By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    migraine home remedies and-devices
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Image
    Boomer Voice
    June 12, 2013
    The Anatomy of Health Insurance [Infographic]
    April 19, 2012
    Patient Commando Features Canadian Women Changing Healthcare
    August 23, 2013
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Physicians Oppose Increased Certification Requirements
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Education > Physicians Oppose Increased Certification Requirements
Medical Education

Physicians Oppose Increased Certification Requirements

Thomas Pane
Thomas Pane
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

In the past, obtaining board certification in a medical specialty was straightforward.  One completed a residency, studied, took and passed a test, and was deemed “board certified”.  Later, certificates required a re-test after ten years.  Now, the process of Maintenance of Certification (MOC) has taken hold of essentially all medical specialties.

In the past, obtaining board certification in a medical specialty was straightforward.  One completed a residency, studied, took and passed a test, and was deemed “board certified”.  Later, certificates required a re-test after ten years.  Now, the process of Maintenance of Certification (MOC) has taken hold of essentially all medical specialties.

MOC  involves meeting certain requirements every few years, culminating in a re-examination at the end of each ten-year cycle.

Keeping up with MOC involves paying fees and completing various tasks purported to keep the physician up-to-date with the latest developments in their field.  The specific tasks vary by specialty.  How this improves existing continuous medical education (CME) programs is not known.  It is known that the MOC process involves substantial time and money.  Meeting the requirements often diverts doctors from clinical practice.  There is minimal evidence that increasing certification requirements improves patient outcomes, affects malpractice statistics, or otherwise impacts any healthcare metric, other than money spent in the MOC effort.

More Read

How Do I Become A Clinical Documentation Specialist?
How to Educate and Empower Patients: Thoughts From an Expert
The Struggle for Consumer Attention: Brand-Name Drugs vs. Generics
Your daughter painted on the dining room wall….
Smooth Transition: Reducing Senior Readmissions to Hospitals

Maintaining competence and knowledge in medicine is important, but MOC does not represent progress in medical education.  Organization against the MOC requirements has begun forming, notably with the website changeboardrecert.com.  Rather than advocating for an elimination of the program, the organization seeks removal of the more onerous MOC criteria, while preserving some of the continuing education elements.

From the site:

“We are all for staying current with medical changes, but the onerous MOC program is no way to achieve this. It’s a money-making juggernaut with scant data to support any benefit for improving patient care and safety or for making one a better physician. And it lacks reasonable financial transparency.”

It is fascinating that the MOC requirements for physicians are increasing, at a time when health reform stands poised to turn much of the American primary care system over to non-physicians.

It remains to be seen if opposition efforts will alter MOC programs, but the resistance highlights the pitfalls that occur when sweeping programs are implemented without evidence that they have any benefit.

Related articles
  • ABIM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) internal medicine exam tips (kevinmd.com)

TAGGED:maintenance of certificationmedical education
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

USMLE
Infographics

Avoiding Common Pitfalls In USMLE Step 2 CK Preparation

November 13, 2024

Ohio University Receives Record Gift of $105 Million To Train More Primary Care Doctors

May 3, 2011
Image
Medical EducationPublic Health

Person-Centered HealthCare: How Decision Aids Help Patients

September 28, 2012

A New Call-to-Action: Strong Is the New Skinny!

January 23, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?