Can not say I disagree one bit with any of what the ASH says below. Even if you are not a hematologist, it can apply to any specialty under the ABIM.
September 27, 2023
Richard Baron, MD, MACP
President and Chief Executive Officer American Board of Internal Medicine
510 Walnut Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19106
Dear Dr. Baron,
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) leadership has been hearing a groundswell of concerns from ASH members in recent weeks about the entire American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process.
For many years, ASH has worked collaboratively with ABIM to make significant changes to the MOC program in response to valid criticisms raised by our members. ASH continues to support the importance of lifelong learning for hematologists via a program that is evidence-based, relevant to one’s practice, and transparent; however, these three basic requirements are not met by the current ABIM MOC program.
Moreover, it is now clear that the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) alternative to the 10-year exam does not reflect real life practice, nor does it target each individual’s scope of practice. Our members report that the LKA is creating high levels of stress and contributing to burnout.
After careful consideration of the concerns raised by our members, ASH strongly urges ABIM to take the following immediate actions:
1. Establish a new MOC program that does not involve high-stakes assessments (i.e., 10-year exam and the new LKA) but rather is self-driven by each physician and involves mandatory self-reporting of educational activities (similar to the systems in Canada and Australia/New Zealand).
2. Revise the current LKA system requirements immediately (as a transition to the new MOC program) by:
• Removing the time limits to answer each LKA question so physicians can research the answers as they would do in their practice.
• Allowing physicians to consult a colleague when answering questions, as they would do in their practice.
• Reducing the number of LKA questions physicians receive every three months to no more than 15.
3. Eliminate redundancy between the MOC requirement to have a current license (which requires CME in almost all U.S. jurisdictions) and the requirement to report CME to ABIM.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss our concerns and requested course of action as we jointly strive for a program that enhances one's practice, is transparent, and fosters lifelong learning.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brodsky, MD
September 27, 2023
Richard Baron, MD, MACP
President and Chief Executive Officer American Board of Internal Medicine
510 Walnut Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19106
Dear Dr. Baron,
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) leadership has been hearing a groundswell of concerns from ASH members in recent weeks about the entire American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process.
For many years, ASH has worked collaboratively with ABIM to make significant changes to the MOC program in response to valid criticisms raised by our members. ASH continues to support the importance of lifelong learning for hematologists via a program that is evidence-based, relevant to one’s practice, and transparent; however, these three basic requirements are not met by the current ABIM MOC program.
Moreover, it is now clear that the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) alternative to the 10-year exam does not reflect real life practice, nor does it target each individual’s scope of practice. Our members report that the LKA is creating high levels of stress and contributing to burnout.
After careful consideration of the concerns raised by our members, ASH strongly urges ABIM to take the following immediate actions:
1. Establish a new MOC program that does not involve high-stakes assessments (i.e., 10-year exam and the new LKA) but rather is self-driven by each physician and involves mandatory self-reporting of educational activities (similar to the systems in Canada and Australia/New Zealand).
2. Revise the current LKA system requirements immediately (as a transition to the new MOC program) by:
• Removing the time limits to answer each LKA question so physicians can research the answers as they would do in their practice.
• Allowing physicians to consult a colleague when answering questions, as they would do in their practice.
• Reducing the number of LKA questions physicians receive every three months to no more than 15.
3. Eliminate redundancy between the MOC requirement to have a current license (which requires CME in almost all U.S. jurisdictions) and the requirement to report CME to ABIM.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss our concerns and requested course of action as we jointly strive for a program that enhances one's practice, is transparent, and fosters lifelong learning.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brodsky, MD
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