Self-Evaluation of Medical Knowledge

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requires you to earn 100 self-evaluation points, with a minimum of 20 points in Self-Evaluation of Medical Knowledge.

• ABIM's Medical Knowledge Modules
• Medical Simulations
• Completing Medical Knowledge Modules
• Self-Assessment Products Developed by Other Professional Organizations

ABIM's Medical Knowledge Modules

Medical knowledge modules allow you to perform a diagnostic self-assessment of your strengths and weaknesses in important aspects of the knowledge base underlying each certification area. ABIM modules include:

ABIM Annual Update Modules

• ABIM MOC Points: 10
• CME Credit: These activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
• Format: Web-based.
• Content: 25 to 30 multiple-choice questions on recent, clinically relevant developments in your certification area. May include questions on important new topics such as quality improvement, patient safety and systems-based practice, as well as fundamental topics of continuing importance to practitioners.

Note: While ABIM medical knowledge modules for subspecialties are available to all ABIM board certified physicians, they are targeted to those who have earned certifications in these areas. If you are not certified or formally trained in the given subspecialty, you may find these modules more challenging than modules in your certification area. ABIM encourages you to select modules that fit your self-assessment goals.

See a list of Modules and Products by specialty.

ABIM Care for the Underserved Module

• ABIM MOC Points: 10
• CME Credit: This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
• Format: Web-based.
• Content: 25 multiple-choice questions focusing on the evidence base around caring for diverse populations, with the goal of improving health care for medically underserved populations and closing well-documented disparities in care. Topics covered include:
• The concepts of health disparities and health care disparities as well as their underlying causes.
• Effective communication with patients of diverse socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds and varying literacy levels.
• Issues that must be considered when making clinical and administrative decisions related to underserved populations.
• New research on patient preferences, legal issues, cultural competency, health literacy and practice systems as well as clinical practice guidelines.

This module is applicable to physicians maintaining certification in any area.

Order this module

ABIM Point-of-Care Clinical Question Module

• ABIM MOC Points: 20
• CME Credit: This activity is not eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
• Format: Web-based. Includes hyperlinks to online resources, some of which require a personal or institutional subscription.
• Content: Documentation of the successful pursuit of at least 20 clinical questions that arise from your practice. You will be asked to:
  • Choose the clinical scenario that stimulated your question.
  • Select the closest medical content area into which your question falls.
  • Classify your question as either foreground or background and the clinical task that triggered the question.
  • Frame your foreground questions using the PICO (patient-intervention-comparison-outcome) format to facilitate more efficient searching.
  • Document whether you sought information in real time and the time you spent.
  • Classify the online and offline resources you used in your search.
  • State the “bottom line” based on your search.
  • View a summary report and reflect on whether this new knowledge changed your practice and any barriers in researching or applying it to your patient.
  • Complete an action plan.

This module is applicable to physicians maintaining certification in any area.

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ABIM Clinical Skills Module

• ABIM MOC Points: 14
• CME Credit: This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
• Format: CD with Web access. Each question contains one or more video, audio or photographic enhancement simulating clinical scenarios showing auscultation of the heart and lungs, interpretation of percussion notes, choice of examination maneuvers and physician-patient interactions.
• Content: 44 questions on basic physical examination and clinical communications skills.

This module is recommended for internists.

Order this module

Medical Simulations

Earn 20 points of MOC credit by completing a medical simulation, which provides hands-on opportunity to perform cases that mirror what a physician would typically face in daily practice.

Research shows simulations are a successful tool in the assessment of physician performance.

Simulations are completed on-site at one of Medical Simulation Corporation's SimSuite^® education centers, and are also offered at several meetings and conferences throughout the year.

Simulations currently offered by ABIM

Interventional Cardiology – Four ABIM-developed cases

Locations

Medical Simulation Corporation SimSuite^® Centers at:

• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
• Medical Simulation Corporation headquarters, Denver, CO

How to register

• In order to register, you must be enrolled in MOC.
• Select “Interventional Cardiology Simulations” under Interventional Cardiology on the Order Self-Evaluation Module page. You will be linked to the Medical Simulation Corporation website for additional details to complete your registration.
• The cost of the session is covered by your MOC fee. However, ABIM will charge you a $35 fee if you cancel, fail to arrive or reschedule your appointment within a week of the session date. You are responsible for the cost of travel to a SimSuite® education center.

Completing Medical Knowledge Modules

Each ABIM medical knowledge module should be completed in a timely manner. The modules are not assigned due dates until the content becomes outdated due to being replaced by a new version or retired from the MOC program. Physicians working on a module that becomes outdated will receive an e-mail message on the date that it is replaced or retired notifying them of a 90-day deadline to complete the outdated version of the module they ordered.

• Successful completion of each module is determined by the use of a performance standard set by ABIM. If a module has not been completed successfully, you may retake the module as often as necessary, without additional charge.

Self-Assessment Products Developed by Other Professional Organizations

ABIM has designated several educational self-assessment products developed by professional medical societies or other member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) that can be used to earn self-evaluation points toward MOC.

Review the list of Modules and Products to see if your society or board products have been approved for use in ABIM's MOC program.

Important reminders:

• Contact the respective organization directly for more information and details about ordering and completing these products.
• Self-evaluation points toward MOC will vary by product.
• To receive MOC credit for non-ABIM products, you must be currently enrolled in MOC.
• The providing organization may charge an additional fee.
• Fees charged by these organizations are separate from ABIM's MOC fee.
• ABIM does not grant CME credit for other organizations' self-assessment products.