Take ABPM after AMBS Board? Any point?

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emd123

emd123

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I will start by saying that I am one of the fortunate non-gas/non-pmr/non-neuro/non-psych physicians who was fortunate enough to get into and finish a (very solid I might add) ACGME Pain fellowship.

Now that I finished the ACGME Pain fellowship, and found out I passed the ABMS Pain boards, and have what seems to be a pretty good job practicing 100% Pain, is there any point whatsoever in taking the ABPM pain exam? What about the ABIPP exam?
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Other than personally gaining more knowledge, I'd say no.
 
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The only use of those pseudo-board certifications are if you do not have ABMS or you just like having a bunch of letters after your name. However, if you start getting too many letters after your name, people will start confusion you for a nurse.
 
PMR 4 MSK said:
The only use of those pseudo-board certifications are if you do not have ABMS or you just like having a bunch of letters after your name. However, if you start getting too many letters after your name, people will start confusion you for a nurse.
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so now I can be John Smith, MD, DABA, DABAPM ???


:D:D:D
 
This is what I use:

John Doe, M.D., YOGABBAGABA

Patients think because I have more letters, I'm smarter than you. With my clientele, it works.
 
What if you did a non-ACGME fellowship, can you do the "other" boards and what would you rec? ABMS vs ABIPP
 
Ducttape said:
it might help if you spelled YoGabbaGabba right....
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I think I put that as an answer on the boards this year, yogabbagabapentin?

Oh well, must've got that one wrong :)
 
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Reviving this thread

I am currently in an acgme fellowship. I've been getting emails from ABPM for the past few weeks.

I just want to take the "REAL" one. Which exam am I supposed to take? ABMS? My preference is less letters behind my name, and more dollars kept in my pocket.

ALSO, someone told me that I have 10 years to take this exam. any downside to waiting so long? will employers care that I haven't taken my boards?

THANK YOU
 
ABMS through- for you- ABPMR. Do it soon and get it out of the way.
 
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Agree. Take ABMS now while the minutia is most fresh in your head. Don't waste money on the other boards. Once you have the ABMS one, the other adds nothing.
 
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I am seriously considering ABPM vs recert with ABMS. I'm 5 years out and can't imagine recerting for anesthesia now, let alone in another 5 years.
 
mid|ine said:
I am seriously considering ABPM vs recert with ABMS. I'm 5 years out and can't imagine recerting for anesthesia now, let alone in another 5 years.
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I do not believe u are required to recert anesthesia to recert pain. I was looking at the MOCA website yesterday...
 
It's true for PM&R.
 
Also true for gas. I have to recert for both in the next two years. It's been 5 years since I used a Miller blade, much less managed a 5 yo with TOF coming back for emergency cautery s/p T&A with increased ICP after MVA on the way to the hospital, pseudocholinesterase deficiency and a family history of MH. Thank God they haven't added orals to the MOC moneymaker.

Can I just take the ice-bucket instead?
 
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ParaVert said:
Also true for gas. I have to recert for both in the next two years. It's been 5 years since I used a Miller blade, much less managed a 5 yo with TOF coming back for emergency cautery s/p T&A with increased ICP after MVA on the way to the hospital, pseudocholinesterase deficiency and a family history of MH. Thank God they haven't added orals to the MOC moneymaker.

Can I just take the ice-bucket instead?
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Best ice bucket challenge so far, Charlie Sheen:

 
I just paid for my Pmr recert. Taking at 7 years(early as possible). Lasts 13 years that way.

I'm done after this one though.
 
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nvrsumr said:
I just paid for my Pmr recert. Taking at 7 years(early as possible). Lasts 13 years that way.

I'm done after this one though.
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Does that mean you won't pay the yearly $150 something to the ABPMR? You also won't do the SAE (8 CME) and PIP (30 CME) stuff for the MOC?
 
mid|ine said:
If that is true that is new and news to me. Anyone else know?
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Just spoke with the ABA. They state that there are no requirements currently for MOCA subs if you want to just recert pain. It can be done. The requirements will come out in 2016. Apparently, there will be pain specific cognitive exam, CME and possible case evaluation/simulator specific to pain. If you want to recert anesthesia (not sure why anyone doing 100% pain would want to), then you have to take the anesthesia cognitive exam, anesthesia simulator etc. Hope this helps.
 
PAINISGOOD said:
Just spoke with the ABA. They state that there are no requirements currently for MOCA subs if you want to just recert pain. It can be done. The requirements will come out in 2016. Apparently, there will be pain specific cognitive exam, CME and possible case evaluation/simulator specific to pain. If you want to recert anesthesia (not sure why anyone doing 100% pain would want to), then you have to take the anesthesia cognitive exam, anesthesia simulator etc. Hope this helps.
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to be specific, i have not called the ABA, but the website states that those who got their primary certification on or after Jan.1, 2010 are automatically enrolled in MOCA-subs and must do the prereqs to recertify.

as usual, i get screwed.... :arghh:
 
Ducttape said:
to be specific, i have not called the ABA, but the website states that those who got their primary certification on or after Jan.1, 2010 are automatically enrolled in MOCA-subs and must do the prereqs to recertify.

as usual, i get screwed.... :arghh:
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when I spoke to the ABA lady, she said there were NO requirements yet for pain recert...I was certified in 2010 too....she said if you do the simulator for anesthesia recert now it will NOT count for pain recert...she said if you just want to recert for pain then besides regular CME you don't have to do anything until 2016 when pain specific requirements come out....maybe good if someone else called to verify.
 
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you might not have lucked out. id call them back if i were you, but its clearly posted on their website:

Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties
Effective January 1, 2010, the ABA began transitioning from the subspecialty recertification programs to Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties (MOCA-SUBS).

The last subspecialty recertification examinations will be administered in 2016, and the first MOCA-SUBS examinations will be administered in 2017. Diplomates certified or recertified in a subspecialty after January 1, 2010 (with an expiration date of December 31, 2020 and later) will be automatically enrolled in MOCA-SUBS.

Diplomates who choose to maintain both the primary certification and subspecialty certification will benefit from overlapping program requirements as long as all of the activities are completed during each of the 10-year MOCA cycles. The MOCA-SUBS program requirements mirror those of the MOCA program requirements, with the following exceptions:

  1. Some of the required Part 2 LLSA (CME) activities must be related to the subspecialty certification being maintained.
  2. A separate Part 3 Cognitive Examination will need to be completed for each certificate being maintained.
  3. The ABA will verify diplomates' clinical activity in the subspecialty.
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So if I don't have to recert in my primary boards, I am wondering if I should recert 3 years early (can I?) in pain to avoid what ever this MOCA-SUBS madness is...
 
http://www.theaba.org/home/anesthesiology_maintenance_Subs

ABA diplomates may choose to maintain only their subspecialty certification; however, the ABA strongly encourages diplomates to also maintain their primary certification. The ABA does not recommend maintaining only a subspecialty certificate and wants diplomates to consider any imponderable repercussions before choosing to let their primary certification in anesthesiology expire.
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What happens when your primary certification expires? If I ever want to re-certify, is it starting over like I never had certification?
 
how long before u retire?

i am currently planning on doing anesth recert, but i highly doubt i am going to start a career in anesthesia at my age...
 
Ducttape said:
how long before u retire?

i am currently planning on doing anesth recert, but i highly doubt i am going to start a career in anesthesia at my age...
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I would like to only recect once. However, the future is always an unknown. If I can continue to do well for at least 5 years, I would probably drop to half time, then not recert again.
 
at one point i was thinking of sitting for the non-ACGME, non-ABEM ER boards. had the qualifications.

opted to not do it because 1. the credentialling "organization" required continued membership to maintain certification - $800 per year. 2. i found out that the few job opportunities that did take the "alternate" certification paid 20% less for non-ABEM certified candidates, and they have become rarer and rarer.

its a ratchet, and we are at their mercy. to stay in the game as long as possible, it is easier to play by their rules...
 
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