MOC 3 Steps

3 s t e p s t o M O C
R e c e r t i f i c a t i o n s u c c e s s
R E C E R T I F I C A T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Maintenance of Certification (recertification) promotes lifelong learning
and the enhancement of the clinical judgment and skills essential for high
quality patient care. Internists and subspecialists certified in or after 1990
renew their certificates through ABIM's Maintenance of Certification
program. Those certified prior to that date are strongly urged to recertify
since the program helps improve the quality of care delivered to patients
S T E P 1 : E N RO L L O N L I N E A N D PAY D U E S *
H O S P I T A L M E D I C I N E P R A C T I C E
$2,055 for physicians not enrolled in MOC
$2,220 for physicians not enrolled in MOC who
already hold a subspecialty certification
$380 for physicians already enrolled in MOC
$775 additional exam fee for enrolled physicians
who have already taken an MOC exam
VISIT WWW.ABIM.ORG
A l l o t h e r s p e c i a l t i e s
$1,675 for physicians who only hold certification
in Internal Medicine
$1,840 for physicians who have held or currently
hold a subspecialty certification
$775 for each additional exam
$500 for international test center fee
VISIT WWW.ABIM.ORG TO ENROLL
* You must possess a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine to enroll
S T E P 2 : ta k e a n d pa s s t h e m o c e x a m
You must take and pass an exam for each certificate you hold
You can view available dates and guidelines by specialty on the ABIM website.
You must be enrolled in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) at least two weeks prior to the
seat scheduling deadline to schedule a seat for the exam.
The exam format is different depending on the specialty; please see the ABIM website for
details.
S T E P 3 : e a r n 1 0 0 s e l f - e va lu at i o n p o i n t s
You must earn a minimum of 20 points in each of the 2 sections (1) Medical Knowledge and (2)
Practice Performance; how you divide your remaining 60 points is up to you. Self-evaluation modules
are web-based and can be completed individually or in groups. You may also earn CME credit
for completed these modules.
S e c t i o n 1 : M E D I C A L K N O W L E D G E
Modules & Products: Open-book modules testing clinical and practical knowledge in a
particular field. All currently available ABIM medical knowledge modules are listed on the
ABIM website, arranged by specialty, and is updated regularly.
Learning Lessons: ABIM collaborates with a select group of medical societies, hospitals,
health systems and medical groups to offer diplomats an opportunity to participate in
Maintenance of Certification Learning Sessions for credit toward the Self-Evaluation of
Medical Knowledge requirement of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. To
participate and earn credit:
Register with the hosting organization.
Order a copy of the module, then submit answers to ABIM for scoring, CME* and
MOC credit.

3 s t e p s t o M O C
R e c e r t i f i c a t i o n s u c c e s s
S T E P 3 : S e l f - E va lu at i o n c o n t i n u e d
S e c t i o n 2 : P R A C T I C E P E R F O R M A N C E
ABIM PIMs Practice Improvement Modules® are Web-based tools that guide physicians through a
review of patient data and support the implementation of and/or reporting on a quality-improvement
(QI) plan for their practice. **Important: Completion of the PIM will take two to six months**
PIM modules are available for outpatient physicians, in-patient physicians, and physicians who supervise
medical students, residents, and/or fellows. If a physician’s work is purely research based, works
for pharmaceutical companies, or any other physician who has no responsibility for patients there
the Essentials of Quality Improvement (EQI) module offers clinically inactive physicians a way to
complete a quality improvement activity through the assessment of their knowledge of current quality
improvement principles.
4 TYPES OF PIM PROJECTS:
1.Self-Directed PIM: Use if you are beginning a new QI project
2.Completed Project PIM: Use if you are reporting on QI activities that have already taken place
3.Completing PIMs with Colleagues: Physicians may complete PIMs with
their colleagues or trainees rather than individually, thereby sharing the task of data collection and
benefitting from increased learning through collaboration
A combination of internists and subspecialists and/or ABFM-certified family physicians can complete a
PIM together as long as they care for a group of patients together at one location, i.e. office, hospital, ICU
or clinic. (One ABIM-certified physician orders the PIM on behalf of the group.)
Each ABIM-certified physician will earn the full number of Maintenance of Certification points and CME
credits available for the selected PIM. (Physicians certified by ABFM will earn credit toward MC-FP. CME
credit is not available to family physicians.)
In order to receive MOC and CME credit, participants must be enrolled in ABIM's MOC program at the
time the PIM is ordered.
4. Approved Quality Improvement (AQI) Pathway: Offers diplomats the opportunity to earn
20 MOC points for participating in externally developed quality improvement activities that have
met ABIM’s standards for measuring patient care. To receive MOC points, you must:
Have participated in the QI activity within the past 24 months.
Be enrolled in MOC.
Complete an AQI Project Report.
Be verified by the sponsoring organization.
RESOURCES:
ABIM website — www.ABIM.org
PIM tutorial — https://moc.abim.org/
content/ABIM-MOC/tutorial/index.html
T i p s f o r T i m i n g
ABIM strongly recommends spreading the selfevaluation
and exam components over the duration of
your certification.
Give yourself ample time to complete the program by
enrolling no later than the fourth year after certification.
You must be enrolled in the program to schedule an
exam.
You may schedule your exam appointment and take the
exam any time beginning in years six of your
certification.
Remember, completion of the PIM will take two to six
months. A minimum of 20 MOC points must come
from PIM so plan accordingly