The three recognized credentialing levels for medical, osteopathic, dental and optometry practitioners at Joint Commission accredited facilities are:
Level 1 – Credentialed as General Practitioner of a licensed doctoral profession
Credentials: Degree plus a valid, current license required. Maintenance of license-level competency is assured at license renewal as required by practitioner’s state licensing board [Maintenance of License] and usually requires certain hours of continuing education in the profession. A doctoral level health profession that requires a degree and a state license to practice is not considered a specialty.
Level 2 – Credentialed as Specialist in a defined area of licensed doctoral profession
Credentials: Level 1 plus residency training in the specialty, passage of specialty examination and specialty board certification required. Specialists usually take part in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs to renew their specialty certifications every 10 years. Board Certification is a Level 2 credential that certifies advanced competency in a specialty of a higher level than that required for licensing or license renewal as a general practitioner.
Level 3 – Credentialed as a Subspecialist
Credentials: Level 1 + 2 Credentials and Fellowship training in a subspecialty required. Training and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) as required by the parent Specialty Board.