Question re: Board Certification

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Tenesma

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Hi All!

Am struggling whether I should take my anesthesia boards or just let those lapse - and just retake the Pain Boards.

When I spoke to the ABA they stated that i can retake the pain boards without retaking anesthesia as long as i never let my pain boards lapse...

since I am 100% outpatient pain, and have no desire/interest of ever being in the OR again, I can't really see the benefit of remaining boarded in Anesthesiology.

pls let me know your thought and what you guys are doing.
 
I have to maintain EM boards to keep Pain, therefore, I just recertified but it was painful. Otherwise, I'd probably let it lapse as I'm also 100% Pain now. If you're more than 2-3 years out, the chance of going back is slim. Your call. I have no choice unfortunately.
 
Hi All!

Am struggling whether I should take my anesthesia boards or just let those lapse - and just retake the Pain Boards.

When I spoke to the ABA they stated that i can retake the pain boards without retaking anesthesia as long as i never let my pain boards lapse...

since I am 100% outpatient pain, and have no desire/interest of ever being in the OR again, I can't really see the benefit of remaining boarded in Anesthesiology.

pls let me know your thought and what you guys are doing.

Hey Tenesma where the hell you been? We miss your participation.

I'm going to let my primary board lapse and just recert in Pain. I see lots of wasted time and virtually no return in doing otherwise.
 
First, I would make certain that what the board informed you is in writing somewhere. Second, if you let your cert lapse and change your mind in the future will they allow you to just take the exam or will they throw something crazy at you like additional training?
 
it is on the ABA website. it is not required to primary certification to maintain secondary (ie pain) certification, but it is strongly encouraged.
 
I was referring to the studying. You will be fine as is.

I doubt it, I have not done an EMG since residency, nor any form of inpatient or general rehab, no peds, etc. Just 100% subacute and chronic pain. I guess if I could just sit down and take it without prep I'd try.
 
For both Anesthesia and PM&R, you can get the primary cert back by re-enrolling in MOC (including the test). It looks like maybe ABA might require you to take another ORAL exam. That would suck...
http://www.theaba.org/FAQ/moc
http://www.abpmr.org/minisite/Site/FAQ/#7
Suck is putting it mildly. I followed the link and it appears that the oral exam would be required as you would be starting from scratch. Lifetime anesthesiology certification; the one advantage of being old.
 
I'm taking my Pmr recert in a month. They are changing the requirements in 2018 and no longer will be able get 10 year cert after. Doing same this September for pain. Hopefully no more moc for me after this year
 
I just logged in to the ABPMR website and read the bottom line and pasted it below (bolded). It looks pretty clear that if you are PM&R you have to maintain primary board certification to keep your pain board certification status.

https://online.abpmr.org/users/candidate/moc/index.html

Please Note: Subspecialists are required to maintain primary certification in order to maintain subspecialty certification.
 
I'm taking my Pmr recert in a month. They are changing the requirements in 2018 and no longer will be able get 10 year cert after. Doing same this September for pain. Hopefully no more moc for me after this year

Hey buddy, how do you get out of MOC in this case?

You are a year behind me; why taking your recert now?

whats your secret agenda, hmm?
 
I just logged in to the ABPMR website and read the bottom line and pasted it below (bolded). It looks pretty clear that if you are PM&R you have to maintain primary board certification to keep your pain board certification status.

https://online.abpmr.org/users/candidate/moc/index.html

Please Note: Subspecialists are required to maintain primary certification in order to maintain subspecialty certification.
That is incorrect. It was changed in early 2014.
 
Lig

They allow you to recert years 7-10. Taking now will recert me until 2028 with the current moc requirements IF I choose to recert again. Starting in 2018 you will no longer receive 10 year recert but a "qualified" 10 year recert with yet to be determined yearly moc requirements. So I'm taking early as I'm not planning on keep my boards after 2028 and won't be required to do much of anything as far as cme/moc from this year forward. I hope.

I market multiple board certifications Pmr/pain/Emg and patients and referring docs seem to appreciate so will sit for all once more.
 
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Will take my anesthesia boards this year. Been 7 years since residency. I still do dome anesthesia, one weekend every other month just to keep my feet wet. Not yet ready to completely shut the door on anesthesia. Certfied in 2008, so if I take the boards again this year, I should be fine till 2028. For me, it is definitely worth it to invest a few months to maintain board certification for the next 13 years.

YMMV.
 
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I just looked more into this MOC... "Practice improvement project", WTF? These people have too much time on their hands.

More like gouging physicians. That PIP (Practice Improvement Project) was such a waste of time. But you have to jump through their hoops get recertified 🙁
 
Some hope from our IM brothers and sisters:

You are receiving this email because you previously signed a petition supporting changes in the ABIM maintenance of certification (MOC) process. We have >19,000 signatures but ABIM has not made meaningful changes to the 2014 MOC requirements. Many of you have asked about a “next step” and asked for an alternative.


This week we launch the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS.org), an alternative Board providing continuing board certification. (See board members below). The major difference is our replacing onerous computer modules and repeated exams with ACCME accredited Continuing Medical Education. (See complete requirements below).


We strive to provide high quality at the lowest possible cost. Our fee is $169 for two year certification, irrespective of the number of specialty applications. This one fee covers two years and all your specialties. The fee will be adjusted up or down in future years, determined by our expenses. The application requires less than 15 minutes to complete.


Go to NBPAS.org to view the website, apply for certification, and leave comments.


Please do not reply to this email address (since it is my work email). If you have comments, please leave them on NBPAS.org.


Below is a full list of NBPAS requirements for continued certification:

  • Candidates must have been previously certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties member board. Initially, NBPAS will only certify physicians in selected specialties. Other specialties and other boards will follow.
  • Candidates must have a valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine in at least one US state.
  • Candidates must have completed a minimum of 50 hours of continuing medical education (CME) within the past 24 months, provided by a recognized provider of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). CME must be related to one or more of the specialties in which the candidate is applying. Re-entry for physicians with lapsed certification requires 100 hours of CME with the past 24 months.
  • For some specialties (ie interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, critical care), candidates must have active privileges to practice that specialty in at least one US hospital licensed by a nationally recognized credentialing organization with deeming authority from CMS (ie JCHAO, HFAP, DNV).
  • A candidate who has had their medical staff appointment/membership or clinical privileges in the specialty for which they are seeking certification involuntarily revoked and not reinstated, must have subsequently maintained medical staff appointment/membership or clinical privileges for at least 24 months in another US hospital licensed by a nationally recognized credentialing organization with deeming authority from CMS (ie JCHAO, HFAP, DNV).
NBPAS Board Members:

Paul Teirstein, M.D., President NBPS, Chief of Cardiology, Scripps Clinic
Daniel Einhorn, M.D., Immediate-Past President, American College of Endocrinology; Past President, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
Bernard Gersh, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
C. Michael Gibson, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Robert Harrington, M.D., Chair, Department of Medicine, Stanford University
David Holmes, M.D., President, American College of Cardiology, 2011-2012; Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Jeffrey Popma, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Gregg Stone, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Eric Topol, M.D., Chief Academic Officer, Scripps Health; Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute

Bonnie Weiner, M.D., Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Mathew Williams, M.D., Chief, Division of Adult Cardiac Surgery, New York University Medical Center



Paul Teirstein, M.D.

Scripps Clinic

10666 North Torrey Pines Road

La Jolla, CA 92037

Office: 858 554 9905
 
much as i think this is the right way to do continuing medical education, i have my doubts that a new board will be accepted by ABMS, and wonder if they will take a stance by disavowing this new "board". granted, its only $169 every 2 years, but im not willing to bet my career and future earnings on an offshoot organization. ive been down this road before...
 
much as i think this is the right way to do continuing medical education, i have my doubts that a new board will be accepted by ABMS, and wonder if they will take a stance by disavowing this new "board". granted, its only $169 every 2 years, but im not willing to bet my career and future earnings on an offshoot organization. ive been down this road before...

I think this new board exists to REPLACE the ABMS! yay!
 
correct me if i am wrong, but doesnt ABMS essentially control the residencies, and the various boards promote certification?

my gestalt of the interbreeding is that the various boards are interconnected with ABMS. i cannot see the various specialty boards allowing a third party to "do certification", and i cannot see ABMS approving of this alternate arrangement.
 
correct me if i am wrong, but doesnt ABMS essentially control the residencies, and the various boards promote certification?

my gestalt of the interbreeding is that the various boards are interconnected with ABMS. i cannot see the various specialty boards allowing a third party to "do certification", and i cannot see ABMS approving of this alternate arrangement.
ACGME controls residencies not ABMS....
 
much as i think this is the right way to do continuing medical education, i have my doubts that a new board will be accepted by ABMS, and wonder if they will take a stance by disavowing this new "board". granted, its only $169 every 2 years, but im not willing to bet my career and future earnings on an offshoot organization. ive been down this road before...
Of course they(ABMS) would not accept it. It will compete with them and take away the money all the staff members of the ABMS boards make, It would take away their jobs
 
i wouldnt mind if they blew up the whole system, but a. there needs to be some method of making sure that physicians at one point had credible knowledge base of their field of practice and b. with this new board, an adjunct to the existing one, is only a money making scheme unless they can prove that their board certification will be "accredited" and "accepted" by those who have power and money - CMS, JCAHO, like the statement mentions. but then, that puts even more power onto those organizations.....
 
I wonder if we are a minority. It may be that the majority of BC docs want this process to be cumbersome and expensive to protect their fields...
 
i wouldnt mind if they blew up the whole system, but a. there needs to be some method of making sure that physicians at one point had credible knowledge base of their field of practice and b. with this new board, an adjunct to the existing one, is only a money making scheme unless they can prove that their board certification will be "accredited" and "accepted" by those who have power and money - CMS, JCAHO, like the statement mentions. but then, that puts even more power onto those organizations.....

Cms. Jcaho. They dont care what your training or board status is. They will pay nurses as much as us to do same job in some states. Boards now exist to rob physicians of money and autonomy. Can be used by hospitals and insurers to deny you a job or deny a patient care.
 
doesnt this new board going to base certification partly on the input - indirect or not - on these organizations?

  • For some specialties (ie interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, critical care), candidates must have active privileges to practice that specialty in at least one US hospital licensed by a nationally recognized credentialing organization with deeming authority from CMS (ie JCHAO, HFAP, DNV).
  • A candidate who has had their medical staff appointment/membership or clinical privileges in the specialty for which they are seeking certification involuntarily revoked and not reinstated, must have subsequently maintained medical staff appointment/membership or clinical privileges for at least 24 months in another US hospital licensed by a nationally recognized credentialing organization with deeming authority from CMS (ie JCHAO, HFAP, DNV)
 
Link to thread in the anesthesiology forum regarding NBPAS- http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nbpas-opt-out-of-moc.1116061/

I have been in communication with NBPAS leadership, and anesthesiology and other specialties will be offered shortly as an option. There are logistical things to iron out before they expand beyond the ABIM specialties, but this should not take long.

Yes, this will serve as a mechanism by which physicians already boarded by an ABMS specialty can remain Board Certified, without jumping through the extortionist hoops imposed by MOC.

This needs a grassroots effort by all those who disagree with MOC, to ask your hospital leadship to accept NBPAS. Form letter that can be sent to your admin can be found here- www.nbpas.org/sample-letter
 
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