ABFM continuous certification process

[Gonio5]

I heard that the American Board of Family Medicine is going to a 5 year cycle. As I understand it, the old system was a 10 year cycle, did 25 questions every quarter, minimum of 75 questions the first year, need 300 questions by the end of year 4, 150 CME hours every 3 year block, plus some patient safety and practice improvement requirements.

Is the new system a 5 year block, 200 CME hours, and 4 years of questions that come out each quarter? If so, there is only a one year of inactivity allowed, which is potentially bad if one has litigation, cancer, sick relatives, etc.

Question 1: The ABFM website no longer has a table of things to do. Anybody more familiar with the 5 year requirement?
Question 2: They said that the exam requirement for people who took it under the 10 year plan don't have to take an exam sooner. What does that mean? Does that mean if you are board certified but haven't completed all of the quarterly questions that you are shafted and begin the 5 year plan. Only those who took, while already certified, the big exam or finished the quarterly questions get to finish the 10 year plan?

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

I heard that the American Board of Family Medicine is going to a 5 year cycle. As I understand it, the old system was a 10 year cycle, did 25 questions every quarter, minimum of 75 questions the first year, need 300 questions by the end of year 4, 150 CME hours every 3 year block, plus some patient safety and practice improvement requirements.

Is the new system a 5 year block, 200 CME hours, and 4 years of questions that come out each quarter? If so, there is only a one year of inactivity allowed, which is potentially bad if one has litigation, cancer, sick relatives, etc.

Question 1: The ABFM website no longer has a table of things to do. Anybody more familiar with the 5 year requirement?
Question 2: They said that the exam requirement for people who took it under the 10 year plan don't have to take an exam sooner. What does that mean? Does that mean if you are board certified but haven't completed all of the quarterly questions that you are shafted and begin the 5 year plan. Only those who took, while already certified, the big exam or finished the quarterly questions get to finish the 10 year plan?

Basically it's the 10 year cycle until your current 10 year cycle is done and then it becomes a 5 year cycle.

I'm on year 2 of my 10 year cycle. In 2033 it will switch to 5 years

 

[FamilymedMD]

Basically it's the 10 year cycle until your current 10 year cycle is done and then it becomes a 5 year cycle.

I'm on year 2 of my 10 year cycle. In 2033 it will switch to 5 years

I'm jealous. Those parasites have me switching to their 5 year extortion plan next year. If 2033 I'd be retiring before then.

I wish the ABFM boards had some reasonable competition to keep them in check.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I'm jealous. Those parasites have me switching to their 5 year extortion plan next year. If 2033 I'd be retiring before then.

I wish the ABFM boards had some reasonable competition to keep them in check.

Yeah I'm pretty pissed about this. It basically means that in 10 years instead of doing 3 years of these questions we'll have to do 6.

It won't matter, but I'm planning on writing some angry e-mails to the ABFM (one of their upper level people was an attending of mine in medical school).

 

[cabinbuilder]

My recert was never 10 years, it has been 7 years. This whole new process seems like its going to be such a pain and whole lot of unnecessary busy work just to annoy us. Sigh. Just more unending hoops.......

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

My recert was never 10 years, it has been 7 years. This whole new process seems like its going to be such a pain and whole lot of unnecessary busy work just to annoy us. Sigh. Just more unending hoops.......

AOBFP?

 

[cabinbuilder]

AOBFP?

yes, DO world.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

Edited my initial reply.

Got to love the never ending money grab that exists when licensing bodies know you’re beholden to them for your livelihood.