The Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program has been updated to reflect the changes required by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) new “Standards for Continuing Certification (CC)”, effective January 1, 2024.
Diplomates with time-limited certification who want to recertify must meet the following requirements each calendar year through their ABNM Dashboard:
- Update Contact Information
- Pay the Annual CC fee
- Update Professional Standing, including NRC authorized user status, medical licensure, and practice profile. The ABNM required diplomates to have an unrestricted medical license in all jurisdictions where a diplomate is licensed.
- Attest to a minimum 2-year average of 25 AMA category one credits per year of continuing professional development (CPD) activities that maintain, update, develop and enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes in response to the needs of patients. Diplomates will need a total of 100 AMA category one credits over four years for audit compliance. *Diplomates must maintain documentation of meeting the requirements, which may be required prior to the start of a new recertification period.
- Attest to participating in at least one qualifying activity related to Improving Health and Health Care. Diplomates, who do not have any clinical responsibilities during the year, are not required to participate in an activity.
- Participate in CertLink® and meet the passing requirements (alternatively, diplomates may opt to take the CC exam every 5 years).
Beginning in 2025, diplomates meeting all the CC requirements whose certification expires on December 31, 2025, or later will receive a new certificate that expires 5 years after the expiration date of their current certification.
Diplomates’ certification history and current certification status will be shown on the public website by the ABMS, “Certification Matters”. Diplomates may not be more than two calendar years behind (i.e., the current and previous calendar year) in meeting the CC requirements for their status to show as Actively Maintaining Certification. Diplomates with time-limited certification must meet the passing standards for CertLink or the CC exam every 5 years for their status to also show as Certified.
Diplomates with lifetime certification who want to participate in CC and wish to recertify must meet the requirements listed above as well.
*Audit Policy for Diplomate Continuing Certification Activities
- Each calendar year, diplomates must login to their profile on the ABNM website to attest that they are meeting the requirements.
- At any time, diplomates are welcome, but not required, to upload credible documentation of their CPD activities to their ABNM profile.
- The ABNM will audit approximately 5% of all diplomates annually. Diplomates will be eligible for potential audit in the year prior to their certificate expiration.
- Diplomates selected for audit will be notified that they have been selected in February of the year when their certificate expires.
- Documentation requirements are:
- The documentation should include CPD activities during the current 5-year certification period.
- The audit will include a 4-year look back of CPD activities.
- Any form of credible documentation is acceptable. Transcripts from professional societies, hospitals, and other groups aggregating all credits earned during the current certification cycle are preferred over multiple certificates for individual activities.
- Diplomates will be notified if their records are complete, or if additional documentation is required, by June 30th.
- Audited diplomates must upload all documents by October 30th of the year when their certificate expires.
- If diplomates do not meet the requirements by the certificate expiration date (December 31 of any given year), the results of either the CertLink or CC exam will become null, and void and certification will lapse.