Board Certifications Without Residency

Requirements:

• MD or DO degree
• 30 CME hours in Lifestyle Medicine
• No residency or board certification required

Ideal For:

Physicians focusing on chronic disease management, nutrition, and weight loss through lifestyle interventions.

Requirements:

• Global version of ABLM for non-U.S. MDs
• No residency required
• Accepts IMG pathways

Ideal For:

International medical graduates and physicians practicing outside the U.S. who want lifestyle medicine credentials.

Requirements:

• 120 CME hours in anti-aging medicine
• Covers hormone therapy, peptides, longevity science
• No residency required

Ideal For:

Physicians interested in longevity medicine, hormone optimization, and regenerative therapies.

Requirements:

• 200+ CME hours and experience with lipid management
• No residency required
• MD, DO, or PhD in health-related field

Ideal For:

Physicians managing lipid disorders, cardiovascular risk, and metabolic syndrome.

Requirements:

• Requires 400 CME hours (may be waived with strong clinical experience)
• Residency usually required, but waiver possible for experienced clinicians
• MD or DO degree

Ideal For:

Physicians practicing holistic and functional medicine approaches.

Requirements:

• Requires completion of AFMCP + 6 Advanced Practice Modules
• No residency required
• Open to MDs, DOs, NDs, DCs, and other licensed clinicians

Ideal For:

Physicians seeking the industry gold standard for functional medicine training.

Requirements:

• 3,000 hours of urgent care experience + CME
• No residency or ABMS certification required (alternative pathway)
• MD or DO degree

Ideal For:

Physicians working in walk-in clinics, performing minor procedures, and supervised urgent care work.

Requirements:

• For those with informatics experience or graduate education
• No residency or board certification required
• Master's/PhD or equivalent experience in informatics

Ideal For:

Physicians working in EHR optimization, AI applications in medicine, and data-driven care.

Requirements:

• Approved training program required (not a physician board)
• No residency or license required
• Separate from medical licensure

Ideal For:

Physicians wanting to add health coaching skills: behavior change, motivational interviewing.

Options:

• Peptide Therapy
• Hormone Optimization
• Brain Health / Cognitive Decline

Requirements:

All follow the same format as ABAARM (no residency required)

Options:

• Aesthetics (Botox, fillers, PRP)
• Weight loss
• Hormone therapy

Note:

Not formal boards but valuable for cash-based and med-spa services.