Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is a process of physician certification maintenance through one of the 24 approved medical specialty boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

The Medical Society of Virginia continues to develop solutions to reform Maintenance of Certification (MOC). MOC has led the physician community to have concerns about punitive results, direct and indirect costs, and how these high-stakes exams may limit patient care.

Physicians remain the best authority when it comes to credentialing that impacts their profession.


MSV’s Position on MOC

MSV recognizes that MOC plays an important role in lifelong learning and the professional responsibility of continuing education. MSV believes MOC should be voluntary and not mandated. MSV policy further states that MOC should not be a mandated requirement for licensure, credentialing, recredentialing, privileging, reimbursement, network participation, employment, or insurance panel participation and that fees should be fair and transparent.

MSV believes that Board Certification should not be the sole criterion used for hospital privileging and certifying exams need to indicate real-life knowledge that assures competence without barriers of a complex process and exorbitant fees.

MSV’s AMA delegation introduced a resolution to the AMA to advocate for MOC financial transparency, a fair fee structure, and to support efforts to reduce MOC fees including a reduction in fees for those who complete requirements through alternative but approved pathways.

MSV has also made MOC reform a priority through the following strategies:

  • Led the creation of a coalition of state medical societies to reshape the MOC process targeting the usefulness of the high-stakes exam, direct and indirect costs, and punitive results.
  • Develop and continues to offer innovative programs, such as Critical Thinking for Quality Improvement in Clinical Care, for physicians to complete Part IV MOC on their own terms.  These have been developed by Virginia physicians and are approved for all specialties, putting physicians back in control of their MOC process.
  • Engage the Virginia Delegation to the American Medical Association on MOC reform.

MOC Resources

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