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a group of young anesthesiologists and I were standing
in a hall chatting when one brought out a yellow
piece of paper he had received from the American
Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and said, “Anyone
have a clue what this is?” One replied, “I
got it in the mail and threw it out.” Another
replied, “Yeah, I think it’s something
that ABA is thinking about implementing.”
And another said, “I don’t think it
applies to us yet.” Although prior articles
in the NEWSLETTER have addressed the issue
of the ABA Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology
(MOCA) program, the message has not seemed to percolate
to the masses. The Committee on Young Physicians
decided to do something about that, and the end
product is this article. So if you are not quite
sure what MOCA is all about, read on. And by the
way, all of the responses above were completely
wrong, and I was the guy with the yellow paper …
at least I did not throw it out!
What is MOCA?
MOCA is the sole means of recertification
for board-certified anesthesiologists certified
since 2000 and will be the only means of recertification
for all anesthesiologists after 2009. It is a 10-year
process by which anesthesiologists demonstrate lifelong
learning (via continuing medical education [CME]
and other activities) and are assessed via an ABA-administered
written examination.
Why should I care?
Very simple. If you hold a time-limited certificate
(again, that is everyone certifying in or after
2000), you will lose your certification 10 years
later unless you complete MOCA. There is no other
method for recertifying. None. Zippo. This is it.
When do I have to start paying attention?
If you were certified before 2000:
You do not have to recertify, but if you
want to, you have two choices. You can recertify
via MOCA, or you can use the “old” ABA
voluntary recertification program. This program,
however, will cease to exist in 2009, making MOCA
your only choice thereafter if you wish to recertify.
If you were certified between 2000 and 2003:
You had to apply for the MOCA by the end of 2004
to avoid a lapse in certification. If you missed
the end-of-2004 deadline, you will not
be able to meet all MOCA requirements prior to the
expiration of your certificate. In other words,
you will not be certified for a period of time.
Do not shoot the messenger; instead, apply for MOCA
in 2005 so you can complete the program within one
year of your certification’s expiration!
If you were certified in 2004 or later:
You must apply for MOCA before the end of the first
year following certification to be able to complete
the 10-year program before your certification expires.
For example if you were certified in 2004, you must
apply by December 31, 2005. If you do not, you will
be unable to meet all requirements for recertification
before your certificate expires.
How do I sign up?
ABA makes it simple. Point your Web browser to <www.TheABA.org>
and click on the “MOCA” link. From there
create an online account, complete your application
and you are all set. The online instructions are
extremely easy to follow, and you can log on whenever
you would like to update your information.
What does it involve?
There are four requirements for completing the MOCA,
all of which are spread out through the 10-year
certification period:
• Professional standing: You must have
a valid unrestricted state medical license, and
no medical license issued to you can be revoked,
suspended or surrendered in lieu of revocation
or suspension.
• Practice performance: You will need references
to attest to your clinical activity, practice
performance and quality improvement activities.
• Lifelong learning-self assessment (LL-SA):
You will need to complete CME activities during
the MOCA cycle. The number of hours/credits you
must report varies depending on when you were
certified, but for those certified during or after
2004, the requirement is 350 CME credits of which
at least 250 are category 1 credits and no more
than 100 are for other CME activities (such as
medical student lectures, membership on professional
committees, etc).
• A cognitive examination no sooner than
year seven of the MOCA process (i.e., three years
before your certification expires).
Will it cost me anything?
There is a $200 application fee that is paid when
you first enter the system, and there is a $500
examination fee that will be payable once during
the 10-year process (assuming you pass, of course).
Does it hurt?
A little. As long as you apply as soon as possible
and keep track of your CME and other learning activities,
you should be fine. Update your MOCA profile once
every six months or so, and it should be smooth
sailing. Otherwise you will be in for a big shocker
when you are told you are no longer certified!
A copy of my personal assessment schedule and LL-SA
activities are shown below, by way of example.
(Click image to enlarge).
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Roy A. Soto, M.D., is Assistant Professor of
Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University, Stony
Brook, New York. |
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