American Board of Pathology BOOKLET OF INFORMATION REVISED JULY 2020 We appreciate your feedback. What other questions do you have? We are here to help. Check out our website https://www.abpath.org) or follow us on social media. THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PATHOLOGY Questions remaining after review of this document may be addressed to Rebecca L. Johnson, M.D. Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Ty McCarthy Chief Operating Officer [email protected] Mary Pyfrom Primary Certification Coordinator [email protected] Renee Holder Subspecialty Certification Coordinator [email protected] Main office: One Urban Centre, Suite 690 4830 West Kennedy Boulevard Tampa, Florida 33609-2571 Telephone: (813) 286-2444 Fax: (813) 289-5279 http://www.abpath.org Table of Contents MISSION AND PURPOSE ..........................................................................................4 VISION .........................................................................................................................5 VALUES .......................................................................................................................5 POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND REQUIREMENTS ..................................................6 CERTIFICATION BY THE ABPath ..............................................................................6 I. Granting of a certificate ................................................................................................6 II. Subspecialty Certification. .........................................................................................7 III. Continuing Certification (CC) Program. ...............................................................7 IV. Certification Status. .....................................................................................................7 V. Definitions ........................................................................................................................8 REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIMARY AND SUBSPECIALTY CERTIFICATION.............8 I. UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (UME) ................................................8 A. UME Requirement ....................................................................................................8 B. UME Documents Required with Application .................................................9 II. MEDICAL LICENSURE ...................................................................................................9 A. Licensure Requirements for Primary and Subspecialty Certification ....9 C. Notification of Action against a Medical License .......................................11 III. GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (GME) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ....11 A. General (Primary and Subspecialty Certification) .....................................11 B. Primary Certification .............................................................................................14 1. Combined (AP/CP) Certification ................................................................14 2. Combined AP and Neuropathology (AP/NP) Certification ..............14 3. Anatomic Pathology (AP) Certification ...................................................15 4. Clinical Pathology (CP) Certification ........................................................15 C. Subspecialty Certification ..................................................................................16 1. Requirements for ALL Subspecialty Certifications ................................16 2. Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine .....................................................17 3. Chemical Pathology .........................................................................................17 4. Clinical Informatics .........................................................................................17 5. Cytopathology .................................................................................................19 6. Dermatopathology ........................................................................................19 7. Forensic Pathology .........................................................................................19 8. Hematopathology ..........................................................................................19 9. Medical Microbiology ...................................................................................20 10. Molecular Genetic Pathology .....................................................................20 11. Neuropathology .............................................................................................20 12. Pediatric Pathology ........................................................................................21 D. Focused Practice Designation ...........................................................................21 2 IV. PHYSICIAN-SCIENTIST RESEARCH PATHWAY ...................................................23 A. Objectives ................................................................................................................23 B. General Requirements .........................................................................................23 V. CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES ...........................................................................25 A. Policy .........................................................................................................................25 B. Documentation of Disability ............................................................................25 C. Type of Accommodation ....................................................................................26 D. Examination Accommodation Request Form Deadline .........................26 VI. SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR IMPAIRMENTS ...............................................................27 B. Mental and Physical Impairment. ....................................................................27 VII. EXAMINATIONS .........................................................................................................27 A. Primary Certification ...........................................................................................27 B. Subspecialty Certification..................................................................................28 C. Application .............................................................................................................28 D. Honor Code ............................................................................................................28 E. Fees .............................................................................................................................30 F. Period of Board Eligibility for Examination ...................................................30 G. Reporting of Examination Results to Candidates ......................................31 H. Reporting of Examination Results to Training/Fellowship Programs .32 I. Unsuccessful Candidates .....................................................................................32 J. Examination Scoring .............................................................................................33 VIII. SINGLE CERTIFICATION .........................................................................................34 IX. EXAMINATION DATES/DATE ASSIGNMENTS ....................................................35 A. Location ...................................................................................................................35 B. Posting ......................................................................................................................35 C. Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology Examinations ...................35 D. Subspecialty Examinations ................................................................................35 E. Application Deadlines and Late Applications .............................................36 F. Cancellation of an Examination ........................................................................36 X. CERTIFICATES ...............................................................................................................37 XI. DIPLOMATES RETIRING FROM ACTIVE PRACTICE .........................................39 XII. PUBLIC REPORTING OF CERTIFICATION ...........................................................41 XIII. CONTINUING CERTIFICATION (CC) PROGRAM ..............................................41 XIV. APPEALS PROCEDURES ........................................................................................41 XV. APPENDIX A: Autopsy Requirements ...............................................................44 COOPERATING SOCIETIES OF THE ABPATH ....................................................... 46 ACCREDITATION OF PATHOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMS .............................. 46 LOGO ........................................................................................................................ 47 ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY ................................................................................ 47 ABPath BOOKLETS ................................................................................................. 48 3 Return to Table of Contents MISSION AND PURPOSE The mission of the American Board of Pathology, a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties, is to serve the public and advance the profession of pathology by setting certification standards and promoting lifelong compe- tency of pathologists. The ABPath accomplishes its mission through the following principal activities: 1. Establishing certification and continuing