Making It Easier: Maintenance of Certification for Medical Oncologists
Enrolling in Maintenance of Certification is easy. Simply log on to ABIM’s website by entering your ABIM candidate number and password. If you’ve never logged on before, enter your six-digit date of birth (MMDDYY), which is the default password. Follow the instructions to complete and submit the application.
Three Steps to Maintain Your Certification
- Verify your credentials.
- Earn 100 self-evaluation points, with at least 20 points each in medical knowledge and practice performance.
- Pass the secure examination.
Pay once and you’re covered for 10 years. Your one-time fee of $1,495* covers the cost of the ABIM self-evaluation products you order and complete, and one secure examination.
* Fee subject to change.
Work at your own pace. Your certificate is valid for 10 years. The earlier you enroll in Maintenance of Certification, the more time you’ll have to prepare to take the secure examination and earn the 100 self-evaluation points.
Work in whatever order you prefer. You can complete the self-evaluation components at whatever rate you choose over the ten-year period of your certificate, and you can complete them before or after you take the secure examination.
Pick the self-evaluation options which best meet your needs and interests. There are a number of options provided and you can choose the ones which work best for you:
Self-Evaluation of Medical Knowledge:
These open-book modules test clinical and practical knowledge in medical oncology. ABIM Annual Update modules, worth 10 points, are available for three years. Presented in a concise 25-question format, the Web- and CD-based Annual Updates highlight new developments in medical knowledge and areas vital to clinical competency. The 2007 Annual Update for medical oncology is available now through 2009. The 2008 Annual Update for medical oncology became available in May 2008.
ABIM’s Recent Advances module in medical oncology is worth 20 points and can be ordered through 2008. You also can order and complete ABIM’s internal medicine medical knowledge modules to help fulfill your self-evaluation requirement. Find complete information on Self-Evaluation of Medical Knowledge on the ABIM website.
Self-Evaluation of Practice Performance:
These modules, including the ABIM PIMsm Practice Improvement Modules, give you a chance to examine your medical oncology practice and identify ways in which it can be improved. A great way to do this is by using the Self-Directed PIM, which you complete using performance data you receive from approved sources or by collecting your own data using nationally-recognized quality measures, such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®). Other PIM options include the Communication — Subspecialists PIM and the Communicating with Referring Physicians PIM, which are worth 20 points each. Find complete information on Self-Evaluation of Practice Performance on the ABIM website.
No patients? No problem. If you don’t have any direct or indirect (administrative) patient contact or patient responsibility, you can order the Essentials of Quality Improvement PIM to fulfill the Self-Evaluation of Practice Performance requirement. Before ordering, you must first declare that you’re clinically inactive by selecting “Update Practice Characteristics Profile” from your Physician Login home page and updating the profile to indicate that you do not see or have any responsibility for patients.
Earn while you learn. Get CME credit* while completing Maintenance of Certification. You can claim between 10 and 18 credits (depending upon the module) for the number of hours spent in study to complete medical knowledge modules, 20 credits for each completed PIM and up to 30 credits for preparation leading to a passed secure exam.
* CME credit is made available through a program jointly sponsored by ABIM and the American College of Physicians.
Double dip. Because self-evaluation points remain valid for 10 years, you can apply the points you earn toward maintaining multiple certificates. For example, if you are renewing certificates in both medical oncology and hematology, you can apply the 100 points you have earned to both certificates, provided that the 100 points are still valid at the time the certificates are renewed.
Take the exam when you’re ready. The Maintenance of Certification Examination in Medical Oncology is offered twice a year, in the Spring and Fall, and you can take it anytime in years six to 10. Registration period for the Fall exam is from May 1 to August 1. Registration period for the Spring exam is from December 1 to February 15. Find exam pass rates for your specialty here.
For more information about Maintenance of Certification components and requirements, click here. Specific details for medical oncologists can be found using the “Get Information by Subspecialty” tool, located under Quick Links on the ABIM home page. Questions? Call 1-800-441-ABIM, ext. 4126, to speak to an ABIM Contact Center representative. You can also submit questions online, or fax us at 215-446-3590.
