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Physicians certified in nine internal medicine subspecialties no longer have to maintain underlying certifications, according to a policy change from the American Board of Internal Medicine.
In a July 1 statement, ABIM announced that no disciplines within its maintenance of certification program will require underlying certification, and that all ABIM diplomates can choose the certifications they wish to maintain. The policy goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
ABIM President and CEO Richard J. Baron said the underlying disciplines are important in building the foundation of knowledge for initial subspecialty certification, but that keeping the MOC requirement in place did not account for the increased specialization of physicians’ practices over their careers.
“As we work to increase the relevancy of the Maintenance of Certification program for physicians, we want to give them greater flexibility to choose to recertify in those areas that best reflect what they are doing in practice,” Dr. Baron said in a statement.
Of relevance to this readership, subspecialists in transplant hepatology will no longer be required to maintain underlying certification in gastroenterology.
The policy will not change requirements for initial certification in such subspecialties, and doctors will still need to be certified in a foundational discipline in order to initially certify in a subspecialty, according to ABIM.
The board decided to remove the MOC requirement after discussion and input from 15 medical specialty societies, including the American Gastroenterological Association. The team of physicians concluded that once the initial certification process is completed, physicians should be required to maintain only one specialty board certification, said Dr. John I. Allen, AGAF, AGA Institute past president.
“This is compatible with many other physician practices,” Dr. Allen said in an interview. “For example, I maintain GI boards but not internal medicine, which was required during my initial certification. We believe this policy facilitates consistency among all specialties.”
Dr. Allen noted that physicians can choose to maintain more than one certification.
The change to the underlying certification requirement is the latest in an ongoing series of modifications to ABIM’s MOC process. In early June, ABIM rolled out changes to its exam outline and score report. Starting with spring 2015 exams, physicians will receive enhanced score reports with more performance details, according to a June 9 announcement by ABIM. The board has also updated its internal medicine MOC blueprint – the exam content outline – to ensure that the exam reflects how internists are practicing today and to provide more detailed explanations of topics that may be included in the exam.
The growing list of changes follows a February announcement by ABIM apologizing to physicians for an MOC program that “clearly got it wrong.” ABIM pledged to make the program more consistent with physicians’ practice and values. Among the immediate changes are updates to its internal medicine exam; suspension of the practice assessment, patient voice, and patient safety requirements for at least 2 years; and setting MOC enrollment fees at or below 2014 levels through at least 2017.
[email protected]
On Twitter @legal_med
Physicians certified in nine internal medicine subspecialties no longer have to maintain underlying certifications, according to a policy change from the American Board of Internal Medicine.
In a July 1 statement, ABIM announced that no disciplines within its maintenance of certification program will require underlying certification, and that all ABIM diplomates can choose the certifications they wish to maintain. The policy goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
ABIM President and CEO Richard J. Baron said the underlying disciplines are important in building the foundation of knowledge for initial subspecialty certification, but that keeping the MOC requirement in place did not account for the increased specialization of physicians’ practices over their careers.
“As we work to increase the relevancy of the Maintenance of Certification program for physicians, we want to give them greater flexibility to choose to recertify in those areas that best reflect what they are doing in practice,” Dr. Baron said in a statement.
Of relevance to this readership, subspecialists in transplant hepatology will no longer be required to maintain underlying certification in gastroenterology.
The policy will not change requirements for initial certification in such subspecialties, and doctors will still need to be certified in a foundational discipline in order to initially certify in a subspecialty, according to ABIM.
The board decided to remove the MOC requirement after discussion and input from 15 medical specialty societies, including the American Gastroenterological Association. The team of physicians concluded that once the initial certification process is completed, physicians should be required to maintain only one specialty board certification, said Dr. John I. Allen, AGAF, AGA Institute past president.
“This is compatible with many other physician practices,” Dr. Allen said in an interview. “For example, I maintain GI boards but not internal medicine, which was required during my initial certification. We believe this policy facilitates consistency among all specialties.”
Dr. Allen noted that physicians can choose to maintain more than one certification.
The change to the underlying certification requirement is the latest in an ongoing series of modifications to ABIM’s MOC process. In early June, ABIM rolled out changes to its exam outline and score report. Starting with spring 2015 exams, physicians will receive enhanced score reports with more performance details, according to a June 9 announcement by ABIM. The board has also updated its internal medicine MOC blueprint – the exam content outline – to ensure that the exam reflects how internists are practicing today and to provide more detailed explanations of topics that may be included in the exam.
The growing list of changes follows a February announcement by ABIM apologizing to physicians for an MOC program that “clearly got it wrong.” ABIM pledged to make the program more consistent with physicians’ practice and values. Among the immediate changes are updates to its internal medicine exam; suspension of the practice assessment, patient voice, and patient safety requirements for at least 2 years; and setting MOC enrollment fees at or below 2014 levels through at least 2017.
[email protected]
On Twitter @legal_med
Physicians certified in nine internal medicine subspecialties no longer have to maintain underlying certifications, according to a policy change from the American Board of Internal Medicine.
In a July 1 statement, ABIM announced that no disciplines within its maintenance of certification program will require underlying certification, and that all ABIM diplomates can choose the certifications they wish to maintain. The policy goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
ABIM President and CEO Richard J. Baron said the underlying disciplines are important in building the foundation of knowledge for initial subspecialty certification, but that keeping the MOC requirement in place did not account for the increased specialization of physicians’ practices over their careers.
“As we work to increase the relevancy of the Maintenance of Certification program for physicians, we want to give them greater flexibility to choose to recertify in those areas that best reflect what they are doing in practice,” Dr. Baron said in a statement.
Of relevance to this readership, subspecialists in transplant hepatology will no longer be required to maintain underlying certification in gastroenterology.
The policy will not change requirements for initial certification in such subspecialties, and doctors will still need to be certified in a foundational discipline in order to initially certify in a subspecialty, according to ABIM.
The board decided to remove the MOC requirement after discussion and input from 15 medical specialty societies, including the American Gastroenterological Association. The team of physicians concluded that once the initial certification process is completed, physicians should be required to maintain only one specialty board certification, said Dr. John I. Allen, AGAF, AGA Institute past president.
“This is compatible with many other physician practices,” Dr. Allen said in an interview. “For example, I maintain GI boards but not internal medicine, which was required during my initial certification. We believe this policy facilitates consistency among all specialties.”
Dr. Allen noted that physicians can choose to maintain more than one certification.
The change to the underlying certification requirement is the latest in an ongoing series of modifications to ABIM’s MOC process. In early June, ABIM rolled out changes to its exam outline and score report. Starting with spring 2015 exams, physicians will receive enhanced score reports with more performance details, according to a June 9 announcement by ABIM. The board has also updated its internal medicine MOC blueprint – the exam content outline – to ensure that the exam reflects how internists are practicing today and to provide more detailed explanations of topics that may be included in the exam.
The growing list of changes follows a February announcement by ABIM apologizing to physicians for an MOC program that “clearly got it wrong.” ABIM pledged to make the program more consistent with physicians’ practice and values. Among the immediate changes are updates to its internal medicine exam; suspension of the practice assessment, patient voice, and patient safety requirements for at least 2 years; and setting MOC enrollment fees at or below 2014 levels through at least 2017.
[email protected]
On Twitter @legal_med
