Stay Certified

Continuing Certification (previously known as Maintenance of Certification) is designed to empower you to deliver high-quality, safe, and up-to-date patient care. By keeping your certification current, you can stay knowledgeable and connected while you continue to grow in your field of expertise.

Your patients, peers, and professional community all value your certification. It shows you’re dedicated to lifelong learning, continuous improvement, and the highest standards of care. And we believe in it, too: all ABR volunteers, including our Governors and Trustees, actively participate in the program.

Read on to learn how you participate in Continuing Certification, what requirements you need to follow, how to regain certification, and more.

Who Participates

You are automatically enrolled and should participate in maintaining your certificate if:

• You have a continuous certificate (2012 or later).
• You have a subspecialty certificate in neuroradiology, nuclear radiology, pain medicine, or pediatric radiology.

You are not required to participate if:

• You hold only a lifetime certificate, but participation is encouraged. You can enroll at any time in myABR.
• You’re a medical physics diplomate and received a Letter of Certification Equivalence (LoCE) from the ABR on or before December 31, 2002. See the American Board of Medical Physics and ABR working agreement for more details. If you have questions, please contact the Certification Services Department at information@theabr.org.

 

Requirements

Continuing Certification is organized into four parts. Together, they reflect the core elements of professional excellence for physicians and medical physicists.

Part 1: Professionalism and Professional Standing

If you are certified in diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology, or radiation oncology, you must hold valid, unrestricted licenses in all U.S. states, U.S. territories, and Canadian provinces where you practice.

For medical physics diplomates, you’ll only need licensure if you’re practicing in Florida, Hawaii, New York, or Texas. In other states, you’ll need one available attester (as defined by the ABR).

Learn more about Part 1: Professionalism and Professional Standing

Part 2: Lifelong Learning (CME and CE)

You must complete at least 75 Category 1 CME credits over a continuously rolling three-year period. Medical physics diplomates can use CAMPEP-accredited CE, Self-Directed Educational Projects (SDEPs), and Category 1 CME credits.

If you’re newly certified, you won’t be expected to meet this requirement until year four of Continuing Certification participation.

Learn more about Part 2: Lifelong Learning

Part 3: Assessment of Knowledge, Judgment, and Skills (OLA)

You can satisfy the Part 3 five-year assessment cycle for each certificate you are maintaining in one of two ways:

• Meet or exceed the passing standard in Online Longitudinal Assessment (OLA) at any time in year five of your five-year assessment cycle. This option is highly recommended.
• Pass a Continuing Certification exam in year four or five of your five-year assessment cycle.

Learn more about Part 3: Assessment of Knowledge, Judgment, and Skills.

Part 4: Improvement in Medical Practice

You must complete one Practice Quality Improvement (PQI) Project or Participatory Quality Improvement Activity within a continuously rolling three-year period.

If you’re newly certified, you won’t be expected to meet this requirement until year four of Continuing Certification participation.

Learn more about Part 4: Improvement in Medical Practice.

 

Public Reporting

Your certification status — and whether you’re actively participating in Continuing Certification — is publicly listed on the ABR and American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) websites. It’s part of our promise to be transparent and trustworthy in the eyes of your peers and patients.

• If you choose not to participate in Continuing Certification, your status will reflect that.
• Lifetime certificates remain valid even if you opt out — but will not show as “maintained” in public records.

 

Regaining Certification

Most former diplomates can regain certification by:

1. Enrolling in the Continuing Certification program through myABR.
2. Satisfying all enrollment requirements, including passing a Continuing Certification Exam.

Once you’ve restarted maintenance and met all requirements, your certification will be reinstated and publicly listed as “Certified.” If you have questions about the process, please contact an ABR certification manager at information@theabr.org or 520-790-2900 for assistance.

 

Additional Important Information

The ABR charges an annual fee to keep your program tools (like OLA, myABR, and public reporting) accessible and your status up to date.

We also perform audits to ensure you are staying on track with all four parts of Continuing Certification. If you’re selected for an audit, you’ll have 60 days to provide documentation for Part 2 (Lifelong Learning) and Part 4 (Improvement in Medical Practice) of Continuing Certification. If you’re not compliant after two audit attempts (over no longer than six months), maintenance will be ended for all of your certificates. If you have a Continuous Certificate, it’ll be listed as ‘no longer certified.’  You may be randomly selected at any time, so make sure you retain your documentation for Parts 2 and 4.

If you can’t meet requirements because of unforeseen circumstances, like military duty or serious illness, see our special circumstances policy.

Request a Certification Letter

Whether you’re currently in the certification process or already a diplomate, you can request a formal certification letter or a replacement certificate printed on linen paper with the ABR’s official raised seal.