Maintenance of Certification

Abstract

The following represents follow-up information to the notification of maintenance of certification (MOC) released in September 2000. Please direct all inquiries to William H. Hartmann, MD, at The American Board of Pathology office. Dr. Hartmann's phone number is 813-286-2444.The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) announced that its member boards have a responsibility to set standards for, and assess the continuing competence of their diplomates. As a result, specialty board recertification programs are evolving into programs of MOC based on these 4 components:In response to this ABMS initiative, The American Board of Pathology (ABP) established a Maintenance of Certification Steering Committee to initiate a discussion and planning process with its Cooperating (Specialty) Societies. These societies are the American Medical Association, the Association of Pathology Chairs, the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the American Society of Investigative Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. An early outgrowth of these discussions was the recognition that an effective program of maintenance of certification in pathology requires that initial board certification be for a limited period of time, as it currently is for every other medical specialty.Therefore, beginning in 2006, ABP will issue time-limited primary and subspecialty certificates of 10 years duration. While the maintenance of certification process must be completed no later than 10 years after the initial time-limited certification, it may be completed as soon as the 8th year if desired. Thus the earliest MOC exam is planned for 2014. Pathologists holding current certificates that are not time-limited are encouraged to participate in the board's Voluntary Maintenance of Certification (recertification) program.The Maintenance of Certification Steering Committee is in agreement that: