BACKGROUND:
BACKGROUND: Beginning in 2000, 24 Medical Specialty Boards of The American Board of Medical
Specialties (ABMS) agreed to evolve their recertification programs to one of continuous professional
development – ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®). ABMS MOC is a voluntary process
that assures that the physician is committed to lifelong learning and competency in a specialty and/or
subspecialty by requiring ongoing measurement of six core competencies adopted by ABMS and
ACGME in 1999. Measurement of these competencies happens in a variety of ways, some of which vary
according to the specialty. This is carried out by all Member Boards using a four-part process that is
designed to keep certification continuous. In 2006, all Member Boards received approval of their ABMS
MOC program plans.
Specialty board certification is no longer as simple as completing the required CMEs and passing a test
every 10 years. ABMS MOC guidelines now require tracking of the completion of MOC milestones
within specific timeframes depending on specialty.
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GLMS has compiled the following guide to assist member physicians with identifying the requirements
for their specialty’s Maintenance of Certification. To find out if a physician is currently Board Certified by
an ABMS Member Board, register or log-in at https://www.certificationmatters.org