Frequently Asked Questions
Physician Requirements FAQs
Multiple Certificate Requirements
Do I need to maintain my general pediatrics certificate in
order to maintain my subspecialty certificate?
No. However, Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is designed to
reduce the time and expense of maintaining multiple certificates. To
maintain multiple certificates, you need to fulfill MOC
requirements. When your next certificate expires and you enroll in
MOC, your MOC requirements and MOC cycles for all certificates
convert to align with your subspecialty certificate cycle and
requirements. If you are a Board-certified subspecialist and choose
not to maintain your general pediatrics certification, your listing
in the
Verify Certification will be your subspecialty certification.
For your personal requirements, log on to My ABP Portfolio.
Are fee discounts available for maintaining multiple
certificates?
No. Effective in 2011, the new fee structure for MOC includes one
exam. If you take a subspecialty initial certification exam or wish
to take more than one MOC exam, an additional examination fee is
charged.
General Questions About MOC
I need to renew one of my certificates. What is the process?
MOC requirements vary depending upon the expiration date of your
certificate. Please log on to
My ABP Portfolio for
your personal requirements or see
Physician Requirements.
Examinations - Part 3
Why is a secure examination required?
The security of the examination is a matter of public trust. The
American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) has a responsibility to assure
the public (including patients, parents, payers, hospitals, and
regulatory agencies) that the physician taking the examination
presents appropriate identification documents. Knowledge is vital to
quality care. Therefore, it is a priority of the ABP to ensure that
diplomates maintain knowledge competency and attest to it on a
periodic basis.
Is the MOC examination the same examination that I took for
initial certification?
No. The ABP Board of Directors decided to make the MOC
examination more clinically focused rather than on topics that can
be found in standard reference materials. Approximately 1,000
pediatricians provided input regarding the design and content of the
general pediatric examination.
When will I get my examination results?
General Pediatrics: You should receive
notification of your results via email within 60 days after taking
the examination. If you have NOT received this email notification
within 60 days of the examination please contact
MOC@abpeds.org.
Subspecialties: If you take your examination in
March, you should receive notification via email by late June; if
your examination is in October, by late January. If you have NOT
received this email notification within this timeframe
please contact MOC@abpeds.org.
Why does it take 60 days to get my examination results?
Extensive quality control activities are conducted before
releasing results. The ABP ensures that the examination is
psychometrically sound and accurate. These measures can require up
to 60 days. Test results are posted in each physician's My
ABP Portfolio and notifications are e-mailed to
participants immediately following these quality control activities.
Will there be a practice examination before I go to a
Prometric Testing Center?
Yes. The
Knowledge Self-assessment (Part 2) is designed to be a practice
examination for the general pediatrics examination. If you are
taking a subspecialty examination, the
Examination Demo offers a review of examination functions. See
Content and Preparation for more details.
Performance in Practice - Part 4
I am a physician who is not seeing patients. How can I
successfully complete the Performance in Practice requirements?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers eQIPP for
physicians who do not see patients.
What if there is not a Quality Improvement (QI) project that
meets my practice needs?
The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) is working with the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other external
organizations to ensure that there are many quality improvement (QI)
projects available. In addition, the American Board of Medical
Specialties (ABMS) Patient Safety Improvement Program includes
tracks applicable to ABMS specialties and offers activities to
improve ambulatory or acute care.
If I am involved in a local, regional, or national QI
initiative, can I get Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit for my
participation?
Possibly. If you are involved in a local, regional, or national
QI initiative, it may already be an
Approved Project for Part 4 credit. If it is not currently an
approved project, the institution leading the QI initiative can
apply for approval by using the ABP
Standards for Quality Improvement Projects Seeking MOC Approval.
