FAQ

Initial Board Certification is acquired through the completion of Part I and Part II application and examination processes. MOC is the process of life-long learning during each 10-year certification period and includes the earning and submitting of continuing medical education (CME) and self-assessment examination (SAE) credits, maintaining state medical licensure, undergoing periodic knowledge assessment, and participating in practice improvement.

Lifetime Certificates will always be honored. Holders of these can still volunteer to participate in the MOC process but are not required to participate to maintain their Board Certification status.

Diplomates must meet all four parts of the ABOS MOC Program. A lapse in Board Certification or a loss of Board Certification results in a Diplomate being subject to the requirement of taking and passing an Oral Examination to regain Board Certification.

When you apply for Recertification, you must submit a Case List that contains a minimum of 35 consecutive surgical cases over a 12-month period. There are orthopaedic surgeons who may not perform 35 surgical cases over a one-year time period. The ABOS allows these surgeons to apply for Recertification through a Non-Operative Pathway and these individuals are listed on the ABOS website as being “Certified through a Non-Operative Pathway.” For more information, talk to your Certification Specialist.

No. However, Diplomates can apply for Retired in Good Standing.

Category 1 CME that is topically related to the practice of orthopaedic surgery or an orthopaedic subspecialty is acceptable to meet the MOC requirements. For a list of examples of acceptable and unacceptable CME activities, click here. CME credits must be earned during the current 10-year MOC cycle. The ABOS does NOT accept CME that the AMA may have granted pertaining to ABOS Certification or Recertification as those credits are earned during a previous 10 year cycle.

The CME provider provides verification of participation to attendees after the completion of a CME activity.

All CME and SAE activities that have been claimed through the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Online Learning Portfolio are automatically transferred to the ABOS daily. You can also upload credits through your ABOS Dashboard. In both cases, you need to have a certificate for verification of completion of the activity. ABOS staff review each activity and approve all that are relevant to the field of orthopaedic surgery. In addition, providers who are part of ACCME PARS automatically transfer credits to the ABOS approved. You can ask the CME provider if they are participating.

If you notice that credits have not transferred from the AAOS Learning Portfolio, the first step is to confirm with the AAOS that credit for the activity has been recorded and that you have claimed those credits. The next step is to check with the ABOS to make sure that your AAOS membership number is correct in ABOS files.

Diplomates need a total of 240 CME credits, 40 of which are SAE credits or ABOS-approved practice improvement activities by the end of year 10 of their MOC cycle. Diplomates whose ABOS Board Certification expires in 2031 must earn 120 CME credits, 20 of which are SAE credits or ABOS-approved practice improvement activities in years 1-5 of the MOC Cycle. They must earn an additional 120 CMEs, 20 of which are SAEs, in years 6-10. Diplomates may not apply extra CMEs earned in years 1-5 in years 6-10.

Self-Assessment Examinations (SAE) and Practice Improvement are produced by organizations other than the ABOS, then approved for MOC credit by the ABOS. In order for a project to be approved for SAE, it must be orthopaedic related, similar to CME credits. There are several different ways to earn SAE credits including Scored and Recorded Examinations, Portfolio Program, Practice Improvement Modules (PIMs), Registries, and Physician Scorecards. More information can be found here.

FAQs about the ABOS Web-Based Longitudinal Assessment (ABOS WLA) Pathway can be found here.

Diplomates can participate in the ABOS WLA as early as year 1. Diplomates may take an ABOS Computer-Based Recertification Examination in years 5-10  of the 10-year MOC cycle. Oral Examinations can be taken in years 8, 9, or 10 once a Professional Standing Update and Case List have been approved.

All Professional Standing Updates are online at their ABOS Dashboard. The Case List is separate from the Professional Standing Update and must be completed prior to finalizing a Professional Standing Update. Upon receipt of the Professional Standing Update, the ABOS will begin a formal credentialing process. Following the successful completion of the credentialing process, the applicant will be notified by email of next steps.

Please view the calendar.

Examinees will be at a Pearson Vue Test Centers for 3 1/2 hours which includes test taking, break, and tutorial time. There are 150 total items. To view a breakdown of the examination, click here.

Four sessions of 30 minutes each with five-minute breaks in between the sessions make up the Examination. There is also a required Briefing prior to the Examination.

The Examination Blueprints can be helpful when preparing for the Examination. You should also review the examination tutorial prior to the day of the examination.

There are several videos that discuss preparing for an ABOS examination located on the ABOS website, including one that depicts a mock oral examination.

A current updated email address with ABOS is required. The Diplomate will click on “I forgot username” and/or “I forgot password” and the system will email information to the email address within the Diplomate’s profile. Login information is not communicated by phone for security purposes.

For immediate assistance call 919-822-8028 or email techsupport@abos.org.