title: Maintenance of Certification: the role of the American Board of Pediatrics in improving children's health care.
abstract: This article describes the evolution of board certification for pediatricians and the current ongoing assessment process called Maintenance of Certification (MOC). To be called a board-certified pediatrician under the MOC framework requires a level of training, competence, and knowledge that can only be achieved by completing a rigorous, defined, closely monitored training program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and then demonstrating a level of knowledge comparable to established standards by passing the initial certifying examination. Once this landmark baseline threshold is reached, the emphasis shifts to demonstrating lifelong professional development and the ability to deliver quality care and to continually improving that care through MOC.
authors: The American Board of Pediatrics, 111 Silver Cedar Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA. pvm@abpeds.org
authors: Paul V
authors: PV
authors: Miles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002568:Certification; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003142:Communication; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States