Board-Certification

Pathways to Board-Certification

The American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry provides three pathways to receive board-certification in Sports & Performance Psychiatry.

​​​​​​​If you are eligible for board-certification through Pathways A, you can apply to become “Board-Eligible” now. Once the final exam is available later in 2024, you will be notified and can take the exam to obtain official board-certification. The exam will be available late-2024 and at that time, you will have 6 months to complete the exam to receive full board-certification. Pathway B will be available in the latter part of 2024.

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Pathway A: Experienced Sports Psychiatrist Board-Certification Pathway
(Only valid from January 1 through December 31, 2025)

Eligibility Requirements

The American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry wishes to establish an additional pathway for experienced sports psychiatrists to obtain Board-Certification from the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry. This would provide an alternative pathway for general board-certified psychiatrists, who already have significant experience in the field, to obtain board-certification. The eligibility requirements are listed below.


A. Education/Certification/Licensure:

  • Graduation from an accredited allopathic or osteopathic school of medicine with a doctorate of medicine (M.D.), osteopathic medicine (D.O.), or Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree.
  • Successful completion of training in an accredited Adult and/or Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program.
  • ABPN, AOBNP, or NBPAS Board certification in General and/or Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
  • Active licensure to practice medicine in at least one state in the United States.

​​​​​​​B. Professional Experience:
  • Three years or more of extensive post-residency clinical experience with at least 20% time on average dedicated to the care of athletes, coaches, high-performers, and/or teams OR completion of a sports psychiatry fellowship (1 year).
  • Two letters of recommendation by coaches, teams, and/or sports clinicians to indicate extensive clinical experience in the field.
  • Provide an updated resume with clinical experience.

C. Knowledge of the Field: this is evidenced by extensive reading of sports psychiatry books or published articles and/or attendance at or participation in sports psychiatry seminars, workshops, courses, and/or society meetings.

  • Expected continuing education in sports and performance-related conferences.
  • Successful completion of the ABSPP 30-question open book examination once the remainder of the application requirements have been met.


D. Achievement in the Field/Mentorship:

  • Presentation of sports psychiatry in three or more lectures, workshops, seminars, discussion panels at local, regional, national, or international meetings and/or the publication of sports psychiatry books, book chapters, journal articles, manuals, and/or blogs.
  • Additionally, supervision, mentorship, and/or peer consultation with other general or sports psychiatrists or other sports practitioners (e.g. sports psychologist).


E. Ethics: must adhere to the principles and standards of the American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry’s Ethics Code and must not have lost medical licensure or health systems credentialing due to professional misconduct.

Pathway B: General Psychiatrist Board-Certification Pathway
(Will be available late 2024)​​​

The American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry wishes to establish an ongoing pathway for general psychiatrists to obtain Board-Certification from the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry. This would provide a pathway for general board-certified psychiatrists to obtain board-certification in sports and performance psychiatry without fulfilling the requirement for pathways A or B. The eligibility requirements are listed below.


A. Education/Certification/Licensure:

  • Graduation from an accredited allopathic or osteopathic school of medicine with a doctorate of medicine (M.D.), osteopathic medicine (D.O.), or Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree.
  • Successful completion of training in an accredited Adult and/or Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program.
  • ABPN, AOBNP, or NBPAS Board certification in General and/or Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
  • Active licensure to practice medicine in at least one state in the United States.

B. Knowledge in the Field:

  • Completion of the ABSPP curriculum by the end of the 6 month course
  • There will be a rolling admission process with maximum of 12 participants allowed per 6 month cycle
  • The curriculum includes expert filmed lectures that will be time limited in availability to two months
  • Successful completion of the ABSPP 30 question open book examination at the end of the 6 month cycle.
  • Any applicant unable to successfully complete the curriculum or successfully pass the examination will be allowed an opportunity to do so in the subsequent course cycle without an additional course fee. After the second failed attempt, the applicant will need to re-apply for the course in one year at the original fee.


C. Achievement in the Field:

  • Completion of one publication of sports psychiatry book, book chapter, journal, or manual Or two independent presentations of sports psychiatry lectures, workshops, seminars, discussion panels at regional, national, or international meetings.
  • Completion of the publications, presentations, or discussion panels must have occurred in the last three years.


D. Achievement in Mentorship:

  • Participation in the ABSPP approved sports psychiatry mentorship bimonthly meeting with Mentorship Committee, or otherwise designated individual (must participate in 2 or more of the 3 sessions that are offered in a 6 month period).
  • Participation in once monthly clinical case based learning and discussion of sports psychiatry with a member of the education committee (must participate in 4 of the 6 sessions that are offered in a 6 month period).

E. Ethics: must adhere to the principles and standards of the American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry’s Ethics Code and must not have lost medical licensure or health systems credentialing due to professional misconduct.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Apply For Board Certification

If you have completed the requirements for board-certification via one of the 3 pathways, please click on the corresponding link below.
Click here to apply via Pathway A
● Pathway B will become available late 2024