ABMS STANDARDS FOR CONTINUING CERTIFICATION

Providing a seamless transition to new standards while maintaining the value of our MOCA program

ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification

Stephanie Jones, M.D., shares more about the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Standards for Continuing Certification, the upcoming cycle change and what this means for board-certified anesthesiologists. View the video below.

What this means for our diplomates

In practice, this change will have minimal impact on ABA diplomates as our current continuing certification program already requires completion of continuing medical education (CME) credits and quality improvement (QI) activities every five years and requires annual completion of MOCA Minute questions.

We anticipate a seamless transition to these new standards and do not expect a noticeable impact to diplomates’ existing MOCA requirements.

Once your current certification expires, you will enter on a five-year cycle. Learn how to check your certification expiration date in ABA GO here.

Implementing new ABMS standards

The ABMS created the Continuing Board Education: Vision for the Future Commission (Commission), an independent advisory body, to critically examine current ABMS continuing certification standards. ABMS and Member Boards received feedback from the Commission that a 10-year cycle is too long given that medical practice guidelines and technical advancements are happening so rapidly. More frequent intervals of diplomate assessment can assure the public that board-certified physicians are maintaining the currency of their knowledge and skills.

As a result of the report and recommendations from the Commission, ABMS drafted the new Standards for Continuing Certification and held an 80-day public comment period for key stakeholders and the public prior to finalizing.

Learn more from ABMS

Value of certification

With the rapid growth of scientific knowledge and the advancement of technical capabilities, the need for increased ongoing engagement in learning and new knowledge development has emerged. When initial certification is awarded based on a comprehensive assessment process and followed up with continuing certification programs that are meaningful, engaging and relevant to their practices, both diplomates and the public benefit.

In an effort to improve the quality of care for patients and ensure rigorous standards for physicians, we regularly evaluate our certification process to maintain the highest standards for the practice of anesthesiology.

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and their Member Boards received feedback that a 10-year cycle is too long to ensure diplomates are meaningfully engaged in a program and maintaining the currency of their knowledge and skills.

With the exponential growth of scientific knowledge and technical advancements evolving so quickly, the need for more ongoing engagement in learning and new knowledge development has emerged.
The new Standards for Continuing Certification impact all 24 Member Boards and go into effect January 1, 2024. This transition means that all board-certified physicians, regardless of specialty, are required to adhere to these standards.
The ABMS community sought to evolve the standards to add value for diplomates while continuing to support its mission to provide the public with a reliable, trusted and dependable credential.

The standards were developed through more than a year and a half of deliberation with key stakeholders in response to the recommendations of the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission, an independent advisory body created by the ABMS, as well as feedback received from the wider community. The Vision Commission sought feedback from various stakeholders, including the public, physicians and Member Boards, including the ABA.
The standards reflect input that the ABMS Member Board community received from a variety of stakeholders, including patients, practicing physicians, board-certified diplomates, professional and state medical societies and others who possess, use or rely upon the board certification credential as an indicator of a diplomate’s professionalism and proficiency in specialty knowledge and skills.

Following the drafting of preliminary standards, the ABMS had an open, 80-day public comment period last spring and obtained additional input from thousands of stakeholders, including individual diplomates, the public and specialty societies.
Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the leading not-for profit organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. ABMS supports 24 Member Boards that develop educational and professional standards and programs of assessment to certify physician specialists, all dedicated to improving the quality of care to the patients, families, and communities they serve.

As a member board of ABMS, the ABA is governed by ABMS policies. These policies are designed to bring value to the public and the medical profession by providing the public with a reliable and trusted credential while simultaneously bringing value to diplomates by supporting their learning and improvement needs.

The ABA strives to advance the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology and adapt our standards to keep pace with the growth of scientific knowledge and technical advancements.
We will not automatically transfer all diplomates to a five-year cycle in 2024. This change will only occur once a diplomate’s current certificate expires. Once diplomates are issued their five-year certificate(s), those who do not complete the requirements will risk having their certificate(s) expire.
No, you will automatically switch to a five-year cycle when your current 10-year cycle is completed.
No, the change will not increase the amount of work for diplomates.

We are moving from a 10-year certification cycle to a five-year cycle, meaning diplomates will need to complete their certification requirements every five years. In our current program, diplomates are required to complete half their 10-year certification requirements by year five of their MOCA cycle. These five-year requirements remain the same.

Debunking Common Myths

ABA Secretary Alex Macario, M.D., MBA, debunks common myths surrounding the new standards and provides insight into how this change will impact board-certified anesthesiologists in our "Myth vs. Fact" video series.