American Board of Pathology
and
Co-operating Societies Meeting
May 3, 2011
Revised November 2012
Maintenance of Board
Certification (MOC)
• ABP MOC is part of ABMS-wide MOC
process
• All certificates beginning in 2006 are time
limited (10 yrs)
• MOC is a continuous process with specific
deadlines; failure to comply results in
expiration of certification
Requirements For MOC
Part I:
Professional Standing
Part II: Life-Long Learning and SelfAssessment
Part III: Cognitive Expertise
Part IV: Evaluation of Performance in
Practice
Part I
Professional Standing
•
Maintain full and unrestricted license(s)
•
Foreign license accepted with English
translation
•
Document medical staff membership and
privileges
Part II
Life Long Learning-SelfAssessment
•
“Content Specifications” are available on
line and updated regularly
•
Emphasize fundamental information for
daily practice and important, validated
new knowledge
•
Specs are not templates for exams or
endorsement of authors
Part II
Life Long Learning &
Self-Assessment
•
•
70 AMA Category 1 CME credits/2 year cycle
•
•
80% of CME related to individual’s practice
At least 20 of the CME credits/2 yr cycle must
be SAMs
A fellowship fulfills Part II requirements for 2
year period
Self-Assessment Modules (SAMs)
Elements of SAMs
• AMA Category 1 CME
• Self-administered exam
• Minimum performance level
• Feedback
• All SAMs are CMEs, but not all CMEs are
SAMs
Part III
Cognitive Expertise
•
Exam may be taken beginning year 8 of
10 year cycle (first exam in 2014)
•
AP/CP diplomates may maintain their
certification in AP/CP, AP only, CP only
•
Diplomates with subspecialty boards may
maintain certification in subspecialty only
•
Surrendering certification is NOT
RECOMMENDED
Part III
Cognitive Expertise
• Modular exam to reflect practice
• Consists of one 50 question general
module and four 25 question modules
• 80% practical (e.g. virtual microscopy,
case-based questions); 20% written
• Scored as a single 150 question exam
Part IV
Performance in Practice
•
•
•
•
Four peer attestations (4th and 8th year)
Lab accreditation (2 yrs) except forensic
labs
Laboratory PI and QA programs (2 yrs)
Individual participation at least one PI-QA
program/yr. (2 yrs)
Part IV
Performance in Practice
•
Programs may be society sponsored or
by departments/institutions
•
•
Programs must be ABP-approved
Society sponsored programs on ABP
website
AP/CP PART III MOC EXAM
• One 50 question general AP/CP module
• 20 AP
• 20 CP
• 10 Lab management
• PLUS four 25 question AP, CP, or
Common Modules
AP ONLY PART III MOC EXAM
• One general AP module
• 40 AP questions
• 10 Lab Management questions
• PLUS four 25 question AP or Common
Modules
CP ONLY EXAM
• One 50 question general CP module
• 40 CP
• 10 Lab management
• PLUS four 25 question CP or Common
Modules
25 Question Modules
Clinical Pathology
CP General
CP Lab Director
BB/TM I & II
Hematology I & II
Coagulation
Immunopathology
BB/TM-Coagulation
Microbiology I & II
Coagulation
Chemistry I & II
25 Question Modules
Anatomic Pathology
AP General I & II
Bone-Soft Tissue
Surg Path I & II
Breast
Surg Path & Cytology
Cardiovascular
Cytology General
Dermatology Neoplastic
Cytology-Gyn
Dermatology-non-Neo
Cytology, Non Gyn
Endocrine
GI-Liver-Biliary
25 Question Modules
Anatomic Pathology (continued)
Forensic Pathology
Medical Renal
Genitourinary
Neuropathology
Gynecologic
(including placenta)
Pediatric Pathology
Head & Neck
Pulmonary-Mediastinal
25 Question Common Modules*
Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
General Heme I
(Lymph node-Spleen)
Flow Cytometry
General Heme II
(Blood, BM, Coag)
Molecular Pathology
Molecular-Cytogenetics
Lab Management /
Informatics
* May be used as AP or CP modules
General AP/CP MOC
• Test Development and Advisory
Committees (TDAC) determine content
and distribution of questions
• Knowledge needed to practice and
validated new information
Modification of Modules
•
Some organ-specific and CP areas may
have >1 module with graded difficulty
Subspecialty MOC Exam
Subspecialty TDACs will:
• Determine content and distribution
of questions
• Write MOC questions
Subspecialty MOC Exams
with no modules
•
•
•
•
•
•
Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine
Chemical Pathology
Cytopathology
Dermatopathology
Forensic Pathology
Microbiology
Subspecialty Exams
with Modules
• Hematology (total 150 questions)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Heme General (50)
Lymph Nodes and Solid Tissue (50)
Blood and Bone Marrow (50)
Hemostasis and Thrombosis (50)
Laboratory Heme w/out Coag (50)
Flow Cytometry (50)
Subspecialty MOC Exams
with modules
• Molecular Genetic Pathology (150 total)
•
•
•
•
•
•
MGP General I (75 questions)
MGP General II (75 )
MGP Oncology/Heme (25)
MGP Oncology/Solid Tumor (25)
MGP Infectious Disease (25)
MGP Genetics (25)
Subspecialty Exams
with Modules
• Neuropathology (total 150 questions)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NP General I (50)
NP General II (50)
Neuromuscular (25)
Developmental/Congenital/Pediatric (25)
Degenerative (25)
Neoplastic I (25)
Neoplastic II (25)
Subspecialty MOC Exams
with modules
• Pediatric Pathology (total 150 questions)
•
•
•
•
Pediatric General Pathology (100)
Placenta/Perinatal (50)
Pediatric Anatomic Pathology (50)
Pediatric Laboratory Medicine (50)
CP Only General Module
Example
40 Practical, 10 Written
Range of # of
Questions
TM/BB
4-14
Chemistry
4-10
Hematology
4-14
Microbiology
4-10
Adm/Man
10
Bone and Soft Tissue Grid
Total of 25 questions
Total # of questions
Bone
Neoplastic
Nonneoplastic
8-10
5-6
3-4
Soft Tissue
Neoplastic
Nonneoplastic
Administration
17-19
12-13
5-6
2-4
EXPIRATION OF CERTIFICATION
• Failure to report for two MOC cycles
• Announcement of expired
certificates
How will information flow?
New and
recertified
Diplomates
Societies
Board
Part II&Part IV
Part II&IV
Registration with ABP #
Documentation of MOC
activities
Exam results
ABP #
Candidate
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these the final modules?
•
•
•
Not necessarily
Changes will reflect practice
patterns
Example: academic pathologist
with subspecialty practice only
May candidates synchronize their
reporting and testing cycles?
•
Yes, if they occur within two years of one
another
– 2007 subspecialty certificate could be synchronized with
2006 AP/CP MOC cycle
– Supporting documentation in 2008, 2010, etc.
– MOC exam eligibility from 2014-2016
– Second MOC cycle begins in 2016
Is there a definition for “credits
related to practice” for
CME/SAMs?
•
Broad
interpretation
•
Use good
judgment
When does the second MOC cycle
start?
•
From the date of the
examination? NO
•
January 1 of the 11th year
following certification
What about diplomates practicing
in foreign countries who are
unable to maintain a US license?
•
Official license accepted if accompanied
by an English translation
How will Board communicate
changes to MOC?
•
•
•
•
ABP Website
MOC Booklet of Information
Spring meeting of co-operating
societies
Announcements in journals
How do we make MOC more
relevant?
•
•
•
PQRS will incentivize MOC
Maintenance of licensure = MOC
Diplomates with non- time limited
certificates enroll in MOC