The American Board of Preventive Medicine

What The American Board of Preventive Medicine does

The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is a private non-profit certification organization founded in 1948 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of 24 American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Boards and holds exclusive authority to issue board certification in three preventive medicine specialties — Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine — as well as five subspecialties including Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Health Care Administration Leadership and Management, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. The organization serves over 12,000 active certificate holders and produced 997 new Diplomates in 2024.

ABPM's core technology and service infrastructure consists of an online Physician Portal for application management, the Learnswell-based Longitudinal Assessment Program (LAP) launched January 7, 2025 for continuing competency assessment, and certification exams administered globally through Pearson VUE testing centers during an annual October–November exam window. The organization also produces supplementary content such as the "Paths in Medicine" video series released June 2026. Technology operations are lean, supported by 1–10 staff and 86+ volunteers.

ABPM operates a hybrid revenue model combining one-time application and exam registration fees for initial certification with recurring annual fees from diplomates maintaining time-limited certificates through the Continuing Certification Program (CCP). Distribution is direct-to-physician through an online self-service portal, supplemented by conference exhibitions at partner specialty society events (ACOEM, ACPM, ASAM, AMIA). In 2025, ABPM processed a record 2,100+ applications, with record numbers in Addiction Medicine and Clinical Informatics during the final practice pathway year, signaling application volume expansion even as some subspecialty access windows close.

Name

The American Board of Preventive Medicine

Legal name

American Board of Preventive Medicine

Website

https://theabpm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ABPM is a non-profit ABMS Member Board founded in 1948 that certifies physicians across preventive medicine specialties and subspecialties, serving over 12,000 active diplomates through its Physician Portal and Pearson VUE-administered exams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Physician Board Certification Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

Keywords

• Physician board certification
• Preventive medicine specialties
• Continuing certification program
• Medical subspecialty certification
• Longitudinal assessment program

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Initial Certification Fees: Physicians pay application fees and exam registration fees to obtain initial board certification in ABPM specialties and subspecialties.
2. Annual Fees / Continuing Certification (CCP): ABPM diplomates with time-limited certificates pay annual fees to maintain certification through the Continuing Certification Program, including the Longitudinal Assessment Program.
3. Exam Administration: Certification exams administered through Pearson VUE testing centers; physicians register and pay exam fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is a non-profit certification board that administers physician board certification in three preventive medicine specialties (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine) and multiple subspecialties including Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Health Care Administration Leadership and Management, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. ABPM also delivers a Continuing Certification Program (CCP) with a Longitudinal Assessment Program (LAP) component, supporting ongoing competency through an online Physician Portal and Pearson VUE-administered exams.

Product overview

The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is a certification organization offering physician board certification across three primary specialties (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Public Health and General Preventive Medicine) and five subspecialties (Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Health Care Administration Leadership and Management, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine). ABPM also administers a Continuing Certification Program (CCP) with its Longitudinal Assessment Program (LAP) component, and provides a Physician Portal for certification management. ABPM is developing Disaster Medicine as a new subspecialty certification in collaboration with other medical boards. The organization serves over 12,000 physicians and is an ABMS Member Board founded in 1948.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 physicians currently certified by ABPM
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026ABEM collaborated with ABPM and ABS to develop the new Disaster Medicine subspecialty certification approved by ABMS. ABEM serves as the Administrative Board for Medical Toxicology subspecialty, with ABPM transitioning to a Qualifying Board for this subspecialty in October 2025. ABEM also administers Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine certification for their diplomates.
• American Board of Surgery (ABS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026ABS collaborated with ABPM and ABEM to develop the new Disaster Medicine subspecialty certification approved by ABMS.
• LearnswellcoreTechnology or Integration · 7 January 2025Learnswell provides the platform for ABPM's Longitudinal Assessment Program (LAP), launched January 7, 2025.
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABPM is one of 24 ABMS Member Boards. ABMS sets standards for initial and continuing certification utilized by all member boards including ABPM.
• American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACOEM is a key partner specialty society. ABPM attends and exhibits at ACOEM's annual AOHC conference. ACOEM offers member discounts for ABPM diplomates.
• American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACPM is a key partner specialty society. ABPM attends Preventive Medicine annual conference. ACPM awarded ABPM the 2025 President's Award.
• American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMIA is a partner specialty society for Clinical Informatics subspecialists. ABPM attends AMIA conferences.
• American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAM is a key partner specialty society for Addiction Medicine subspecialists. ABPM attends ASAM's annual conference.
• American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACAAM provides the National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum mapped to ABPM addiction medicine certification standards.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPearson VUE administers ABPM certification exams at testing centers worldwide. Exam window typically October-November annually.
• Certification Matters (Physician Lookup)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerABPM links to Physician Lookup tool through certificationmatters.org for public verification of physician credentials.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Osteopathic Association (AOA): Provides osteopathic physician board certification through its specialty boards, paralleling ABMS-member-board certification; a broad incumbent in physician credentialing for the osteopathic profession.
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): The overarching umbrella organization whose 24 member boards (including ABPM) it sets standards for; functions as both regulator and broad incumbent in the physician certification space.

Direct peers

• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM): One of the largest ABMS member boards; offers physician board certification and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) on a comparable application/exam/annual-fee model, making it ABPM's closest functional peer in scope and revenue mechanics.
• American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM): ABMS member board delivering specialty certification and continuous assessment (including a longitudinal assessment program) for family physicians; mirrors ABPM's certification + CCP/LAP structure.
• American Board of Surgery (ABS): ABMS member board and the third co-sponsor on the new Disaster Medicine subspecialty; operates the same certification + Maintenance of Certification framework as ABPM for surgical specialists.
• American Board of Pediatrics (ABP): ABMS member board administering initial certification, subspecialty certification, and a longitudinal assessment (MOCA-Peds) for pediatricians; comparable scale and recurring-fee model.
• American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM): ABMS member board and a direct co-sponsor on ABPM's Disaster Medicine subspecialty; now also the Administrative Board for Medical Toxicology that ABPM transitions to, making it both partner and governance peer.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Develops and administers the USMLE and supports assessment design; a natural peer in examination/assessment infrastructure for board certification, including those served by Pearson VUE.

Emerging players

• American Board of Preventive Medicine (Independent Osteopathic counterpart within ABOFP): American Board of Osteopathic Family Physicians and related AOA specialty boards that offer preventive medicine certification; a smaller, niche alternative credential that overlaps with ABPM's physician audience.

Others

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME): Sets standards for residency/fellowship programs that feed ABPM's certification pipeline; an adjacent ecosystem participant that determines the supply of board-eligible candidates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLUUecoxcn_9AvX0ni_hG53ZvNopBZrMWW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-board-of-preventive-medicine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The American Board of Preventive Medicine