Take the PVI Examination online year round!
CBNC application period open through 10/17/23

Welcome to APCA!

We are pleased to welcome you to the Alliance for Physician Certification & Advancement (APCA), the physician-centric council spun out of the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). APCA is dedicated to serving physicians and advanced care providers in their enduring commitment to continual learning and providing high-quality and compassionate patient care through certification. To date, over 18,000 physicians & other practitioners have been welcomed into APCA.

APCA Statement on Access to Quality Healthcare

As an Inteleos Council, APCA, believes all women deserve access to quality health care from certified ultrasound professionals.

As a certification organization, we assert that medical professionals who perform ultrasound should be able to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities through standardized, rigorous assessments. Certification from an independent, third-party organization should be required to ensure best practices in quality patient care. This expectation of quality care should extend to all people in all health care settings.

We encourage patients to advocate for quality care by confirming that the ultrasound professional who will perform their sonogram is appropriately certified for their health and safety.

The American Board of Vascular Medicine is Part of APCA as of June, 2020. The examinations are now offered online and on demand.

Read the welcome letter to ABVM physicians here  and the press release here. You can now take both examinations online from home.

Currently Open & Upcoming Examinations

Examination Application Window Examination Window
CBNC 5/30/23 to 10/17/23 11/7/23 to 12/28/23
CBCCT 4/4/23 to 8/8/23 9/12/23 to 10/12/23
MSK 7/25/23 to 10/3/23 10/17/23 to 11/16/23
CBCMR 1/10/23 to 4/18/23 5/2/23 to 6/1/23
ABVM Vascular Year-Round Year-Round
ABVM Endovascular Year-Round Year-Round
PVI Year-Round Year-Round
POCUS Certification & Certificates Year-Round Year-Round

Which Certifications Are Awarded Through APCA?

The physician-only (and advanced care provider) ABVM, CBCCT, CBNC, CBCMR, RPVI, RPVI-China and RMSK certifications are awarded through APCA, as is the Latin American Ultrasound Certificate Program. ARDMS awards the sonographer-level RDMS, RDCS, RVT and RMSKS certifications.

Since APCA and ARDMS are companion councils, you can hold both APCA and ARDMS certifications/credentials and receive exceptional customer service and manage all maintenance of certification requirements through APCA. All the services, reminders and notifications about your certification(s) previously received from ARDMS are provided to physicians and advanced care provider by APCA.