FAQ: Questions About Diagnostic Radiology

Question categories:

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

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?

II. What costs are involved?

1. Why is there an annual fee for MOC?
2. What does the annual fee cover?
3. Why do annual fees differ?
4. I paid an enrollment fee in 2004. Why? What happened to that?

III. Who may participate?

Diplomates with time-limited certificates:

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 practice of medical physics is very limited or none at all. 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?
3. I obtained my subspecialty certificate in 1994. I haven't taken an exam or done anything else for MOC - what is my status?

Diplomates with subspecialty certificates and initial lifetime certificates:

1. Since I passed the initial board examinations in Medical physics prior to 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?
3. I obtained my subspecialty certificate in 1994. I haven't taken an exam or done anything else for MOC - what is my status?

IV. What are the requirements?

1. As a time-limited certificate holder, what do I have to do for MOC?
2. When did 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 are the licensure requirements related to the first component, Professional Standing?
6. What are the CME and SAM requirements related to the second component, Lifelong Learning and Self-assessment?
7. What are the exam requirements related to the third component, Cognitive Expertise?
8. What are the project requirements related to the fourth component, Practice Quality Improvement?
9. What if I am living and practicing in Canada, and participate in the Canadian Continuing Professional Development Program?

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

1. What happens to a time-limited certificate if all MOC requirements are not satisfied during the 10-year cycle?
2. What if I get behind on my CME, SAMs, or PQI project? Can I lose my certificate?
3. How will I know if I'm behind on my requirements?
4. What if I fail the exam?

VI. What if I have multiple certificates?

1. If I have more than one time-limited ABR certificate, what do I need to do? Are my requirements and fees doubled?
2. I am a lifetime-certified diagnostic radiologist with a time-limited subspecialty certificate. If I enroll voluntarily for my lifetime certificate, and participate as required for my time-limited 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?