MedPage Today (01/21/26) Henderson, Jennifer

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has introduced a new pilot certification pathway for international medical graduates (IMGs) who completed at least three years of internal medicine training abroad and an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited subspecialty fellowship. They must also meet ACGME's criteria for an “exceptionally qualified candidate” or be trained in an ACGME-I program and hold a valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certificate. More than 120 physicians are already eligible, with the first group able to sit for the internal medicine exam in August and their subspecialty exam in the following year. The greatest interest has been in the fields of nephrology, infectious diseases, and geriatrics. The pathway aims to remove longstanding barriers for well-trained IMGs, align with workforce needs, and offer a clear route into ongoing certification, even as some physicians raise concerns about varying state standards and labor dynamics. ABIM developed the program over several years in response to fellowship program directors who noted that many internationally trained fellows lacked a direct route to board certification after graduating from their fellowship. The final version of the pilot pathway has been vetted by both ABIM council and the American Board of Medical Specialties Committee on Certification.

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