Keeping Pace with Cardiology
Sameer Jamal, MD, FACC, FHRS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Cardiology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Program Director of the Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship at Hackensack University Medical Center. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders and has served as a member of the ABIM Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology (CCEP) Item-Writing Task Force since 2024, helping develop content for the CCEP Certification and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Exams. He is ABIM Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology.
As electrophysiologists, we work in a field that’s constantly evolving. New technologies, new procedures, new evidence—change is part of everyday practice and rhythm of our discipline. That pace of change is one of the reasons I’m enthusiastic about ABIM’s plans to launch a Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology (CCEP) Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®).
I’ve been participating in the Cardiovascular Disease LKA for the past few years, and I’ve found it to be a valuable way to stay connected to learning without disrupting everything else that’s happening in my life. The LKA provides the user with the freedom to answer questions in whatever comfortable space is appropriate, but it also does so periodically, so you’re always maintaining a connection to the discipline. For me, that approach feels much more aligned with how we actually learn and practice.
One of the biggest advantages is flexibility. The questions are available online, and I can complete them wherever it’s most convenient. As physicians, we’re balancing clinical responsibilities, research, teaching, administrative work and family life. Having the ability to complete questions on my own time is incredibly valuable.
Just as important, the LKA supports continuous learning. With the traditional, 10-year Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exam, many of us might spend a month or two studying intensely right before test day and then move on. The LKA creates a different rhythm, providing you with the incentive and impetus to learn continuously, which I think is really powerful.
I particularly appreciate that as an open-book assessment, the LKA provides a real-world application of knowledge assessment. We routinely evaluate evidence, guidelines and reference materials to make informed decisions for our patients. There is something to be said for quick recall knowledge, but having the ability to validate information through a reliable data source is helpful because it’s how we actually practice.
Although my clinical focus is electrophysiology, I also serve as a general cardiology fellowship program director. One unexpected benefit of participating in the Cardiovascular Disease LKA has been its ability to keep me abreast of all areas of general cardiology to a certain level. The questions often prompt me to revisit topics that become useful when teaching fellows and discussing patient care with colleagues. It creates regular opportunities to refresh knowledge and identify areas where I want to learn more.
I believe electrophysiologists may find particular value in this model. EP is changing and it’s changing rapidly. New technologies, procedures, devices and clinical data emerge every year. In an environment like that, a dynamic approach to assessment makes sense. Continuous engagement with current knowledge can help us stay connected to important developments as they happen rather than revisiting everything years later as in the traditional exam model.
My experience as a member of the CCEP Item-Writing Task Force has reinforced that perspective. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside physicians from across the country who help develop and review assessment content. The process is robust, thoughtful and focused on ensuring that questions reflect knowledge that matters in clinical practice. Participating in that work has also made me a better learner because it encourages me to think deeply about what knowledge is most important for our profession as I’m writing questions for my peers to answer.
Assessment will always be part of maintaining board certification. The question is what form that assessment should take. For me, the LKA offers a practical balance between flexibility, relevance and ongoing engagement with medical knowledge. It helps keep me connected to learning without requiring me to put my professional life on hold. I’m looking forward to when the CCEP LKA becomes available, and I believe many of my EP colleagues will agree that it fits naturally with the way they already learn, practice and stay current. The LKA keeps us tethered to knowledge acquisition and the new CCEP LKA can help us keep pace with our evolving field.
