American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics

What American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics does

The American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation incorporated in 1980 and headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. It is one of 24 Member Boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and serves as the sole ABMS-recognized certification body for medical genetics and genomics in the United States. ABMGG's mission is to serve the public and the medical profession by establishing professional certification standards and promoting lifelong learning in medical genetics and genomics. Its customer base consists of medical genetics trainees seeking initial board certification, board-certified diplomates maintaining certification, ACGME-accredited training programs, and healthcare institutions performing credentialing verification.

ABMGG's core products include the Initial Certification program (General exam plus specialty and subspecialty exams in Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Clinical Biochemical Genetics, Laboratory Genetics and Genomics, Medical Biochemical Genetics, and Molecular Genetic Pathology), the CertLink Longitudinal Assessment platform for continuing certification, and the annual In-Training Examination for trainees. CertLink delivers 24-28 questions every six months over four-year cycles with spaced repetition, customizable specialty weighting, performance dashboards, and remediation tracking; in 2025, General exam questions were reduced from 126 to 100 (120 minutes), and the general and specialty exams were decoupled so candidates may take them in different testing cycles. Exam administration is conducted globally through Pearson VUE testing centers, and the ABMGG Portal serves as the unified self-service system for applications, fee payment, and credential management.

The organization's revenue model combines one-time fees for application review (~$775-$825), general exams ($1,050), and specialty exams ($1,175) with a $500 annual fee for the continuing certification program (plus a $100 late penalty after January 1), $325 per examinee for the In-Training Examination, $125 verification letters, and voluntary dues from non-time-limited certificate holders. In 2025, ABMGG certified 177 new diplomates and awarded 223 total certifications; ultimate pass rates across specialties ranged from 90.4% to 98.3% for eligible candidates between 2015 and 2023. Operationally, ABMGG runs with 1-10 employees and is governed by an elected Board of Directors, with leadership transitioning in 2025 (Azra Ligon, PhD appointed CEO on January 1, 2025, and Darrel Waggoner, MD appointed Associate CEO on March 24, 2025), as the organization enters the summer 2026 transition to a new portal platform.

Name

American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Legal name

American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Website

https://abmgg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) is a non-profit certification body that establishes professional standards and administers ABMS-recognized initial board certification and continuing certification examinations for medical genetics and genomics professionals in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Specialty Certification

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAANAI

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

SECONDARYEDAFADAG

Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Assessment, Testing, Proctoring & Credentialing Platforms

SECONDARYBPACANAJ

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

Keywords

• Medical specialty certification
• Physician board certification
• Continuing certification program
• Medical genetics examination
• Professional credentialing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Examination Fees: Revenue from initial certification examinations including application review fees ($775-$825), general exam fees ($1,050), and specialty/subspecialty exam fees ($1,175). Also includes late fees ($400) and appeal fees ($325).
2. Continuing Certification Annual Fees: Annual fee of $500 for participation in the continuing certification program, regardless of number of specialties. Includes access to CertLink longitudinal assessment. Late fees of $100 apply for payments after January 1.
3. In-Training Examination Fees: Cost of $325 per examinee for the annual In-Training Examination administered to residents and fellows in ACGME-accredited training programs.
4. Verification Letter Fees: $125 fee for third-party requests for official letters of verification of certification status. Free for diplomates requesting their own verification.
5. Voluntary Dues: Non-time limited certificate holders (certified before 1993) may contribute voluntary dues to support ABMGG activities including the portal, certifying examinations, and CertLink program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ABMGG administers initial board certification examinations and a four-part Continuing Certification program (Assessment of Knowledge, Lifelong Learning, Professionalism, and Improvement in Medical Practice) for medical genetics and genomics professionals. Certification is delivered via computer-based examinations at Pearson VUE testing centers, with ongoing competency maintained through the CertLink longitudinal assessment platform that delivers 24-28 spaced-repetition questions every six months over a four-year cycle. Verification services and training program oversight round out the credentialing ecosystem.

Product overview

The American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) offers a certification ecosystem consisting of initial certification examinations for medical genetics and genomics professionals, a continuing certification program with CertLink longitudinal assessment for ongoing professional development, training program oversight including the In-Training Examination, certification verification services, and a career center for the genetics profession. The ABMGG Portal serves as the unified platform for diplomates to manage their certification lifecycle. Primary specialties include Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Clinical Biochemical Genetics, and Laboratory Genetics and Genomics, with subspecialties in Medical Biochemical Genetics and Molecular Genetic Pathology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Initial Certification Initial board certification program for medical genetics and genomics professionals. Includes a general genetics examination and specialty/subspecialty examinations across Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Clinical Biochemical Genetics, Laboratory Genetics and Genomics, Medical Biochemical Genetics, and Molecular Genetic Pathology. Designed for residents and fellows completing ACGME-accredited training programs.
• Continuing Certification Program Four-part ongoing professional development program for board-certified diplomates covering Assessment of Knowledge (via the CertLink Longitudinal Assessment platform), Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment, Professionalism and Professional Standing, and Improvement in Medical/Professional Practice. Requires an annual fee and recurring engagement over a four-year assessment cycle.
• In-Training Examination (ITE) Annual examination administered to residents and fellows in ACGME-accredited medical genetics and genomics training programs to evaluate knowledge, identify at-risk trainees, and provide national performance benchmarks. Priced at $325 per examinee and administered every February.
• Verify Certification Public-facing verification service that allows hospitals, clinics, laboratories, employers, and patients to confirm board certification status of ABMGG diplomates. Provides official letters of verification ($125 for third-party requests, free for diplomates' self-requests) and integrates with the ABMS Certification Matters public platform.
• Career Center for Medical Genetics and Genomics Dedicated job board platform connecting employers with board-certified medical genetics and genomics professionals, positioned as the largest source of medical genetics and genomics jobs in the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95-98% ultimate pass rates across specialties for eligible candidates 2015-2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980ABMGG is one of 24 ABMS Member Boards. ABMS assists ABMGG in developing and implementing educational and professional standards for physician certification in medical genetics and genomics. ABMGG Board members serve on ABMS committees including the Committee on Continuing Certification (3C) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME accredits all genetics and genomics training programs. ABMGG transitioned accreditation of laboratory training programs to ACGME and ABMGG Board members serve on the ACGME Medical Genetics and Genomics Review Committee. ACGME milestones are used for trainee evaluation.
• American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint providership of CertLink continuing education with ACMG. ACMG offers Practice Improvement modules that fulfill ABMGG continuing certification requirements. ABMGG participates in ACMG Annual Meeting and recognizes outstanding quality improvement work. ABMGG diplomates may apply for FACMG designation through ACMG.
• American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization in human genetics. ABMGG Board members have served on ASHG Board. ASHG annual meetings offer CME opportunities for ABMGG diplomates.
• American Board of Genetic Counselors (ABGC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate certification board for genetic counselors. Listed as external partner with mutual interest in genetics certification standards.
• Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCMG and ABMGG recognize equivalency of certain training programs. CCMG 'Genetics and Genome Diagnostics' equals Laboratory Genetics and Genomics; 'Laboratory Biochemical Genetics' equals Clinical Biochemical Genetics; 'Clinical Biochemical Genetics' subspecialty equals Medical Biochemical Genetics.
• Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (APHMG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for genetics educators. ABMGG Board members have served on APHMG Board. APHMG supports training program directors and medical genetics education.
• ABMS Portfolio ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABMS Portfolio Program allows diplomates to earn improvement credit for quality improvement projects through participating healthcare organizations, hospitals, and medical societies.
• College of American Pathologists (CAP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABMGG accepts CAP inspection participation for practice improvement credit. ABMGG accepts Laboratory Practice Performance Modules that utilize CAP inspection reports. CAP resource committee participation also qualifies for improvement credit.
• Genetics Society of America (GSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as external partner organization with mutual interest in genetics research and education.
• International Federation of Human Genetics Societies (IFHGS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational federation connecting human genetics societies globally. Represents the international dimension of ABMGG's certification mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Board of Pediatrics (ABP): ABP is another large ABMS member board using longitudinal assessment for continuing certification. It is comparable to ABMGG in governance model (member board under ABMS) and CertLink-based continuing certification approach, but serves a much larger diplomate base across pediatrics and pediatric subspecialties.
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): ABMS is the umbrella organization of which ABMGG is one of 24 member boards. ABMS sets the standards for physician board certification in the US and operates shared services including the public-facing "Certification Matters" verification platform that ABMGG uses for diplomate verification, making it the most directly comparable governing body.
• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM): ABIM is the largest ABMS member board and an early adopter of the longitudinal CertLink-style assessment model that ABMGG now uses. It is the reference implementation for continuing certification technology and policy, making it a structurally comparable peer even though the clinical specialty differs.
• American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN): ABPN certifies psychiatrists and neurologists under the ABMS framework and uses longitudinal assessment for continuing certification. It is a structural peer to ABMGG in terms of certification model, though it covers a much larger clinical specialty footprint.
• American Board of Surgery (ABS): ABS is an ABMS member board that certifies surgeons and uses the longitudinal continuing certification framework. It is comparable to ABMGG in certification model and governance, but serves a very different clinical specialty.

Regional players

• Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG): CCMG is the Canadian certification body for medical geneticists and has formal equivalency agreements with ABMGG for three of its five specialties. It is a direct functional peer operating in a different geography, with the two organizations mutually recognizing training and certification pathways.

Direct peers

• American Board of Pathology (ABPath): ABPath is a fellow ABMS member board that certifies pathologists, including the Molecular Genetic Pathology subspecialty which ABMGG jointly certifies. It operates under the same ABMS continuing certification framework, including CertLink-style longitudinal assessment, and serves a similarly sized specialist physician population.
• American Board of Genetic Counselors (ABGC): ABGC is the certification body for genetic counselors, a closely adjacent profession to ABMGG's medical genetics diplomates. ABMGG lists ABGC as an external partner, and the two organizations jointly define the genetics workforce credentialing landscape in the US, making them the most direct functional peer.

Others

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): NBME develops and administers the USMLE and other high-stakes medical assessments. It is comparable as a peer assessment-design organization serving the broader medical certification ecosystem, though it does not directly compete with ABMGG for medical genetics certification.

Emerging players

• American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG): ACMG is a professional society (not a certifying body) that jointly provides continuing education credit for ABMGG's CertLink program and offers practice improvement modules. It is comparable as a tightly coupled ecosystem partner in the medical genetics credentialing stack, though it does not administer certification exams itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theabmgg
• Facebookfacebook.com/abmgg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-board-of-medical-genetics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics