title: The ABMS MOC Part III Examination: Value, Concerns, and Alternative Formats.
abstract: This article describes the presentations and discussions at a conference co-convened by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association (AMA) and by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The conference focused on the ABMS Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part III Examination. This article, reflecting the conference agenda, covers the value of and evidence supporting the examination, as well as concerns about the cost of the examination, and-given the current format-its relevance. In addition, the article outlines alternative formats for the examination that four ABMS member boards are currently developing or implementing. Lastly, the article presents contrasting views on the approach to professional self-regulation. One view operationalizes MOC as a high-stakes, pass-fail process while the other perspective holds MOC as an organized approach to support continuing professional development and improvement. The authors hope to begin a conversation among the AMA, the ABMS, and other professional stakeholders about how knowledge assessment in MOC might align with the MOC program's educational and quality improvement elements and best meet the future needs of both the public and the physician community.
authors.affiliation: R.E. Hawkins is vice president, Medical Education Outcomes, American Medical Association, Chicago, Illinois. M.B. Irons is senior vice president, Academic Affairs, American Board of Medical Specialties, Chicago, Illinois. C.M. Welcher is senior policy analyst, Medical Education Outcomes, American Medical Association, Chicago, Illinois. M.V. Pouwels is director, Medical Education Collaborations, American Medical Association, Chicago, Illinois. E.S. Holmboe is senior vice president, Milestone Development and Evaluation, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Chicago, Illinois. E.J. Reisdorff is executive director, American Board of Emergency Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan. J.M. Cohen is director, Education, Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai Continuum; Headache Fellowship program director, Headache Institute and Adolescent Headache Center, Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital; and assistant professor of neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York. S. Dentzer is senior policy adviser, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Washington, DC. D.G. Nichols is president and chief executive officer, American Board of Pediatrics, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. C.A. Lien is professor and vice chair for academic affairs, Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, New York. T.D. Horn is executive director, American Board of Dermatology, Newton, Massachusetts. R.B. Noone is executive director, American Board of Plastic Surgery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. R.S. Lipner is senior vice president, Evaluation, Research and Development, American Board of Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. K.W. Eva is associate director and senior scientist, Centre for Health Education Scholarship, and professor and director of education research and scholarship, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. J.J. Norcini is president and chief executive officer, Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. L.M. Nora is president and chief executive officer, American Board of Medical Specialties, Chicago, Illinois. J.P. Gold is chancellor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Mira Bjelotomich
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Irons
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Welcher
authors.forename: Mellie Villahermosa
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Pouwels
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Holmboe
authors.forename: Earl J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Reisdorff
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dentzer
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: R Barrett
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Noone
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lipner
authors.forename: Kevin W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Eva
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Norcini
authors.forename: Lois Margaret
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nora
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000574:American Medical Association; D002568:Certification / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D058996:Quality Improvement; D013044:Specialty Boards / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States