Why is a particular physician not board certified?

Board certification is a voluntary process and over 80% of the physicians in the U.S. are board certified; however, a physician is licensed by the state to practice medicine and surgery and board certification is not a requirement for licensure. A licensed physician may practice in whatever area of medical interest they have and can legally hold themselves out to be practicing in that field of interest without necessarily having obtained a residency or fellowship providing advanced training in that area. Board certification, however, means that the physicians skill and knowledge in the specialty/subspecialty has been examined and tested and meets standardized requirements. Additionally some of the surgical specialties require one or more of years of experience in doing a variety of cases before a physician can take their certifying exams (the number of years can vary according to the board). The physician in question may fit that category and be working toward obtaining the ...