What is IBLM Certification?
The International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) establishes and maintains standards for assessing and credentialing physicians and health professionals with a Masters or Ph.D. in Lifestyle Medicine worldwide. The examination process for the IBLM certification is detailed below. It is important to note that there are other certification processes coming up from different international regulatory bodies. IBLM conducts two types of examinations:
- Globally conducted exams at a Prometric testing center of your choice during the “exam week” (the last week of November and the first week of December) each year.
- Event-based examinations, which take place alongside annual lifestyle medicine conferences jointly organized by the IBLM and the national LM organization.
This year, an event-based examination will take place in Sri Lanka on October 7, 2023, at the UCFM Tower, Faculty of Medicine. Twenty-three physicians and professionals will be sitting for the exam.
Am I Eligible to Take the Exam?
IBLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician
To become certified as a Lifestyle Medicine physician, you must hold an MD, MBBS, or equivalent degree and be licensed to practice medicine. Your certification will be issued by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM).
IBLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional
To become certified as a Lifestyle Medicine professional, you must hold a Master’s or Doctorate degree in a health or allied health discipline, such as:
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Registered Dietitian
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Psychology or Psychotherapy
- Public Health
- Exercise Physiology
- Optometry
- Podiatry
- Dentistry
- Clinical Social Work or Master Social Work
- Professional Counseling
- Health Education
IBLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist
You must be certified as a Lifestyle Medicine physician by IBLM
You must submit an application to the board of IBLM, using a template provided by IBLM 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)
What are the Prerequisites?
The prerequisites for the two registration levels are as follows:
Physicians (MBBS)
- Proof of professional credentials with registration in the country of practice
- 30 hours of online or non-live CME from an approved course
- 10 hours of live, in-person CME from an approved event
- A case study outlining your personal experience with lifestyle medicine
Professionals (Masters/PhD)
- Proof of your professional credentials in a health-related discipline
- 30 hours of online/non-live CME from an approved course
- 10 hours of live, in-person CME from an approved event
Note: virtual attendance does not count towards in-person CME unless you reside in a country without an approved local lifestyle medicine conference
What are the Approved Online CMEs?
The IBLM accepts Online CMEs of the following programs/providers:
- ACLM Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course 3rd Edition
- ACLM/ACPM Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies (LMCC)
- Doane University Lifestyle Medicine Professional Certificate Program
- Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, Certificate in Lifestyle Medicine
What are the rules?
- While the IBLM sets the certification competencies and Lifestyle Medicine standards, it is 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 exam date.
- Proof of CMEs, credentials, and case study must be submitted prior to the certification exam.
Note: Exam results will not be communicated until all prerequisites have been submitted and approved in full.
What are the Approved Live In-person CME Events?
The IBLM accepts live in-person CMEs from the following events/providers:
- LMGA sister organization annual lifestyle medicine 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
What are the rules?
- Virtual CME credits are accepted only from 2020 and 2021 events
- CMEs must be no older than 36 months from the date of the exam
Note: 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.
What are the Examination Logistics?
Exam duration: Maximum 4 hours
Exam items/questions (exam questions are written to NBME standards)
150 multiple-choice questions for Lifestyle Medicine physicians
120 multiple-choice questions for Lifestyle Medicine professionals
Exam format
Event based exam: exam taken using your own Wi-Fi enabled laptop or tablet, Classmarker softwareProctored exam: at a Prometric testing center of your choice during exam weeks (last week of November/first week of December each year
How Long Does the Certificate Last?
The IBLM adheres to the global 10-year re-certification regimen. However, the IBLM offers an alternative maintenance of certification pathway that allows diplomates to remain certified indefinitely, provided they meet the Maintenance of Certification criteria. Steps to Maintain Certification
- Enroll in the LMMOC within the first three months of the year following initial certification and submit payment annually by March 31st
- Stay compliant by reading three specific articles and completing quizzes annually
- Complete 30 CME hours from eligible courses and events every five years
For more information, please visit https://iblm.co/maintenance-of-certification/
