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If you earned your ABIM certificate before 1990 (except Critical Care Medicine and Geriatric Medicine) there are several things you should know heading into 2023:

  • You will remain certified as long as you hold a valid medical license.
  • Your participation in ABIM’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program is voluntary and you will never lose it for failure to meet MOC requirements.
  • You are encouraged to participate in the MOC program to help you keep your medical knowledge current.
  • You may have MOC points or an assessment due in 2023, and can find out by signing into your personalized ABIM Physician Portal.
  • If you don’t meet MOC requirements, your status will be publicly reported as “Certified, Not Participating in MOC.”

How to participate in MOC:

  • For most physicians, participating in MOC consists of two components:
    • Earning MOC points (100 points every 5 years, with at least some every two)
    • Passing an MOC assessment by your due date (can be found by signing into your ABIM Physician Portal)

Earning MOC points alone isn’t enough for you to remain “Participating in MOC”. You also need to take and pass an assessment at least once every 10 years, otherwise your status will change to “Certified, Not Participating in MOC.”

How to earn MOC points:

  • Earning MOC points is easy, and you may already be engaging in activities—like attending conferences or using UpToDate®—that can help you earn them.
  • You’ll earn MOC points for taking an assessment, too. Earn 20 points for each attempt on the traditional, 10-year MOC exam, or up to 24 points per year per certificate when you participate in the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®)
  • Visit ABIM’s website for an overview of ways you can earn MOC points.

Options for meeting your assessment requirement:

  • Enrollment for all ABIM exams can be done through your personalized ABIM Physician Portal. Registration for 2023 assessments opens 12/1/22.
  • You can enroll in the new Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®). With the LKA you take questions on an ongoing basis, receive faster feedback and earn MOC points for every correct answer.
    • If you enroll in the LKA, you will be reported as “Certified, Participating in MOC” as long as you are meeting the LKA Participation Requirement and all other MOC requirements.
    • Enrolling in the LKA will require you to pay the annual fee for that certificate.
      • If you choose not to, you will see a balance due on your account, which will be forgiven at the end of the year. You will not lose certification based upon non-payment.

Or:

  • You can take and pass the traditional, 10-year MOC assessment
    • Remember, you can never lose certification for not meeting MOC requirements. If you are successful on an MOC assessment and meeting other requirements you will be reported as Certified, Participating in MOC. If you are unsuccessful, you will be reported as Certified, Not Participating in MOC.

For Cardiologists:

  • The ABIM/ACC Collaborative Maintenance Pathway (CMP) is an option for you to meet your assessment requirement and earn MOC points. Learn more about the CMP on ABIM’s website.

Registration for all 2023 ABIM assessments opens December 1, 2022.

How did this come about?

Until 1990, certification conferred by ABIM was considered “for life.” However, it was recognized at this time how quickly medicine was changing, and that physicians needed a way to validate that they were keeping their medical knowledge current. ABIM’s MOC program provides a means for physicians to demonstrate that they are keeping up with advances in medicine.

Have questions? We can help.

You may not have thought about your certificate in some time, and that’s OK. If you have any questions, we’re here to help; just call us at 1.800.441.ABIM, or send us an email at request@abim.org. You can also sign in to your personalized ABIM Physician Portal at www.abim.org anytime to see your current status and what you need to do next.