A path to ABA certification for outstanding international anesthesiologists
How this works
The AEP program provides a pathway for outstanding international medical program graduates and certified anesthesiologists to pursue ABA certification. Candidates for the AEP program should demonstrate a record of documented achievement in teaching and/or scholarship rather than the potential for future success.
AEP program participants will spend four years in an academic anesthesiology training program as fellows, researchers or faculty members. Participants are expected to actively participate in departmental educational activities and to otherwise retain or gain basic anesthesiology knowledge and experience that would help them earn ABA certification. Participants approved for the AEP program will take the staged exams for primary certification.
Anesthesiology departments can now have as many as four international medical graduates enrolled in the AEP program at one time (not including sub-specialty AEP participants).
Clinician Educator Pathway
This pathway provides a certification pathway for outstanding internationally trained and certified anesthesiologists who are working as faculty clinicians in the United States.
Candidates must have the following:
- 4+ years of post-graduate medical education, with at least three of those years being anesthesiology-specific training
- A letter of support from the sponsoring program’s chair and program director
- Board certification in anesthesiology from an ABA-approved certifying body
- These countries have existing training and certification systems that are currently acceptable for entry into the AEP program: Australia & New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, Europe (other than UK and Ireland)
- Applications for candidates trained and certified in other countries will be considered on a case-by-case basis
- An active clinical appointment for a minimum period of four years after enrolling in the AEP program
- An academic appointment in a department of anesthesiology with an ACGME-approved residency and should be an outstanding clinician educator in the field of anesthesiology
- A four-year mentoring plan for future academic development as a clinician educator, from the sponsoring program’s department chair and program director, co-signed by the physician
- Our Credentialing Committee will review this for approval
- We must receive the four-year plan no later than four months before the department enrolls the internationally certified anesthesiologist in the AEP program and the four-year period of continuous experience commences
- A record of excellence in teaching and clinical anesthesiology during the four-year period specifically designed and identified for the physician
Research and Fellowship Pathway
The Research & Fellowship Pathway allows internationally trained and certified anesthesiologists to qualify for entrance into our exam system for primary certification in anesthesiology following four years of engaging in departmental educational activities.
Candidates must have:
- International training and certification as an anesthesiologist, practicing in the U.S.
- 4+ years (at least three years of anesthesiology-specific training) of international post-graduate medical education
- A pre-existing track record of high-quality ongoing scholarship as represented by the scholarship of discovery, dissemination and application is critical to acceptance
- Discovery: Obtaining peer-reviewed funding or by publication of original research in peer-reviewed journals
- Dissemination: Publication of review articles in peer-reviewed journals or chapters in textbooks
- Application: Publication of case reports or clinical series at local, regional, or national professional and scientific society meetings
- An active clinical appointment for a minimum period of four years after enrolling in the AEP program
- A four-year plan submitted by the chair of the anesthesiology department that sponsors them and co-signed by the physician for prospective approval by our Credentialing Committee
- We must receive the four-year plan no later than four months before the department enrolls the physician in the AEP program and the four-year period of continuous experience commences
- Proof of discovery of new knowledge in the specialty, excellence in teaching and excellence in clinical anesthesiology during the four-year period specifically designed and identified for the physician