ABPM Addiction Medicine

It is administered by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. ABPM lists general requirements including an unrestricted, currently valid medical license (no license restricted, revoked, or suspended), an acceptable medical degree, and current primary specialty certification through an ABMS member board, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC. Fellowship pathway requirements are detailed on ABPM's Requirements Table.

Under the ACGME-accredited fellowship pathway, ABPM requires successful completion of a minimum of 12 months in an ACGME-accredited Addiction Medicine fellowship program. If the program is longer than 12 months, the physician must successfully complete all years of training for which the program is accredited to meet eligibility criteria.

ABPM lists fellowship program verification completed by the Program Director. If 24 months or more have passed since the fellowship completion date, ABPM also lists a CV/resume and one letter of reference written by a physician certified through an ABMS Member Board, the American Osteopathic Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

ABPM's site invites sign-ups for notifications about the 2027 application period and lists key dates including March 10, 2027 (2027 Application Opens) and May 19, 2027 (2027 Certification Exam Registration Opens). Confirm current dates and any fees directly on ABPM's Dates & Fees page before planning.

ABPM describes the subspecialty as covering prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of persons with the disease of addiction, care of those with substance-related health conditions, unhealthy use of nicotine, alcohol, prescription medications, and other licit and illicit drugs, and support of affected family members. ABPM publishes a separate Exam Content outline; use that as your authoritative blueprint.

Build the plan around the four areas ABPM names, then weight effort toward your weakest. Clinicians from primary care often need more time on addiction pharmacology and treatment systems; psychiatrists often need more on medical complications and public health framing. Finish by working untimed questions, then timed sets simulating exam pacing.

Typical pitfalls: memorizing drug facts without connecting them to diagnosis and management decisions; neglecting the family and population dimensions ABPM explicitly names; and skimming eligibility or exam-day logistics. Also avoid relying on outdated third-party figures for dates or requirements - ABPM revises these, so verify at the source.

ABPM maintains an Exam Pass Rates page, so consult it for current data rather than relying on secondhand numbers. This page does not state a retake policy, exam fee, item count, or time limit; those details are not confirmed here and should be verified on ABPM's Dates & Fees, Exam Logistics, and Certification Exam FAQs pages.

ABPM maintains a Continuing Certification Program (CCP) with a published requirements deadline each cycle - the site lists December 31, 2026 as the date 2026 CCP requirements are due. ABPM also publishes a Regain Certification pathway and CCP FAQs. Review the CCP page early so continuing requirements do not lapse.