All rheumatologists certified in 1990 or later are expected to recertify every 10 years and, to do so, are required to enroll in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program. Requirements for successful completion of the MOC program include a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine, 100 points of self-evaluation in medical knowledge, and practice performance, as well as a passing the secure exam in your discipline.
The ACR has made a commitment to help all rheumatologists understand the ABIM MOC process by providing staff who are knowledgeable about the MOC program and an education subcommittee dedicated to the development of educational tools for MOC. The tools developed by the ACR are the only rheumatologist-led recertification resources and offer both MOC points and CME credit.
Self Assessment with CARE
The Continuing Assessment, Review and Evaluation Program (CARE) is an online self-assessment tool designed to test the rheumatology knowledge base of physicians. CARE currently has three modules available, each with unique questions. CARE modules are case-based questions and include images and over 100 educational links from a variety of sources—including Arthritis & Rheumatism, UpToDate, and the New England Journal of Medicine—and can be used to earn the required MOC points in medical knowledge.
Register Online
Registration for the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium is now open. For complete program information and to register, visit www.rheumatology.org/education.
Practice Performance with AIM
For the mandatory points needed in practice performance, the ACR offers you the opportunity to assess, improve, and measure with AIM. An online practice improvement module, AIM analyzes your practice patterns and identifies practice strengths and areas for improvement to allow you to develop and implement an initiative to strengthen your practice. AIM is available in two disease topics—rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gout—and both will provide MOC points in practice performance.
Below is an example of how an ACR member can earn points of self-evaluation through ACR MOC tools.
- CARE 2007: 20 points in medical knowledge;
- CARE 2008: 20 points in medical knowledge;
- CARE 2009: 30 points in medical knowledge; and
- AIM RA or AIM Gout: 20 points in practice performance.
2010 Rheumatology MOC Course
Another useful tool is the 2010 Rheumatology Maintenance of Certification Course to be held March 19–21 in Baltimore. This interactive review course uses CARE 2009 to provide an in-depth review of the diagnosis, management, and treatment of rheumatic diseases for rheumatologists who are preparing for the ABIM Maintenance of Certification Rheumatology Exam. If you are unable to attend this year’s course, it will be available for purchase in April on the ACR Web site.
For more information on how the ACR can help you navigate MOC or to register for any of the MOC tools, visit the ACR Web site at www.rheumatology.org.
