ABA pain board certification and MOCA Minute/CertLink

[painfre]

Good Afternoon

My PM&R and Pain certification is valid till December 31, 2020 and wants to continue both. After speaking to ABPMR board, I got an impression that most likely CertLink™ could replace the ABPMR Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Examination and I have to take pain in both certification MOC 3 before 2020 to maintain certification continuously.

I was considering previously not to take pain recertification exam, but directly participating in Certlink(if implemented) from 2021 and maintain certification(so that I can avoid studying for boards and also 1800 fees for pain exam ). But I was told by the board, that option is not possible for me.
I was searching for information on the ABA website and how ABA made the transition to MOCA Minute. So my understanding now is, that pain physicians(Anesthesiology) who were certified till 2016, has to pay MOCA Minute fees and restart the whole process from 2017 and pay all fees. Any anesthesiologist who recertified in 2016 and restarted the MOCA process in 2017 can comment?

Thanks

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[newbie04]

Not sure if you saw this:

Good Afternoon

My PM&R and Pain certification is valid till December 31, 2020 and wants to continue both. After speaking to ABPMR board, I got an impression that most likely CertLink could replace the ABPMR Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Examination and I have to take pain in both certification MOC 3 before 2020 to maintain certification continuously.

I was considering previously not to take pain recertification exam, but directly participating in Certlink(if implemented) from 2021 and maintain certification(so that I can avoid studying for boards and also 1800 fees for pain exam ). But I was told by the board, that option is not possible for me.
I was searching for information on the ABA website and how ABA made the transition to MOCA Minute. So my understanding now is, that pain physicians(Anesthesiology) who were certified till 2016, has to pay MOCA Minute fees and restart the whole process from 2017 and pay all fees. Any anesthesiologist who recertified in 2016 and restarted the MOCA process in 2017 can comment?

Thanks

 

[painfre]

I am glad , I did not take pain recert. Exam yet. Now I can do LA-pain in 2020. I already passed MOC3 for PM&R in 2018 even though it is due in 2020, and now I have to start doing cert-link from 2023.

 

[clubdeac]

I take the pain board in Sept which recertifies me through 2029. From reviewing that email I still have to start participating in LA-Pain assessment in 2025! This means I will have paid double the testing fees and have taken additional tests during this time period from 2025-29. This is infuriating! A completely unfair money grab. Anyone else in this situation?

 

[Ducttape]

I’d write a letter asking if you could just do MOC. Then cancel painboards.

You are probably one of few ppl who were going to get caught in this trap based on bad luck...

 

[hyperalgesia]

I take the pain board in Sept which recertifies me through 2029. From reviewing that email I still have to start participating in LA-Pain assessment in 2025! This means I will have paid double the testing fees and have taken additional tests during this time period from 2025-29. This is infuriating! A completely unfair money grab. Anyone else in this situation?

I think that is just for the CertLink for the primary, not for the pain.

My understanding is that the pain exam is still good for 10 years.

There will apparently be some other part of the LA pain that we'll have to join with but the knowledge testing component is satisfied for 10 years with the exam.

I agree it's wrong to change the rules mid-cycle. You prepare, pay for, and take an exam for 10 years. Period. People should be grandfathered in.

 

[clubdeac]

I think that is just for the CertLink for the primary, not for the pain.

My understanding is that the pain exam is still good for 10 years.

There will apparently be some other part of the LA pain that we'll have to join with but the knowledge testing component is satisfied for 10 years with the exam.

I agree it's wrong to change the rules mid-cycle. You prepare, pay for, and take an exam for 10 years. Period. People should be grandfathered in.

Both the PMR and Pain exams should be food for 10 years. I wasted all this time and money to take both tests this year. Aren’t you in the same boat hyperalgesia?

 

[hyperalgesia]

Both the PMR and Pain exams should be food for 10 years. I wasted all this time and money to take both tests this year. Aren’t you in the same boat hyperalgesia?

I dropped my primary and just did the pain exam. I'm not sure what I'll be required to do to keep up pain but the letter I got specifically said the "knowledge portion of MOC is satisfied for 10 years". I think the pain exam vs LA pain assessment is a tossup. I'm still glad I took the exam at this point but I spent a lot of time and money on it.

 

[clubdeac]

Wanted to resurrect this thread. Is no one else miffed about your current certification being good for only 5 years and no longer 10 as they “phase in” the new certification requirements. I mean this is a huge money grab. I’m gonna being paying double during those additional 5 years. They’re hoping everyone will just happily accept it since they’re doing away with the 10 year cycle. The way they’re doing it however is grossly unfair

 

[Ducttape]

I'm happy because as anesthesiology trained it just segway'd in to MOCA. in this case, I am "the other side".

I got lucky it occurred at this time - I would have been up for board recert exam in 2 years. so in effect they did not gain money on me, and since I didn't have to take the board exams, I saved...

I agree that they should give you credit, like not having to pay for MOCA until your board exam expirescchiang.