New Implications for American Board of Pediatrics Permanent Certificate Holders
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) has issues that are specific for permanent certificate holders that are important and about which you may not be fully aware.
First, your permanent certificate will never expire and from that perspective you are not required to embark on MOC. You may elect, however, to undertake MOC for several reasons and should consider the options carefully.
Maintenance of Certification can be a stimulating endeavor that provides intellectual rewards that you might not expect. The exercises are supported by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Board of Pediatrics.
While Maintenance of Certification for you may not be required by your state licensure board, your hospital or institution or your third party payers, this varies across the country and is rapidly moving toward requirements in this regard.
Effective January 1, 2010, each permanent certificate holder that has not enrolled in MOC and has not passed the recertification secure exam within the past 10 years will be listed on the ABP web site as permanently certified but ”Not meeting the requirements of Maintenance of certification.” If you take and pass the examination and enroll in MOC before July 2010, you have two major advantages. If you take and pass the examination before January of 2010, you will have 5 years to complete Parts 2 and 4 of MOC. You will also be listed on the ABP Web site as meeting MOC requirements beginning January, 2010.
If you take and pass the examination and are enrolled before July, 2010, you will still have up to 5 years to complete Parts 2 and 4 of MOC and you will be listed as meeting MOC requirements when you pass the exam.
Permanent certificate holders who enroll in MOC after June
30, 2010 will have to complete all parts of MOC (i.e., pass the test and
complete parts 2 and 4) within 2 years in order to meet MOC requirements.
The MOC process is initiated by establishing a “log in” on the www.abp.org web site. This link is in the upper right side of the home page and after log in you are guided through the process of applying for the exam and enrolling in MOC.
Once you have established your log in with a user name and pass word, you will have access to your personal portfolio and diplomat profile. There you may select “My Portfolio” and “My requirements for MOC”. If you select “Part 2”on the right of the page there are “optional activities” which includes a “Knowledge self assessment” with a tutorial and a very friendly, timed, practice exam that also may be used to meet part of your Part 2 requirements if you choose. There is also a link to the knowledge self assessment activity on the home page under “How to prepare for the MOC examination in General Pediatrics” with the same specific instructions on how to access this activity.
Once logged in you may apply for the MOC examination. Examinations are offered 10 months a year for general pediatrics and in March and October for subspecialties. If you have taken a recertification exam in the last 10 years, you can enroll in MOC without sitting for an examination. If you have taken a recertification in the last 5 years, you can enroll in MOC with no enrollment fee via the ABP Portfolio homepage on the right at “Maintenance of Certification Enrollment”. If you have problems logging on, applying for the examination, or enrolling, I would urge you to contact the ABP directly for assistance or any questions you have. The contact is MOC@abpeds.org. They are very eager to make this process work for you and will respond usually within a day.
After you have applied to take the examination and paid the $990, they will ask you to fax, mail or email them a copy of your current active state medical license and when that has been approved, you will be sent an email that gives you information on how to schedule an examination date. You may just enroll in MOC if you have taken a recertification examination in the last 10 years.
The ABP web site and the AAP web site (www.aap.org) under “Pedialink” give several options for preparing for the exam if you wish.
If you are both a permanent certificate holder with the ABP and have subspecialty certification, I strongly urge you to contact the ABP directly (MOC@abpeds.org) to learn your specific circumstances as enrolling in MOC may have some effect on the timing of your subspecialty recertification. The wording on the Board web site will still reflect that you are currently certified in your subspecialty.
I hope that this helps clarify for you the Maintenance of Certification requirements for permanent certificate holders and that you will be better able to make informed decisions about your own situation. Do understand that this process is not determined by the American Academy of Pediatrics but that the AAP does work with the American Board of Pediatrics to facilitate the process and provide CME and Points for the certification.