Honoring a Professional Commitment to Excellence
For Shawnta Pittman-Hobbs, maintaining certification means honoring her patients and her commitment to medicine. Currently a full-time palliative care physician, she started her career in hospital medicine and then worked as a rheumatologist. She is triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care, and Rheumatology and was a member of ABIM’s ABIM Physician Advisory Panel, aiding in the development of the LKA in 2020, as well as part of the LKA Physician Advisory Panel in 2023.
“I feel like ABIM certification has set a standard and it’s important for me to show to my patients that I maintain that standard,” she said. “That tradition inspires me—it honors the hard work it took to get to where I am.”
Dr. Pittman-Hobbs took the traditional, 10-year Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exam for all three certificates the first time she was due for an assessment in each one, and is currently enrolled in the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®) for both Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Rheumatology.
“When I look back at the work that went into preparing and taking the traditional exam, I think that the LKA is monumental and a treasure,” she said. “I don’t have to take the time to prepare and travel and then sit in an exam for an entire day. Instead, I pencil in time on my calendar every three months and get it taken care of.”
She said she doesn’t feel the need to study for the LKA, but does get a little nervous before answering questions.
“The LKA keeps you on your toes. Sometimes there are two answers you think will work and you have to stop and think through which one is the best answer,” she said. “I’m the type of person who has a nervousness or anxiety when sitting down to answer questions on the LKA, but it is far better than sitting down in a test center. I can make sure I choose a time when the house is quiet and the phone won’t disturb me. And if something does distract me, I just answer the question, hit pause and go back to more questions later.
“I appreciate that ABIM was able to pivot and adapt to doing something in a different way,” she said. “It speaks volumes about their willingness to listen to physicians, adapt and be flexible. We all have to change as our careers change and I like the longitudinal aspect of the LKA. I like that I can measure progress over time.”
