Lots of new information in the Board's Newest Newsletter
http://www.abpath.org/images/newsletters/2015-2ABPExaminer.pdf
LONGITUDINAL FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT- ABMS MOC PART III PILOT
The ABP is pleased to announce that we have been selected by ABMS to be one of four boards participating in a pilot for MOC Part III. The details of this program are still being formulated and a software vendor being identified. It is anticipated that the pilot will begin in 2017. The pilot, as currently envisioned, will have the ABP sending periodic questions to participating diplomates, possibly weekly. The diplomates can log in to answer the question any time during the week and will have a defined amount of time to answer the question (e.g. 1-2 minutes). After answering the question, the diplomate receives immediate feedback on the correct answer, with an explanation for the answer and references. This pilot is anticipated to be similar to the American Board of Anesthesiology’s MOCA minute pilot. The results of our pilot will be researched and, if deemed a valid assessment, could potentially replace the MOC once every ten-year exam. The pilot is based on the concept of continuous assessment of knowledge and learning from the questions (formative assessment) over several years, with the ability for diplomates to recognize gaps in medical knowledge. This pilot will also allowing diplomates to demonstrate to the ABP sufficient medical knowledge for safe and effective practice (summative assessment). The short-term and long-term challenges for this type of assessment will be to have sufficient questions and relevant questions for diplomates with such varied practices in pathology. We will be welcoming input from our diplomates about this pilot.
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY MOC SUBSPECIALTY EXAM
The ABP CEO attended the annual 2015 National Association of Medical Examiners meeting and heard feedback from our diplomates about the relevance of the questions on their primary (APCP or AP) mandatory 50 question MOC exam modules. In response to this legitimate concern, forensic pathologists taking the 2016 spring (and thereafter) MOC exam will be able to choose a single 200 question MOC Forensic Pathology + primary certification exam. This exam will include clinical pathology questions that are relevant to forensic pathology, allowing a diplomate to meet the Part III MOC requirements for both primary and forensic pathology continuing certification. Forensic pathologists will still have the option to select a 50 question mandatory module in their area of primary certification + the 150 question Forensic Pathology subspecialty exam, graded as a single 200 question exam (but why would they want to?).