Illinois Attorney for American Board of Internal Medicine Certified Doctors

Lawyer for Defense and Reinstatement of ABIM Board Certification

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) is by far the largest member of the American Board of Medical Specialties, comprising around 25 percent of all doctors in the United States. When a doctor is certified by the ABIM, they become part of a respected community of physicians with a reputation for providing patient care of the highest quality. Conversely, losing one’s ABIM certification can be a major hindrance to a doctor’s reputation and career. Unfortunately, the suspension or revocation of a specialty board certification is a common collateral consequence when a doctor is facing other types of disciplinary action.

Whether past disciplinary action is preventing you from becoming certified or pending discipline threatens to strip you of your certification, an experienced attorney can help. At The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc., we focus on protecting doctors’ rights and representing them in a variety of administrative and disciplinary proceedings. We are committed to doing everything in our power to help you obtain, maintain, or reinstate your ABIM certification and keep your career on track.

Representing ABIM Doctors in Various Subspecialties

We recognize that the ABIM includes doctors from a variety of subspecialties related to the treatment of diseases and that physicians in different areas may have different goals and challenges regarding the certification process. We represent internists who specialize in:

• Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and heart failure
• Endocrinology, including diabetes and other hormone and metabolic conditions
• Gastroenterology, including diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver, and digestive system
• Hematology, including blood diseases and cancers
• Oncology, including various forms of cancers and tumors
• Pulmonary disease, including diseases of the lungs and respiratory system
• Rheumatology, including diseases of the muscular and skeletal systems
• Nephrology, or diseases of the kidneys
• Infectious disease, including AIDS
• Other areas including sports and sleep medicine, geriatric and adolescent medicine, and hospice and critical care

Barriers to Obtaining and Maintaining ABIM Certification

Achieving certification is a process that is intended to be challenging, requiring doctors to complete extensive education, training, and assessment requirements and culminating in a certification examination through which a doctor must demonstrate their high level of knowledge and skill in their specialty. For doctors aiming to become certified in a subspecialty, additional requirements apply.

However, certain circumstances involving a doctor’s conduct and professionalism can make an already challenging process even more difficult. The ABIM has policies in place that may prevent physicians from becoming certified for a variety of reasons, including a doctor’s misrepresentation of their certification status, dishonesty in the examination process, substance abuse, or unethical conduct. Doctors without a valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine are also barred from achieving certification, and the revocation, suspension, or restriction of a state license could be grounds for the revocation or suspension of an existing ABIM certification.

How Can a Lawyer Help?

If you are under investigation by an agency other than the ABIM that may result in discipline affecting your state license and certification, we can represent you during questioning and hearings to help you avoid a suspension or revocation. We have extensive experience serving doctors under investigation by the IDFPR, the DEA, and the OIG, among others. If your license is revoked or suspended, we may be able to help you reinstate it so that you can then pursue ABIM certification.

If you are facing disciplinary action by the ABIM itself, we can represent you throughout their established disciplinary procedure. During this process, you will have the opportunity to review the ABIM’s evidence of your misconduct and submit a written argument and evidence of your own. We can help you prepare the strongest possible written submission, and we can also help you appeal discipline from the ABIM that you believe is unjustified. If your certification is suspended and the ABIM gives you the opportunity to reinstate it, we can work with you to fulfill any reinstatement conditions that the ABIM imposes.

Contact an Illinois ABIM Certification Defense Attorney

When your board certification or your chances of becoming certified are in jeopardy, we can help you understand your options and follow the course of action that gives you the best chance of maintaining your career goals and professional standing. We serve doctors throughout DuPage County and the state of Illinois, and we offer a free consultation when you contact us at 630-310-1267.