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Be Recognized for Your Knowledge in Headache Medicine
AQH Certification recognizes your knowledge and experience in caring for the most prevalent neurological disease in the world.
Demonstrate your headache experience in the classification, diagnosis, treatment and management of primary headaches, secondary headaches, and painful lesions of the cranial nerves and other facial pain.
To be eligible for the AQH examination, a candidate must be a licensed healthcare practitioner with prescriptive authority who has experience in independently evaluating and managing headache patients.
Benefits of Advanced Qualification in Headache Medicine© (AQH) Certification
Validation
Recognition as a health care provider capable of providing quality care for people living with migraine disease and headache disorders.
Recognition
Provider Finder Listing on www.headaches.org, where patients search to locate certified headache providers near them.
Dedication
Demonstrates your dedication and commitment to the latest developments in headache medicine
Credibility
Increased credibility of headache medicine experience, when seeking justification of treatment necessity during reviews with public and private payers.
Earning Your AQH©
Prepare for the AQH©
Those interested in taking the Advanced Qualification in Headache Medicine© (AQH) exam can prepare by reviewing the following resources (this list is not all-inclusive and should be considered as a starting point):
- Oxford Textbook of Headache Syndromes (Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Neurology)
- by Michel Ferrari (Author), Andrew Charles (Author), David Dodick (Author), Fumihiko Sakai (Author), Joost Haan (Author)
- American Headache Society
National Headache Foundation study navigation guide currently in development
New Candidate Eligibility
Eligible candidates are licensed healthcare providers with prescriptive authority, independently evaluating and managing headache patients.
Each candidate must provide documentation of the following criteria regarding license, continuing education, and experience for each of the following four (4) areas with the application:
- License: Copy of current license.
- CV: Copy of current CV
- Professional Colleague Letter (on letterhead)-verifying experience in at least one of the following options:
- A minimum of 25% of the time in independent direct diagnosis, treatment and management of headache in the last 36 months prior to application, or
- Completion of an accredited Neurology residency (MD or DO), and manages headache patients, or
- Completion of an accredited headache fellowship, or
- At least one or more years of experience at either a headache center or Veterans Affairs (VA) Headache Center of Excellence (HCoE).
- Continuing Education: Completion of at least 50 hours, over the last 36 months prior to application, of AMA PRA Category 1 CME focusing on headache medicine, prior to application. (Ideally 20 CME are in the last year).
Apply for the AQH©
The AQH exam is currently under review
The AQH examination is available one of two ways:
- On-site examination, or
- Online examination with remote proctor
Upcoming AQH Examination Dates
Will be posting before the end of July, 2025. We’re almost there, thank you so much for your patience.
Be the First To Know When AQH Testing Is Available
Maintenance of Existing Certification
AQH Certification must be renewed every five (5) years. You can now complete the entire renewal process online through our secure application portal. There are two ways to renew.
Option 1:
To renew, you will need:
- Completed Online Renewal Application
- Continuing Education: At least 50 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 CME focused on headache medicine within the past 36 months (or 75 hours within the past 60 months)
- Valid Medical License: Upload a current copy
- Renewal Fee: $250.00 (paid securely online after submitting your application)
Click the button below to begin your AQH Renewal.
For questions, contact us at [email protected].
Option 2:
New Application and Re-examination
For questions about either option please contact us at: [email protected]