[This article first appeared in the November/December issue of San Francisco Medicine, the magazine of the San Francisco Medical Society. That issue was dedicated to the theme of ‘Thriving in Medicine.’ For other blog posts on the topic of MOC, see here.]
Up until recently, obtaining and maintaining a specialty board certificate seemed essential for a physician intent on having a thriving medical career. Doctors and the public alike widely viewed board certification as a proof of proficiency that distinguished those with advanced training and expertise.
To maintain board-certified status, certificate holders were quite willing to be subjected to a decennial examination, and some doctors even looked forward to preparing for the test and to an opportunity to systematically review their field of expertise.
In a few short years, however, any positive sentiment regarding maintenance of certification (MOC) exercises seems to have all but evaporated.Continue reading “Maintenance of board certification”