Become Certified in Lifestyle Medicine Practice

 

Treat, Reverse, and Prevent Chronic Disease by addressing the root causes of disease.

 


The American Board of LIfestyle Medicine and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine offer certification in the field of Lifestyle Medicine in order to:

  • Educate interested physicians, health and allied health professionals about Lifestyle Medicine
  • Set a common standard/language for Lifestyle Medicine protocols globally
  • Differentiate between the evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine professionals and the non-evidence based Lifestyle Medicine practitioners
  • Set a global Lifestyle Medicine benchmark
  • Attract health insurance funding for evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine (by requiring that any fund receivers be formally certified)
  • “Legitimize” Lifestyle Medicine and have the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) certification recognize by the American Board of Medical Specialties
     

Why Certify?

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Education Mastery
 Most physicians and health professionals receive little to no education on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, social connectivity, and the avoidance of risky substance use which are the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. 
Certification in Lifestyle Medicine indicates that the individual has mastered the science of  preventing, treating, and reversing chronic disease in an evidence-based manner with official acknowledgement from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (for physicians and specialists) or the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (for professionals and practitioners).

Unique Advantage
Lifestyle Medicine Board Certified Physicians, Specialists, Professionals and Practitioners are recognized as subject matter experts in the field, giving them a hiring advantage for Lifestyle Medicine focused organizations and employers. A Lifestyle Medicine approach is enhanced with use of health behavior change coaching skills. Lifestyle Medicine has the power to decrease healthcare spending for both employers and patients, improve overall health outcomes, and activate patient autonomy and motivation for sustainable, lifelong behavior change.

Networking and Recognition 
Certification opens the door for valuable and rewarding networking, working and collaborating with like-minded professionals.
 

Lifestyle Medicine Physician

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Eligibility
To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician, there are 2 potential pathways:

1. Experiential Pathway (for current ABMS certified physicians)
  • You must be board-certified by a medical specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) for US based physicians
  • You must be certified and registered to practice if you are a Canadian physician
  • You must have been primary board certified (USA) and practicing medicine for at least 2 years before being able to register for the ABLM exam

2. Educational Pathway (for residents)
  • You must complete the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum  through a residency site. Currently being implemented at the residency sites below:
    • Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency at Lee Health
    • Greenville Health System and University of South Carolina School of Medicine –Greenville Family Medicine Residency and Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship
    • Loma Linda University Family Medicine Residency, Preventive Medicine Residency, and Family and Preventive Medicine Combined Residency
  • Please note that while you can sit for your ABLM exam after your residency, your certification will only be issued after you successfully passed your primary board exam.


Your certification will be issued by the ABLM for US/Canada based physicians, and by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) for physicians outside North America.

Prerequisites
  • Current ABMS certification
  • 30 hours of online/non-live CME
  • 10 hours of in-person CME
  • A case study outlining your personal experience with lifestyle medicine (view PDF)

Lifestyle Medicine Specialist

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Eligibility
To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Specialist you must be certified as a Lifestyle Medicine physician by ABLM.

Prerequisites
  • Current ABLM Lifestyle Medicine Physician certification
  • You must submit an application to the board of ABLM, using a template provided by ABLM upon request, evidencing that:
    • within a 7 year period, you have obtained 720h of clinical LM activity and 300h of scholarly LM activity
    • you have reversed chronic disease in your patients by submitting 12 separate case studies, each with min. 3 contact points over 6 months
  • You must pay a non-refundable US$500 application fee.
Your application will be reviewed and approved/declined and your certification issued by the ABLM board.

Lifestyle Medicine Professional

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Eligibility
To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Professional, you must hold a Masters or Doctorate degree and be credentialed as one of the following health professionals:


Credentials

Required Documentation

Physician Assistant (PA)

Certification

 

Nurse (MSN, DNP)

License

 

Pharmacist (PharmD)

License

 

Registered Dietitian (RD, RDN)

Registration

 

Physical Therapist or Physiotherapist (DPT, MPT, MSPT)

License

 

Occupational Therapist (MOT, DOT)

License

 

Psychologist or Psychotherapist (PsyD, PhD)

License

 

Exercise Physiologist (C-EP)

Certification

Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)

License

Naturopathic Doctor (ND)

License

*AANMC Certified Only*

Chiropractor (DC)

License

Optometrist (OD)

License

Podiatrist (DPM)

License

Dentist (DDS, DMD)

License

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

License  
Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) License  


Your certification will be issued by the ACLM for US/Canada based health practitioners, and by the IBLM for people outside North America

Prerequisites
  • Documentation of credentials (up to date certification, registration, license)
  • Academic Transcript 
  • 30 hours of online/non-live CME
  • 10 hours of in-person CME

Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner

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Eligibility
To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner, you must hold a Bachelors degree and be credentialed as one of the following health professionals:

Credentials

Required Documentation

  

Nurse (RN)

License

 

Registered Dietitian (RD, RDN)

Registration

 

Physician Assistant (PA)

Certification

 

Physical Therapist or Physiotherapist (DPT, MPT, MSPT)

License

 

Occupational Therapist (MOT, DOT)

License

 

Pharmacist (RPh)

Registration

 

 

Professions listed in italics are grandfathered in by their professional associations and are therefore eligible to be certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner.

Your certification will be issued by the ACLM for US/Canada. The IBLM does not certify bachelor level health practitioners.

Prerequisites
  • Documentation of credentials (up to date certification, registration, license)
  • Academic Transcript 
  • A minimum of 30 hours of specific lifestyle medicine online CME
  • At least 10 hours of in-person CME from attending specific lifestyle medicine oriented conferences

Approved CME

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Exam Information

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Exam Pricing
The cost to certify is a one-time fee, dependent on your registration level and ACLM membership status.
MDs and DOs
  • Non-refundable registration fee $299
  • ACLM member Certification fee $1,349 (Certification issued by ABLM and IBLM)
  • Non-member Certification fee $1,499 (Certification issued by ABLM and IBLM)
  • Optional MOC pathway $100 per year
PhD and Masters Level Health Professionals:
  • Non-refundable registration fee $199
  • ACLM member Certification fee $1,169 (Certification issued by ACLM and IBLM)
  • Non-member Certification fee $1,299 (Certification issued by ACLM and IBLM)
  • Optional MOC pathway $80 per year
Bachelor Level Nurses & Dietitians:
  • Non-refundable member fee $99
  • ACLM member Certification fee $900 (Certification issued by ACLM)
  • Non-member Certification fee $999 (Certification issued by ACLM)
  • Optional MOC pathway $60 per year
Exam Date
See Exam Schedule

Exam Logistics
  • Exam duration: Maximum 4 hours
  • Exam items/questions: 150 multiple choice questions for Lifestyle Medicine physicians; 120 multiple choice questions for Lifestyle Medicine professionals and Lifestyle Medicine practitioners
  • Format: proctored exam, using own laptop or tablet (secure online exam dissemination)
     

Maintenance of Certification

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While the ACLM adheres to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) rule of full recertification after the end of every 10 year period, the ACLM/ABLM has launched an alternative Maintenance of Certification pathway, whereby Diplomates have the choice of a 10 year certification or on-going certification. On-going certification requires a yearly minimum payment, the annual reading of 3 LM related articles and answering a series of questions about these articles, and the submission of 30 LM related CME every 5 years.

Visit lmmoc.org to get started

Visit our diplomate page to see a list of individuals who are certified.

For more information about approved online and in-person CME, pricing, exam schedules, and other exam logistics, visit www.ablm.co! Register today!

Frequently Asked Questions