The American Board of Urology (ABU) notes that many senior Diplomates, being 30 years post training and nearing retirement, are choosing certificate expiration, in lieu of undertaking the logistics of the practice log requirement and the burden of the knowledge assessment. Therefore, to encourage certificate retention, the ABU will offer the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) newly instituted Retired Status to support currency in urology among senior Diplomates and affirm their continued value to the ABU and the public.

Eligibility requirements for the Retired certificate designation include:

1. Possession of an active certificate at the time of retirement.
2. Unrestricted license in any jurisdiction at the time of retirement.
3. Attestation to complete disengagement in patient care with no future plans to return to practice.
4. Non-performance of any function for which Board certification is required.

Individuals who expired or forfeited their certificates since January 2015 and who met and continued to meet the above requirements, may also apply for the Retired status designation.

Those Diplomates of the American Board of Urology who also possess Subspecialty Certification are eligible to apply for the new certificate status, providing they retire in both the subspecialty and the general specialty.

There is no application or maintenance fee to achieve and retain Retired status.

A Diplomate with the Retired status will be listed publicly as Retired with the ABU and on the ABMS Certification Matters™ website.

If you are a retired urologist who would like to take advantage of this new status, please complete the Diplomate Request for Retired Status into which you will upload a brief, signed attestation. You may use this optional template with electronic signature or upload a scanned signed letter of your choosing.

NOTE: If a Diplomates’ certificate has been converted to retired and they wish to regain certification, the board may consider individual requests to re-enter the process.   The applicant will be required to undergo a professional competency and/or educational assessment in a program approved by the ABU.  These evaluations will be performed at the expense of the candidate.  Specific CME activity, evaluations and other requirements may also be assigned at the expense of the candidate.  If re-entry criteria are met and supported by the assessing program, the applicant will be allowed to apply to take the exam (Qualifying Exam or the Lifelong Learning Remediation Exam, as determined on a case-by-case basis).  In addition, the applicant must complete all other outstanding Lifelong Learning activities and may be required to submit a practice log.  Approved re-entry applicants will generally be expected to take the exam at the next available time it is administered.  Failure to do so requires a written excused absence from the ABU, and only one such excused absence will be allowed.