You are automatically enrolled in the program. To view your requirements, please visit the Timelines & Fees page of www.theabr.org.

Each diplomate's cycle began the day he or she earned a time-limited certificate. However, since the MOC program is being phased-in, the diplomates in this transition period will have prorated MOC requirements in lifelong learning and self-assessment, and in practice quality improvement; they must, however, fully satisfy the components of professional standing and cognitive expertise. Fees are likewise prorated.

Full lifelong learning and self-assessment (CME and SAM) requirements began in 2007, although credits earned earlier in a diplomate's cycle may also be counted. For lifetime certificate holders, credits earned up to one year before enrollment may be applied to MOC requirements. The number of credits required for a cycle ending in 2015 or earlier is calculated by multiplying the per-year recommended number of credits by the number of years from 2007 to the end of the cycle. See "timelines" at www.theabr.org.

Practice quality improvement (PQI) requirements also begin in 2007. The steps to be performed each year are posted on the web site under "Requirements" for Part 4. Again, for cycles ending in 2015 or earlier, the requirements are prorated, and the diplomate is only required to do as many steps as there are years from 2007 to the end of his or her cycle.

In most instances, no. Diplomates achieve knowledge and skills as a prerequisite to their initial certification, and pass all categories and requirements of the board. MOC is designed to reflect the diplomate's unique practice and foster continuous professional development and improvement in patient care. Thus, the program has major self-directed and educational planning features to be developed by the diplomate around his/her practice profile and local needs assessment. If a diplomate's practice is, for example, limited to two or three of the ABR categories, that person selects clinical SAMs in those practice areas. And the computer-based examination will reflect that practice profile as well. The "practice-profiled" exam will consist of one general content module (patient safety, life support, ethics, principles of image quality, etc.), and four clinical modules, selected to reflect the diplomate's self-reported practice profile. For example, a diplomate practicing 50% GI and 50% GU radiology would have 2 modules of each on his or her practice-profiled exam.

MOC requires that each diplomate provide evidence of maintaining the essential competencies involved in delivery of quality care, which extends beyond medical knowledge. It is designed to evaluate, on a continuous basis, the maintenance of the six essential competencies via a four component structure. The six ACGME/ABMS MOC competencies:

A task force of the ABMS and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) developed generic principles - the six competencies - relevant to resident and fellow education for all medical specialties. All 24 ABMS member boards have accepted and endorsed this model. The four components of MOC were developed by the ABMS after several years of consideration, and all four must be present in every member board's MOC program. The ABR has interpreted the ABMS guidelines in developing the requirements in a manner relevant to diagnostic radiology and its subspecialties.

This part requires valid, unrestricted licensure to practice medicine in all states in which the diplomate holds active license. If any disciplinary action is taken against any of a diplomate's state medical licenses, the diplomate has an obligation to inform the ABR of the action within 60 days. The ABR checks reports of disciplinary action from the Federation of State Medical Boards on an ongoing basis.

A minimum of 250 ACCME-approved Category 1 CME credits is required over the 10-year cycle. A minimum of 70% of the 250 hours must be in specialty-specific (i.e., diagnostic radiology) or related areas (e.g., pediatrics for a pediatric radiologist, urology for a genitourinary radiologist, etc). The remaining 30% may be in additional credits in these clinically related areas, or in relevant topics such as risk assessment, ethics, statistics, the processes of continuous quality improvement, methodologies of outcomes measurement, etc.

Self-assessment is accomplished through a series of 20 self-assessment modules ( SAMs) over the 10-year cycle. SAMs carry Category 1 CME credit as well as "SAM credit", and may be counted to meet both the lifelong learning credit hours and the self-assessment requirement. To count toward MOC, the SAM must be qualified by the ABR. The requirements are as follows:

This component requires passing a proctored, secure, computer-based examination within the last three years of the MOC cycle (in the case of a multiple-certificate diplomate, in the last 3 years of the governing cycle). The examination for maintenance of the initial certificate in diagnostic radiology will be available in 2010 and will consist of general and clinical content related to the diplomate's practice profile. Questions from SAMs in the category may be incorporated into examinations. To reflect actual practice to the greatest extent possible, the exam will be case-based and image-rich. In order to register for your exam, you must be current with your CME, SAM and PQI requirements, e.g., if you register for your exam in year 8 of your cycles, you must have completed 7 years of these requirements. You must also be current with your annual fees.

The general content will account for 20% of the exam. The clinical content (80% of the exam) will be proportional to the categories in which the diplomate practices. The clinical portion will be divided into four modules. The configuration of each diplomate's four modules will depend on the practice profile of the diplomate, as self-reported to the ABR at the time of registration for the exam. Modules will be available in the following categories: breast, musculoskeletal, pulmonary, cardiac, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, neuroradiology, pediatric radiology, vascular and interventional radiology, ultrasound, and nuclear radiology. A diplomate who practices 100% in a category will have four modules in that category; a diplomate who practices 50% in each of two categories will have 2 modules from each of those categories, etc.

The ABR's Practice Quality Improvement - "PQI" - program addresses Part IV requirements. For Diagnostic Radiology, five categories of PQI projects have been defined: 1) patient safety, 2) accuracy of interpretation, 3) report turnaround time, 4) practice guidelines and technical standards, and 5) referring physician surveys. Each diagnostic radiologist decides on a project in one of these categories, working as an individual, within a department or practice group, or associated with a national society. After selecting a project, the steps are delineated in the PQI Milestones and Timeline Tracking chart below.

The ABR's policy is that ABR diplomates who are participating in the Canadian Continuing Professional Development program may fulfill the four MOC components in the following ways:

A diplomate fulfilling requirements for components 2 and 4 through participation in the Canadian CPD program must send his/her participation record to the ABR annually. Other participation information and fee payment must be entered through the Personal Data Base (PDB).

Return to top of page