For the first time, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons who had not yet earned board certification from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) sat for the ABOS Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Initial Subspecialty Certification Examination. On August 5, more than 200 candidates took advantage of this new policy that allows orthopaedic surgeons take a Subspecialty Examination prior to earning ABOS board certification.
On behalf of the ABOS, I want to thank the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) for assisting with the change and promoting this opportunity. In addition, more ABOS Diplomates took the examination in 2025 than had in many years.
ABOS Subspecialty Certification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine recognizes orthopaedic surgeons who have demonstrated additional qualifications in sports medicine through additional sports medicine training; advanced knowledge of sports medicine; a volume and diversity of surgical cases in the diagnosis and treatment of sports medicine injuries; and acknowledgement from peers of their surgical and nonsurgical skills in the field of orthopaedic sports medicine.
To be eligible for the ABOS Initial Subspecialty Certification Examination, the orthopaedic surgeon must complete an orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship in a program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In addition to the fellowship program being ACGME-accredited, the fellowship position must be ACGME-accredited as well. For example, a program may have three fellowship slots each year. However, only two of those slots may be accredited by the ACGME. A person in that third slot is not eligible to apply for ABOS Subspecialty Certification. That person would still be eligible for ABOS board certification as fellowship training is not required for general orthopaedic surgery certification.
The examination is 175 multiple choice questions offered once a year at Pearson VUE Testing Centers across the country. One of the reasons that the AOSSM Leadership asked the Board to consider allowing candidates to take the examination after fellowship is because the knowledge that is obtained during fellowship is similar to what is assessed on the examination; the knowledge is still fresh from fellowship education.
In three of the last four years, 100% of examinees passed the examination. While it has a high pass rate, it is not an easy examination and preparation is critical. The ABOS website provides access to an Examination Blueprint that can be downloaded and printed to allow candidates the ability to see the approximate percentage of questions in each area of orthopaedic sports medicine.
Overall, the application for ABOS Subspecialty Certification in orthopaedic sports medicine is similar to other applications. However, there is one important section to be aware of. The ABOS requires letters of recommendation from four orthopaedic surgeons: chief of orthopaedics and chief of surgery at an individual’s practice and two orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons who are familiar with the applicant’s practice. The letters should show that the applicant is respected by peers as a practicing orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in orthopaedic sports medicine. These letters will be uploaded as PDF files to the online application platform.
To demonstrate the number and diversity of sports medicine cases that a candidate sees, the ABOS requires a case list of all operative cases from a consecutive 12-month period that falls within the 24 months preceding the February 1 application deadline. The case list is submitted with the application and must include a minimum of 125 sports medicine cases, which the ABOS defines as procedures that treat injuries or conditions that are related to or interfere with exercise, sports participation, or a physical lifestyle. There is a list of accepted current procedural terminology (CPT) codes on the ABOS website. The case list must include at least 75 cases that involve arthroscopy as a component and 10 cases in which the patient was treated nonoperatively.
For those who have recently submitted an ABOS Part II Case List, applicable cases from that list may be able to be transferred to the new case list. Please reach out to the ABOS to discuss these options.
To summarize, to earn ABOS Subspecialty Certification in orthopaedic sports medicine, one must:
- Complete an ACGME-accredited orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship.
- Submit an application and case list and have them approved by the ABOS Credentials Committee.
- Pass the ABOS Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Examination.
Previously, only ABOS board-certified diplomates could take the Examination, after having their application and case list approved. However, the board approved allowing those who have completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine to take the examination before submitting the application and case list. These candidates submit the application and case list after earning ABOS board certification to become an ABOS Diplomate. Once the ABOS approves the application and case list, those who had already passed the examination earn ABOS Subspecialty Certification. While the requirements do not change, just the order of when they are completed, letting recent fellows take the examination benefits these orthopaedic surgeons.
The expiration date of the Subspecialty Certification matches that of the ABOS Board Certification. ABOS Board Certification and Subspecialty Certification Certificates would then be recertified simultaneously. There are three knowledge assessment pathways from which to choose to recertify both certificates:
- Successfully completing the ABOS WLA Pathway and choosing at least five knowledge sources in the sports medicine category each year.
- Passing an ABOS Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Combined Computer Examination—a computer-based examination of only questions related to orthopaedic sports medicine that is offered every other year.
- Passing an ABOS Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Combined Oral Examination—similar to the ABOS Part II Examination.
Candidates who have passed the ABOS Part I Examination and are either currently in an ACGME-accredited orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship, or have already completed that fellowship, can register for the 2026 ABOS Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Subspecialty Examination, beginning September 12, 2025, and must register by February 1, 2026. Diplomates interested in the 2026 ABOS Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Examination must register and submit their application and case list by February 1, 2026.
If you have any questions about ABOS Subspecialty Certification, please contact your ABOS Certification Specialist. Feel free to reach out to me as well at dmartin@abos.org. I proudly earned subspecialty certification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine 18 years ago and have maintained it since, first with the combined computer-based examination and most recently with the ABOS WLA Pathway.