Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is the American Board of Medical Specialties' (ABMS) board certification process for assessment of continuing competencies of physicians and encompasses recertification. All Member Boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties must provide MOC programs for their diplomates.
For American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) diplomates with ten-year, time-limited certificates (those initially certified in 1998 or later) completion of the MOC program is required to maintain a valid certificate.
ABPM Requirements
MOC Components
Part 1: Professional Standing
Physicians can enroll with ACPM's seven-step Part 4 Assessment program to help satisfy this MOC requirement. Once enrolled, you can download the official forms and begin the assessment process.
Learn more about this program and the available tools!
Part 4 Assessment
Hold an active, valid and unrestricted medical license in all States, US territories, or Canadian Provinces in which you are licensed to practice medicine.
Part 2: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (LLSA)
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Part 2A – Earn a minimum of 100 ABPM-approved LLSA credits over the 10-year span of certification. View the list of approved LLSA activities within ACPM.
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Part 2B – Earn an additional 150 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits. If you have completed MOC Part 2 for another ABMS member board within the timeframe of your current ABMS certificate, you may be able to apply up to 150 CME credits towards ABPM MOC Part 2B requirements. More information about the Alternate Credit Request is available from ABPM.
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Complete a patient safety course in the first two years of each certification cycle. Additional information is available from ABPM. ACPM offers a recorded patient safety course for purchase. Click here to login with your ACPM.org account information to view the course and purchase. Please note: diplomates who have been certified by ABPM through the Residency Pathway do not need to complete an additional patient safety course during their first ten-year certification cycle if they completed residency training in 2012 and later.
Part 3: Assessment of Cognitive Expertise
ACPM offers several CME opportunities for physicians certified in preventive medicine.
CME Opportunities
Take the cognitive exam in the last three years of your certification cycle. You may re-take the test if necessary to pass it prior to the expiration of your certificate. Please contact ABPM for questions about the exam at (312) 939-2276.
Part 4: See ABPM Suspension of MOC Part IV
For MOC IV updated procedure, please see recent communication from the American Board of Preventive Medicine, ABPM at the link below.
https://www.theabpm.org/2022/12/20/the-american-board-of-preventive-medicine-abpm-to-launch-the-first-phase-of-the-continuing-certification-program-ccp-in-january-2023/