Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties
Effective January 1, 2010, the ABA transitioned from the subspecialty recertification
programs to Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties (MOCA-SUBS).
The last subspecialty recertification examinations will be administered in 2016, and the
first MOCA-SUBS examinations will be administered in 2017. Diplomates certified or recertified
in a subspecialty after January 1, 2010 will be automatically enrolled in MOCA-SUBS.
ABA diplomates may choose to maintain only their subspecialty certification; however, the
ABA strongly encourages diplomates to also maintain their primary certification. The ABA
does not recommend maintaining only a subspecialty certificate and wants diplomates to
consider any imponderable repercussions before choosing to let their primary certification expire.
Diplomates who choose to maintain both the primary certification and subspecialty certification
will benefit from overlapping program requirements as long as all of the activities are completed
during each of the 10-year MOCA cycles.
Requirements for Maintaining Specialty and Subspecialty Certification:
Click to expand any of the headings below for more information.
Part 1: Professional Standing
ABA diplomates must hold an active, unrestricted license to practice medicine in at least one jurisdiction
of the United States or Canada. Furthermore, all US and Canadian medical licenses that a diplomate holds must be unrestricted.
To fulfill this requirement, diplomates should annually review and update their medical license information via
their portal account. Click here for instructions.
Part 2: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment
ABA diplomates continually seek to improve the quality of their clinical practice and patient care through
self-directed professional development. This is done through an assessment of current knowledge and participation in continuing
medical education (CME) activities and other learning opportunities.
Your requirement is 350 credits of CME activities. Of the 350 credit total:
- At least 250 credits must be Category 1 CME activities (ACCME/AMA PRA-approved).
- No more than 70 credits per calendar year will be credited toward the requirement.
- At least 90 credits of ASA’s ACE and/or SEE programs.
- At least 20 credits of Patient Safety CME available through the ASA and ABMS.
- Some of the credits for SEE, ACE and Patient Safety must be related to each subspecialty certification being maintained.
These SEE, ACE and Patient Safety credits can be used to maintain anesthesiology certification as well as one or
more subspecialty certifications as long as there is CME related to each subspecialty certification being maintained.
To fulfill this requirement, diplomates should submit CME activities to the ABA via their portal account.
Self-reported CME activities are subject to audit and verification by the ABA within three years of submission. CME activities
reported to the ABA by qualified CME providers, such as the ASA, are not subject to audit.
Part 3: Cognitive Examination
Diplomates must demonstrate their cognitive expertise once every ten years by passing an ABA examination.
The examination may be completed only in years 7 through 10 of the MOCA cycle. If the examination is not passed before the end of
the 10-year MOCA-SUBS cycle, the diplomate’s certification will expire.
Part 4: Practice Performance Assessment and Improvement
Diplomates must complete two activities during their 10-year MOCA cycle to demonstrate that they are participating
in evaluations of their clinical practice and are engaging in practice improvement activities.
Subspecialty-Related Case Evaluation: A four-step process where you assess your practice and implement changes
that improve patient outcomes.
Diplomates maintaining both primary and subspecialty certification must complete one subspecialty-related Case Evaluation
to fulfill the requirements for both the specialty and the subspecialty certifications.
Diplomates maintaining multiple subspecialty certifications must complete an additional subspecialty-related Case
Evaluation for each subspecialty certification being maintained.
Simulation: A hands-on opportunity to learn and perform valuable crisis management techniques in a simulation
setting at an ASA-endorsed center.
Diplomates maintaining both primary and subspecialty certification must complete one Simulation Education Course
in either anesthesiology, the subspecialty, or some blended combination of both.
Diplomates maintaining only subspecialty certification must complete one Simulation Education Course in the subspecialty.
To fulfill this requirement, diplomates should submit both activities to the ABA via their portal account.
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