Maintenance of Certification (MOC) modules assesses the knowledge and performance of American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Board Certified physicians and American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Certified pediatricians. Keeping up to date with certification is voluntary.
The ABIM states: “Participating ABIM Board Certified physicians regularly (at least every two years) complete approved MOC activities using a structured framework created by their peers for keeping up with and assessing knowledge of the latest scientific developments and changes in practice and in specialty areas. Internists and subspecialists certified in or after 1990 remain certified through ABIM's MOC program. Those certified prior to that date are strongly urged to participate in MOC.” Learn more about the ABIM MOC program and/or enroll.
The ABP states: “Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is a voluntary process during which pediatricians not only pursue the improvement of healthcare for children but also demonstrate their advanced knowledge and commitment to lifelong learning. Pediatricians who participate in MOC learn how to measure quality of care and effectively improve their practice.” Learn more about the ABP MOC program and/or enroll.
The American Thoracic Society offers several products to help clinicians maintain certification.
The Basics
The four parts to MOC are:
- Maintain a valid medical License
- Participate in Self-Assessment (Part 2)
- Pass the MOC exam in your specialty
- Participate in Practice Assessment (Part 4)*
* Effective immediately, ABIM is suspending the Practice Assessment, Patient Voice and Patient Safety requirements for at least two years. Even though the Practice Assessment requirement is not required for at least 2 years, the MOC points physicians earn from completing a Practice Assessment activity will still count toward their MOC points requirements.
Recent Changes to ABIM MOC Requirements
ABIM has recently taken action to address many concerns from the community.
The changes include the following:
-
Effective immediately, ABIM is suspending the Practice Assessment, Patient Voice and Patient Safety requirements for at least two years. This means that no ABIM Board Certified physician will have his or her certification status changed for not having completed activities in these areas for at least the next two years. Diplomates who are currently not certified but who have satisfied all requirements for Maintenance of Certification except for the Practice Assessment requirement will be issued a new certificate this year.
-
Within the next six months, ABIM will change the language used to publicly report a diplomate's MOC status on its website from “meeting MOC requirements” to “participating in MOC.”
-
ABIM is updating the Internal Medicine MOC exam. The update will focus on making the exam more reflective of what physicians in practice are doing, with any changes to be incorporated beginning fall 2015, with more subspecialties to follow.
-
MOC enrollment fees will remain at or below the 2014 levels through at least 2017.
-
By the end of 2015, ABIM will assure new and more flexible ways for internists to demonstrate self-assessment of medical knowledge by recognizing most forms of ACCME-approved Continuing Medical Education.
To ensure that ABIM is meeting the needs of the medical community, ABIM is gathering feedback by asking the physicians directly about their vision for their specialties, the MOC program and their opinions about what it means to be a doctor today. ABIM has also created “Transforming ABIM”, a Google+ Community that you can join, to ask questions and share ideas, and blog.
More information about the most recent changes can be found online at www.abim.org/moc-faq
