How did you study/will you study for the MOC Exam?

[univlad]

Has anyone successfully taken and passed the MOC exam?
What was your method for studying and what materials did you review with?
Did you study differently than for the primary exam?

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[Autopsy101]

I read all the articles listed on the ABP website and pulled out new points that I did not know to make flash cards. Also used osler notes and PRISE from ASCP in a study group type setting with the 4th year residents in our program. I basically was preparing like the test was a repeat of the original exam.

When I got to Tampa and talked with many of the others taking the exam, they had probably a more efficient strategy. Most people decided which modules they were going to take in advance and studied only focused material in those subspecialties.

 

[yaah]

Everyone I have talked to who took a "sample" test (to test out the process and see how it went) said it was very easy and you didn't need to study. Ideally, the exam should be able to be passed by a practicing competent pathologist WITHOUT studying. That is the goal supposedly.

 

[mlw03]

Everyone I have talked to who took a "sample" test (to test out the process and see how it went) said it was very easy and you didn't need to study. Ideally, the exam should be able to be passed by a practicing competent pathologist WITHOUT studying. That is the goal supposedly.

Not to take this too far off on a tangent, but that point is why us subspecialists are nervous and objecting to the new rules that you can't drop your primary certifications. I agree with your ideal. I am NOT a practicing diagnostic pathologist though, I'm a practicing forensic pathologist (or blood banker or other niche specialist).

 

[deleted314957]

Not to take this too far off on a tangent, but that point is why us subspecialists are nervous and objecting to the new rules that you can't drop your primary certifications. I agree with your ideal. I am NOT a practicing diagnostic pathologist though, I'm a practicing forensic pathologist (or blood banker or other niche specialist).

They have to make the exam a cake-walk or they would decimate the field.

 

[KluverB]

They have to make the exam a cake-walk or they would decimate the field.

In light of the pathologist oversupply would this be a bad thing?

 

[deleted314957]

In light of the pathologist oversupply would this be a bad thing?

I agree. Now that I am retired I think it is high time for the ABP to focus more attention on the metabolism of the Enterobacteriaciea and MOTT as well as some more basic enzymology and pediatric in-born errors of metabolism!

 

[mlw03]

In light of the pathologist oversupply would this be a bad thing?

There is no oversupply of forensic pathologists in North America.

 

[yaah]

They have to make the exam a cake-walk or they would decimate the field.

No, because so many older pathologists are grandfathered in. This is the main reason I hate MOC. If it's good enough for younger, practicing pathologists, it's good enough for older pathologists. So what, people have been in practice for 25 years, that means they don't have to prove they are competent because it's assumed they are? What kind of bat**** loony assumption is that? Grandfathering them out was a terrible idea. Obviously I understand why they did it, it's easier politically. I had heard that some other fields which did not allow for grandfathering in for recert exams actually saw increasing retirements because older docs didn't want to participate.

 

[pathstudent]

I don't have a problem with the lifetime certificates. Nor do I see them as being "grandfathered in". They took their boards when they were good for life. Taking that away from them would seem unfair and perhaps even worthy of a lawsuit. Moreover every pathologist that I have worked with that has 20 years experience is pretty awesome and 10 times better than the people coming right of training that I worked with.

My problem with MOC is that it seems more like nothing more than a way to get money from docs. I have reported 3 times and nothing about it seems worthwhile. It is all about paying to get to jump through hoops and then paying ABP to report which hoops you jumped through.

It is the type of stuff that is though up by people that have nothing better to do.

 

[oldfatman]

Has anyone successfully taken and passed the MOC exam?
What was your method for studying and what materials did you review with?
Did you study differently than for the primary exam?

I've been reviewing cd's from cme conferences I've taken a year or so ago on specific MOC modules. We'll see if current practice is relevant to the MOC.