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Eligibility & Prerequisites

We invite you to join the growing number of physicians who have become Diplomates of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. 

Eligibility for:

ABLM/IBLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physicians

To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician you must be primary board certified for at least 2 years by an ABMS or AOA approved board for US based physicians; for Canadians you must be licensed to practice as a physician.

The prerequisites for the physician level are:

  • Current ABMS/AOA certification for US physicians, physician license for Canadians
  • 30 hours of online CME from an approved course
  • 20 hours of event CME from an approved event or combination of approved events (note: may be earned in-person OR virtually from 2024 onward).
  • A case study outlining your personal experience with lifestyle medicine (view PDF)

Please note that prerequisites are reviewed and approved only during the 30 days before the exam!

IBLM/ACLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professionals

To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Professional, you must hold a Masters or Doctorate degree in a health or allied health discipline.

For more information, visit HTTPS://LIFESTYLEMEDICINE.ORG/CERTIFICATION

The prerequisites for the professional level are:

  • Proof of your professional credentials in a health-related discipline
  • 30 hours of online CME from an approved course
  • 20 hours of event CME from an approved event or combination of approved events (note: may be earned in-person OR virtually from 2024 onward)

Please note that prerequisites are reviewed and approved only during the 30 days before the exam!

ABLM/IBLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist

  • You must be certified as a Lifestyle Medicine physician by ABLM/IBLM
  • 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 1200h of combined clinical and scholarly LM activity
    • you have to provide evidence of chronic disease reversal in your patients by submitting 10 separate case studies, with min. 3 contact points over 3 months (four of the 10 case studies must have 3 contacts over 6 months)
  • Please review and download the application and instruction packet HERE
  • Pay the non-refundable application fee of $699 HERE

After paying the fee, please email your application to [email protected]. Your application will be reviewed and approved or declined by the ABLM board within 60 days! If successful, you will be issued with a “Certified Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist” certification!

Approved online CME courses

The ABLM accepts Online CMEs of the following programs/providers:

  • ACLM Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course
  • ACLM/ACPM Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies (LMCC)
  • Doane University Lifestyle Medicine Professional Certificate Program
  • Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, Certificate in Lifestyle Medicine
  • Universidad Abierta Interamericana (Argentina) – Academic Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine (in Spanish)
  • Diplomado de Medicina del Estilo de Vida (Chile- en español) Universidad del Desarrollo- Sociedad  Chilena de Medicina del estilo de Vida (SOCHIMEV)
  • LifestylePro Academy Életmódorvos szakmai továbbképzés (Lifestyle Medicine Physician professional continuing education)
  • LifestylePro Academy Életmódszakértő szakmai továbbképzés (Lifestyle Medicine Professional professional continuing education)

Rules:

  • While the ABLM sets the certification competencies and Lifestyle Medicine standards, it is left up to the participants to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and experience from reputable sources.
  • CMEs must be no older than 36 months from the date of the exam.
  • Proof of CMEs, credentials and case study must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the certification exam.

(Please note that exam results will not be communicated until all prerequisites have been submitted and approved in full)

Approved CME events

The ABLM accepts live in-person CMEs from the following events/providers:

  • ACLM Annual Conferences
  • International Plant Based Nutrition Healthcare Annual Conferences
  • Plant-based Prevention of Disease (P-POD) Annual Conferences
  • PCRM Annual International Conferences on Nutrition in Medicine
  • Annual AAFP Lifestyle Medicine course
  • Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, Certificate in Lifestyle Medicine
  • Harvard Annual LM conference: Tools for Promoting Healthy Change
  • Lifestyle Prescriptions University - Global Lifestyle Medicine Summit

Rules:

  • Virtual CME credits are accepted from 2021 in light of COVID.
  • Events attended between 2021-2023 required 10 hours of in-person attendance as an exam prerequisite. From 2024 onward, you must earn 20 hours of event CME and it may be earned virtually or in-person through any combination of approved events.
  • CMEs must be no older than 36 months from the date of the exam.
  • Proof of CMEs, credentials and case study must be submitted at least 30 days prior
    to the certification exam. CMEs from Lifestyle Medicine conferences immediately
    preceding an exam are exempt from the above 30-day rule

(Please note that exam results will not be communicated until all prerequisites have been submitted and approve)

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, plus
  • ACLM member Certification fee $1,349 (Certification issued by ABLM and IBLM)
  • Non-member Certification fee $1,499 (Certification issued by ABLM and IBLM)

PHD AND MASTERS LEVEL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

  • Non-refundable registration fee $199, plus
  • ACLM member Certification fee $1,169 (Certification issued by ACLM and IBLM)
  • Non-member Certification fee $1,299 (Certification issued by ACLM and IBLM)

Please note that the Prometric testing center fees are included in the exam registration fees.
Bachelor’s level eligibility will conclude following the 2023 exam. Those who have been certified are eligible to maintain their certification through the LMMOC.

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
  • Exam questions are written to NBME standards
  • Format: proctored exam, at a Prometric testing center of your choice
  • Timing: all exams are conducted during exam week (last week of November/first week of December) each year