board certification

American  

[bawrd sur-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˈbɔrd ˌsɜr tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the process of certifying that a physician has passed an examination and met the standards of a professional organization representing a particular medical specialty.

---

Other Word Forms

• board-certified
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of board certification

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

But piano competitions freaked him out and he fled from music; he moved to L.A. and took pre-med courses at USC, earning board certification as an eye surgeon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

Do you need to pay for any licensing or a board certification?

From Slate • May 31, 2023

The institute’s long-term goals include establishing a medical board certification in breastfeeding.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 30, 2023

If they don’t offer it, they risk losing their accreditation, which in turn would render their residents ineligible to receive specialty board certification and imperil recruitment of faculty and medical students.

From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2022

A doctor and microbiologist, Badescu, 82, was in retirement but maintained the credentials and board certification to run a high-complexity lab.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2022