 Online:

   

American Board of Allergy and Immunology 111 S. Independence Mall East, Suite 701 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Telephone: 215-592-9466 Online:

   

American Board of Family Medicine 2228 Young Drive Lexington, KY 40505 Telephone: 859-269-5626 or 888-995-5700 Online: www.the abfm.org

 

American Board of Internal Medicine 510 Walnut Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Telephone: 215-446-3500 or 800-441-2246 Online:

     

American Board of Otlolaryngology 5615 Kirby Drive, Suite 600 Houston, TX 77005 Telephone: 713-850-0399 Online:

 

American Board of Pediatrics 111 Silver Cedar Court Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Telephone: 919-929-0461 Online:

 

American Board of Surgery 1617 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 860 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: 215-568-4000 Online: