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Frequently
Asked Questions - Candidates
What is Board Certification
General Questions
What is Board Certification?
Certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) is a voluntary
process, and is the last step in a long and intensive educational experience
designed to assure quality eye care for the American people. Certification
is granted to ophthalmologists who successfully complete an accredited
course of education in ophthalmology and an evaluation including an
examination. The evaluation is designed to assess the knowledge, experience
and skills requisite to the delivery of high standards of patient care
in ophthalmology.
A candidate who successfully passes both the Written
Qualifying and Oral Examinations within the required time limitations,
as determined by the ABO in its sole discretion, shall be entitled to
receive a certificate without further consideration of his/her qualifications
by the ABO. Physicians who have received the certificate are DIPLOMATES
of the ABO.
Certificates issued in 1992 and thereafter are valid
for a period of ten years and expire December 31 of the tenth year.
Thereafter, a diplomate is required to satisfactorily participate in
the maintenance of certification process in order to extend the validity
of his/her certificate. Certificates issued prior to July 1, 1992 are
valid during the diplomate's lifetime. Diplomates who hold a life-time
certificate are also encouraged to participate in the maintenance of
certification process.
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What are the requirements for a physician to
become Board Certified?
Training
- Medical School: All applicants must have graduated from an allopathic
or osteopathic medical school. Applicants who are graduates of International
Medical Schools are also required to have a certificate from the Educational
Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
- One (1) year of internship: All applicants, both graduates of allopathic
and osteopathic medical schools, entering ophthalmology training programs
must complete a post-graduate clinical year (PGY-1) in a program in
the United States accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education or a program in Canada approved by the appropriate
accrediting body in Canada.
- The PGY-1 must be comprised of training in which the resident is
primarily responsible for patient care in fields such as internal
medicine, neurology, pediatrics, surgery, family practice, or emergency
medicine. As a minimum, six months of this year must consist of a
broad experience in direct patient care.
- Three to four years in a residency program: In addition to a PGY-1,
all applicants must satisfactorily complete an entire formal graduated
residency training program in ophthalmology of at least 36 months
duration (PGY-4 or higher) in either the United States accredited
by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, or in
Canada accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada.
- Upon application for Board certification: The ABO verifies satisfactory
completion of all training requirements. Only those applicants who
have completed their PGY-1 and entire ophthalmology training program,
PGY-4 or higher, by August 1 are eligible to apply for the ABO’s
Written Qualifying Examination given in the spring of the following
year.
Medical Licensure
-
Graduates of United States and Canadian Medical
Schools: Applicants for Board Certification must hold a valid
and unrestricted license(s) to practice medicine in the United States,
its territories or Canadian province in which the applicant's practice
of medicine is regularly conducted and in each other place in which
the person practices or has practiced medicine and has an unexpired
license. Applicants must notify the ABO of any action taken by a
state medical licensing board within 60 days of such action.
Additionally, the American Board of Medical Specialties, in conjunction
with the Federation of State Medical Licensing Boards, provides
all Boards with disciplinary action status on all candidates and
diplomates.
Practice Pledge
- All applicants are required to agree to a pledge upon application
stating their commitment to provide ophthalmic services with compassion,
respect for human dignity, and integrity. For complete information
about requirements and policy for Board certification, download
the ABO Certification Brochure.
Details on the ABO's educational requirements can be found on the
Requirements for Certification
page.
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What are the future dates of exams and deadlines
for applications?
See our list of examination dates
and deadlines.
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How is the computer-based written qualifying examination
different from the pencil and paper exam?
The WQE is a 250 multiple-choice item exam that has traditionally been
a pencil and paper exam administered at three national sites once a
year. Since 2006, the WQE has been administered via computer test centers. A computerized WQE significantly benefits
candidates by eliminating the costs and time commitment necessary to
travel to one of only three test sites. For more information on the
WQE, click here.
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What is the time limit for passing the Written
Qualifying Examination?
A candidate must reactivate his/her application for approval
and submit an additional application fee under the following circumstances:
- if a candidate fails to take the Written Qualifying Examination
within twenty-four (24) months after notice has been sent to him/her
that his/her application has been accepted;
- if a candidate does not repeat the Written Qualifying Examination
within twenty-four (24) months after failing;
- if a candidate receives two consecutive failures on a Written Qualifying
Examination on the same application.
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What is the time limit for passing the Oral
Examination?
A candidate must reactivate his/her application for approval, submit
an additional application fee, and pass another Written Qualifying Examination
before being admitted to the Oral Examination under the following circumstances:
-
if a candidate does not take the Oral Examination within twenty-four
(24) months after notice has been sent to the candidate that he/she
has passed the Written Qualifying Examination;
-
if a candidate who is eligible to do so fails to repeat the Oral Examination
within twenty-four (24) months after failing such examination;
-
if the candidate does not pass the entire examination in three attempts.
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When will I get a refund if I cancel my oral/written
exam?
When a candidate registers for an examination, significant costs are
incurred by the ABO. Therefore, to keep costs down for all candidates,
fees for examinations are non-refundable, regardless of any reason.
However, 50 percent of the examination fee will be applied to the subsequent
examination, if taken within the two-year time limit for an active application.
In addition, all application fees include a $300 non-refundable administrative
fee.
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When will I get my examination results?
Results for Written Qualifying Examination are mailed approximately
eight weeks following the examination.
Results for Oral Examination are mailed approximately
three weeks following the examination.
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General Questions
Can I get a receipt for my paid fee(s)?
If you would like a receipt for an examination fee, please submit your
request in writing to the ABO office, and the ABO will mail you a receipt. Receipts will be automatically generated
for all online registrations and payments.
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Can I pay for the ABO examinations with a credit
card?
The ABO accepts Visa and MasterCard as payment for all Board fees.
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How do I change my address with the ABO?
If you would like to change your address with the ABO, you can login
to the interactive portion of the web site using the username and password
supplied by the ABO Username and Password Page. Once you login, you can click
on the Update Personal Profile link and make changes to your personal
contact information. You can also submit your change of address in writing
to the ABO office.
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How can I change my name with the ABO?
If you would like to change your name with the ABO, please submit your
request in writing, along with legal documentation of your name change
(i.e. marriage license, divorce decree, legal name change document).
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How can I find a particular doctor’s
address?
While the ABO cannot give specific information about a doctor's location,
this information is available in publications such as Marquis
Who’s Who Official American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
Directory of Board Certified Ophthalmologists or the American
Academy of Ophthalmology’s www.aao.org
Member Directory.
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Why do I need to add the ABO domain to my Email's Safe Senders List?
The ABO uses email to communicate in a timely and efficient manner. However, because email systems are different, communication via email can be interrupted by security settings and spam-blocking features. The cause of blocked mail can be dependent on the organization, internet service provider (ISP), email program, security programs and spam-blocking tools. The ABO encourages all users to place the ABO domain (@abop.org) on a "safe sender" list in order to enable receipt of ABO email correspondence.
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How can I add a domain to my Email's Safe Senders List?
Due to the vast number of different email programs available, the ABO does not have specific instructions for each;
however, the ABO does suggest the following two methods:
1. Contact your ISP and ask that email from the ABO be accepted;
2. View options of the security setting and spam-blocking tools on your email program to determine if you can
"whitelist" the ABO yourself. For example, the Microsoft Outlook Email Program will allow you to add a specific email
address or a specific email domain (@abop.org) to a Safe Senders List. (To do this in Microsoft Outlook: highlight the
email; click on Actions on the toolbar; click on Junk Email; click on Add Sender to Safe Senders List or Add Senders Domain (@abop.org) to Safe Senders List).
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