In this post:
- Letter to all ABIM Diplomates
- Details of the MOC deadline extension
- Questions you may have, answered
Dear ABIM Diplomates,
ABIM’s Board of Directors is a diverse set of clinicians practicing in a variety of settings, and just like you, has experienced directly the unprecedented clinical demands posed by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. We know internists and internal medicine subspecialists have been on the front lines meeting the country’s needs, many experiencing the tragedy of COVID in deeply personal ways. In recognition of the disruption and urgent clinical responsibilities our colleagues have lived through, ABIM is extending deadlines for all Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements to 12/31/22.
What this means:
This means that no one will lose certification if they aren’t able to complete any MOC requirement this year. You and your well-being were the most important factors in this decision.
Knowing that the effects of the pandemic have not been evenly distributed and that some of you may elect to take an exam in 2021, ABIM will continue to offer all exams this year as scheduled.
Your options:
In January, 2022 ABIM will launch a new longitudinal knowledge assessment, a more flexible and convenient way to maintain your certification. Physicians who decide to delay their 2021 assessment will be able to enroll in the longitudinal assessment when it rolls out (pending availability), or can choose to take the traditional, 10-year MOC exam if they prefer. In certain cardiology disciplines the ABIM/ACC Collaborative Maintenance Pathway will remain an option.
Why we made this decision:
The pandemic is a once-in-a-century event, and when we announced an extension of MOC requirements last year we all hoped it would be over by now. But even as we’ve collectively made significant progress toward that end, the fact remains it will still be some time until we are on the other side of this.
We know and understand the demands that have been placed on you, your practice, and your life. While you’ve been keeping up with the rapidly emerging science and evidence on how to treat COVID-19, you may not have had the time to adequately prepare for an ABIM assessment the way you would in a normal year. We also recognize the high levels of stress you may have faced over the last 12 months, and that it will likely be some time until it subsides. We hope this gives you one less thing to worry about.
Get in touch:
We are in the process of updating the ABIM Physician Portal to reflect these changes, and if you have any questions about your requirements, we encourage you to call us at 1-800-441-ABIM or email request@abim.org. We will continue to keep you informed via email and on abim.org about important program updates.
No matter what you decide to do this year, we speak for our entire Board as we thank you for all you do for your patients as an expert board certified physician. Stay safe.
Marianne M. Green, MD
Chair
ABIM Board of Directors
Richard J. Baron, MD
President and CEO
ABIM
No one will lose certification if they aren’t able to complete an MOC requirement this year.
If you had an assessment, points or an attestation requirement due in 2020 or 2021, you now have until the end of 2022 to complete it.
If you are due for an assessment in 2020, 2021 or 2022, you’ll be able to participate in the longitudinal assessment when it launches in your specialty (see the longitudinal availability and rollout schedule).
If you’re among this group and certified in Critical Care Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Infectious Disease or Pulmonary Disease, you’ll receive an additional year to take an assessment. This means you can wait until 2023 and choose from the traditional, 10-year MOC exam or longitudinal assessment at that time.
We will not be offering the Knowledge Check-In after 2021.
We realize every physician’s situation is different. So, we will continue to offer all ABIM assessments as scheduled this year if you would like to take one.
Please see below for specific considerations. If you aren’t able to find the answers you need, please feel free to email us at request@abim.org or call at 1-800-441-2246.
This is big news, so wait times may be longer than usual. We appreciate your patience and everything you do as an ABIM Board Certified physician.
Yes. We realize every physician’s situation is different. So, we will continue to offer all ABIM assessments as scheduled this year if you would like to take one.
A successful performance will advance your assessment due date depending on which exam option you choose. You will then be able to enroll in the longitudinal assessment next time you are due for an assessment.
You can also continue to earn MOC points and/or complete attestations.
We will continue to offer all ABIM assessments as scheduled this year. You can keep your appointment if you’d still like to take your assessment this year.
If you’ve already registered for an assessment this year and would like to cancel it, you can do so through your Physician Portal. Once you have cancelled, will receive a credit that can be applied to future fees.
Anyone currently in the grace period will be afforded an additional year to complete their assessment requirement.
However, if you’re currently in the grace period, you won’t be eligible to take the longitudinal assessment and will need to take the traditional, 10-year MOC exam in 2022.
ABIM is extending MOC requirements so that physicians who are already certified do not lose certification.
Since you have already experienced a lapse in certification, you will continue to be Not Certified until you meet your outstanding MOC requirements.
For those certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology , Interventional Cardiology and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology participating in the ABIM/ACC Collaborative Maintenance Pathway will remain an option.
The longitudinal assessment for these specialties will launch in 2023. So, to have the same assessment options as a specialty that launches in 2022, they have an additional year to meet their MOC assessment requirement.
These specialties’ longitudinal assessment option launches in 2023, because the Exam Committees and Item Writing Task Forces for these specialties, which are tasked with writing questions for assessments, were impacted during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This not only challenged their recruitment efforts to add new volunteers to the committees and task forces, but also put a strain on the physicians currently serving in those roles.
ABIM leadership consulted with the physicians currently serving, and recognizing the increased clinical obligations they were facing, decided that it was not the right time to pull them away from patient care to help with question development.
