MOC DR FAQ

FAQs: Questions About MOC for Diagnostic Radiology

Question categories:

  Category I. Why does the ABR have an MOC program, and why should I participate?
  Category II. What do MOC annual fees cover?
  Category III. Who may participate?
  Category IV. What are the requirements?
 Category V. What happens if I don't meet all the requirements?
  Category VI. What if I have multiple certificates?

Category I. Why does the ABR have an MOC program and why should I participate?

1. Is the ABR the only board with an MOC process?
2. What is the value of certifying and maintaining certification (MOC) in diagnostic radiology?
3. Could state licensing boards or other entities that issue practice privileges begin requiring Maintenance of Certification, even for lifetime certificate holders?
4. All the ABMS boards are becoming further involved in the quality assessment of their diplomates. Isn't this just another level of needless bureaucracy?
5. Does MOC respond to the Institute of Medicine's concerns about quality of healthcare and their quality indicators?

Category II. What do MOC annual fees cover?

Category III. Who may participate?

Diplomates with time-limited certificates or continuous certificates issued in 2012 or thereafter:

1. Must all diplomates with 10-year, time-limited certificates participate in MOC?
2. When did time-limited certification start?
3. Isn't it unfair that only the time-limited certificate holders must participate in MOC to maintain their certification, and that decisions about MOC are being made by individuals at the ABMS and ABR who are themselves lifetime certificate holders who do not need to participate in MOC?
4. I am a physician in an administrative position and my direct patient care is very limited or is nonexistent. Does this exclude me from the MOC process?
5. I plan to retire before the expiration of my current certificate. Must I participate in MOC?

Diplomates with lifetime certificates:

1. Since I passed the initial board examinations in diagnostic radiology before 2002 and have a lifetime certificate, must I participate in the MOC process?
2. I am a lifetime certificate holder. If I enter the MOC program, how long does it take to get an MOC certificate? If I don't meet all requirements, do I lose my lifetime certificate?

Diplomates with subspecialty certificates and initial lifetime certificates:

1. I obtained my subspecialty certificate (formerly certificate of added qualification, or CAQ)  before 2002. Is that a lifetime certificate?
2. I have a lifetime certificate in diagnostic radiology. Since I am always going to be certified, why should I renew my time-limited subspecialty certificate, or my continuous subspecialty certificate issued in 2012 and thereafter?

Category IV. What are the requirements?

1. As a -limited certificate holder, on one who has a continuous certificate issued in 2012 and thereafter, what do I have to do for MOC?
2. When does the MOC requirements "clock” start ticking?
3. Is maintenance of cognitive expertise in all 11 ABR categories really viable for a practicing radiologist?
4. What is the basic structure of the MOC program and requirements?
5. What licensure requirements are related to the first part of MOC? 
6. What CME and SA-CME requirements are related to the second part of MOC?
7. What exam requirements are related to the third part of MOC?
8. What Practice Quality Improvement (PQI) project requirements are related to the fourth part of MOC? 
9. What if I am living and practicing in Canada and participate in the Canadian Continuing Professional Development Program?

Category V. What happens if I don't meet all the requirements?

1. What happens to a time-limited certificate, or a continuous certificate issued in 2012 and thereafter, if all MOC requirements are not satisfied? 
2. What if I get behind on my CME, SA-CME, or PQI? Can I lose my certificate?
3. How will I know if I'm behind on my requirements?
4. What if I fail the exam?

Category VI. What if I have multiple certificates?

1. If I have more than one time-limited and/or continuous certificate issued in 2012 and thereafter, what do I need to do? Are my requirements and fees doubled? 
2. I am a lifetime-certified diagnostic radiologist with a time-limited or continuous subspecialty certificate. If I enroll voluntarily for my lifetime certificate, and participate as required for my time-limited or continuous certificate, will I have to pay two MOC fees-one for the diagnostic radiology certification, and one for the subspecialty?
3. If I have two different MOC cycles, one for my neuro certificate and one for my peds certificate, how can I have only one set of requirements?
4. Will I receive just one MOC certificate, or one for each area in which I have an initial certificate?