board of certification in emergency medicine board of certification in emergency medicine the board of certification in emergency medicine (bcem) is the second-largest organization offering board certification in the medical specialty of emergency medicine in the united states. bcem allows physicians who were not initially residency-trained in emergency medicine, but that have completed a residency in other fields (internists, family practitioners, pediatricians, general surgeons, and anesthesiologists), to become board-certified in emergency medicine. bcem requires five years of full-time emergency medicine experience or completion of an approved fellowship, preparation of case reports for review by the board, and passing both written and oral examinations before allowing a candidate to become board-certified in emergency medicine. recertification is required every 8 years. bcem is a member of the american board of physician specialties (abps) - an organization that allows both m.d.s and d.o.s to become members.