Concerned about MOC? Consider Internal Medicine Recertification through the ABPS

If you are a physician who has achieved board certification through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), but you are concerned about the new Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements, there is another option. The Board of Certification in Internal Medicine (BCIM), a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS®), provides a platform for qualified physicians who are board certified through another body to earn their recertification without the ongoing challenges and financial burden presented by the MOC requirements.

Qualified physicians who earned board certification through the ABIM might be eligible for recertification through the BCIM if they meet the eligibility requirements. Like all ABPS Member Boards, the BCIM is a rigorous, but fair, test of a physician’s knowledge and experience. Unlike the accumulated “points” requirements associated with MOC, recertification through the BCIM is required every eight years. This eliminates many of the chief complaints about the MOC requirements, including the “points” system and what many physicians consider a duplication of existing continuing medical education (CME) programs.

The ABPS will accept qualified Diplomates who are part of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (AOABOS). To be clear, physicians who are currently board certified in internal medicine and would like to become recertified through the BCIM must meet the eligibility requirements, including:

• Documentation of an average of 50 hours of CME per year for the years since last certified or re-certified.
• Completion of an average of 50 self-assessment CME exam questions per year.
• Completion of 7.5 CME credits of medical ethics, as approved by the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.
• Completion of 16 hours of AAPS-sponsored CME (may be waived before the first re-certification)
• An active and unrestricted medical license(s)

To learn more about becoming recertified through the BCIM, or for information about recertification through other ABPS Member Boards, contact the ABPS. The ABPS is the official multi-specialty certifying board of the AAPS.