By Emily Enfinger | The Selma Times-Journal

Selma Nephrology Center celebrates Dr. Aditya Bharita’s most recent accomplishment, passing his nephrology certification exam.

“I want this to just be a joyous occasion for him,” said Dr. Kent Taylor with Selma Nephrology Center.

Bhartia passed his American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Nephrology certification exam in November of 2015.

“Being certified is a big deal. It’s what you’re recognized,” Bhartia said. “It’s the first big step to, hopefully, a good career.”

Taylor said passing the exam is only a portion of becoming certified.

There are also training, licenses and other requirements.

Bhartia said that doctors have a grace period after graduating medical school before they have to get certified to continue practicing.

“We have that period after graduation; we have five to seven years that we can practice without being certified,” he said.

Bhartia said he didn’t want to wait and have to worry about certification later. He will have to be recertified every 10 years.

Bhartia joined Taylor’s practice in July 2015 after graduating a month before from the University of Louisville.

He said moving from a town of 700,000 people to 20,000 people was quite the change. Although it was a big adjustment for him during his first six months in town, he has grown to appreciate the area and has really his time at the practice.

“I don’t think I could go back to a big town,” Bharita said.