The American Board of Anesthesiology
Important Notices
Anesthesiologists and Capital Punishment
Professional Standing
The ABA has incorporated the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics, Opinion E-2.06 (June 2000) in its Professional Standing Policy.
ABA certification includes more than passing examinations; it also includes maintaining high professional and ethical standards. Specifically, it is the ABA’s Professional Standing Policy that diplomates should use their clinical skills and judgment for promoting an individual's health and welfare. To do otherwise would undermine a basic ethical foundation of medicine which is – first do no harm.
If diplomates of the ABA participate in an execution by lethal injection, they may be subject to disciplinary action, including revocation of their ABA diplomate status.
Click here for additional information on Anesthesiologists and Capital Punishment.
ABA’s Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties (MOCA-SUBS) Program
The ABA is transitioning from the current subspecialty recertification programs to Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties (MOCA-SUBS) beginning on January 1, 2010. The last subspecialty recertification examinations will be administered in 2016, and the first MOCA-SUBS examinations will be administered in 2017.
The MOCA-SUBS program is the only option for ABA Diplomates certified or recertified in a subspecialty after January 1, 2010, and these Diplomates will be automatically enrolled in MOCA-SUBS. Diplomates awarded certification or recertification on or before January 1, 2010 may apply for subspecialty recertification as early as 7 years from their certification date and up to the application deadline of March 31, 2016.
Please click here for more information.
Information Regarding Status Designations
The ABA has expanded its diplomate status designations to include three new designations:
The ABA defines new diplomate designations, as follows:
Certified Diplomates must submit an attestation form with a request to change their certification designation.
To be designated as Not Clinically Active, they must
attest that they do not meet
the ABA definition of clinical activity.To be designated as "Retired-Certified" or "Retired," they must
attest that they do
not meet the ABA definition of clinical activity and do not plan to return to the practice of anesthesiology at any time in the future.
The Certified - Not Clinically Active Diplomate must submit to the ABA a request to remove the Not Clinically Active status designation when he/she has resumed clinical practice.
Click here to download a
Request form to Remove Not Clinically Active Status designation. The ABA Credentials Committee will be asked to review the
request and make a determination about whether it will reinstate the Diplomate's status as CLINICALLY ACTIVE. The Committee
will also determine the effective date of the Diplomate's status change and the Part IV requirements that must be fulfilled
in order to maintain his/her certification.
Retired-Certified and Retired Diplomates must apply to the ABA to re-attain the designation
Certified.
Click here to download
the application form for re-attaining ABA certification post retirement. The ABA considers applications for re-attaining ABA
certification on an individualized, case-by-case basis (see Section 5.07 of the ABA Booklet of Information)
The ABA routinely reports through its web site or by mail, whether a physician is a Candidate in the ABA examination system or an ABA Diplomate. The ABA Diplomate and Candidate Directory will display these new status designations to the public and others interested in obtaining information about Board Certified anesthesiologists.
Diplomate status is limited to the period of time the physician's certification or application for certification is valid.
Alternate Path for Entry into ABA Examinations for Primary Certification
The ABA has approved a 7-year pilot program that would allow international medical graduates, certified by the national anesthesiology organization in the country where they trained in the specialty and practicing anesthesiology in the United States, to qualify for entrance into the ABA examination system for initial certification in the specialty at most once via an alternate entry path. The objective of the pilot program is to encourage outstanding foreign trained and certified anesthesiologists, who come to the United States, to become productive members of U.S. academic anesthesiology programs.
ABA Information Sessions 2010
ABA Directors will conduct special information programs on Board Certification and Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) in conjunction with the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the 64th Post Graduate Assembly in Anesthesiology of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA). There will be brief presentations followed by discussion and questions about both ABA processes. For information regarding the dates and locations of these sessions, please click on the link below. Please note these dates are subject to change with or without notice.
Additionally, the ABA will be exhibiting at the 2010 ASA Annual Meeting and the 64th Post Graduate Assembly in Anesthesiology of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA). Stop by the ABA Booth to get details about Primary and Subspecialty Certification as well as Maintenance of Certification. ABA staff can also guide you through the ABA website and your online personal portal account.
These sites (ASA and NYSSA annual meetings) were chosen to provide access to as many interested individuals as possible. No fee will be charged for any of the ABA Information Sessions, no pre-registration is required, and attendance will be limited only by safe occupancy designated by the hotel. Please note, however, you will have to register with the other organizations if you plan to attend its general meeting.
The Board hopes you will be able to attend one of these sessions if you have questions or are seeking information about the examination process for initial certification, the Part 2 examination format or content, or the MOCA program. For those who cannot attend, a copy of the presentation may be reviewed by clicking on the link below.