Candidates seeking certification must meet the eligibility criteria specified by the American Board of Family Medicine. All primary exams administered by the ABFM are referred to as the Maintenance of Certification (MC-FP) Exam regardless of whether a physician is certifying for the first time or recertifying. In the past, the examination for residents seeking initial certification was administered in July and November/December. In 2012, the summer exam has been moved to April and the fall exam will be administered in November. Other changes implemented with the 2012 exam include the fact that a resident may apply and be permitted to take the examination prior to completion of residency training and prior to obtaining a full and unrestricted medical license. However, all requirements including the medical license and verification of training must be submitted by the final submission deadline in order to obtain certification.
