The American Board of Anesthesiology

Oral Examination Hotel Information

The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix is holding a block of rooms to accommodate candidates. Candidates may make hotel reservations by phone or Internet. Reservations must be made directly with The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix as soon as possible.

For overflow purposes, a block of rooms is reserved at The Embassy Suites Phoenix - Biltmore, located across the street from the Ritz-Carlton.

Phone:

• Call the Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix for reservations at 1-800-542-8680. Indicate that you are with The American Board of Anesthesiology.

Internet:

• Click on 2008 Fall Part 2 (Oral) Examination Hotel Reservations – Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix. You will need to enter the group code ANEANEA

General room/credit card information:

• The rate for a single or double room is $219.00, plus applicable taxes. This rate will be available only until August 22, 2008 pending availability of rooms. Accepted credit cards are American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Diners Club. You must cancel your reservation at least 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid room charges.

Overflow Hotel:

• Embassy Suites Phoenix – Biltmore, 2630 East Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016, (602) 955-3992. Single or double room rate: $219 plus applicable taxes. (Rate is available until August 23, 2008.) To reserve by phone, call Embassy Suites reservations at 1-800-362-2779 and indicate that you are with the ABA. To reserve via the Internet, click on 2008 Fall Part 2 (Oral) Examination Hotel Reservations – Embassy Suites Phoenix - Biltmore.

Information Regarding Status Designations

The ABA has expanded its diplomate status designations to include three new designations:

• "Certified-Not Clinically Active"
  
• "Retired-Certified"
• "Retired"

The ABA defines new diplomate designations, as follows:

• A Certified - Not Clinically Active Diplomate holds a valid ABA certificate and does not plan to perform, teach or supervise anesthesia in the operating room or other anesthetizing areas an average of one day per week during 12 consecutive months.
• A Retired - Certified Diplomate holds a valid ABA certificate, no longer is actively performing, teaching or supervising the practice of anesthesiology, and no longer has a professional responsibility to the specialty of anesthesiology.
• A Retired Diplomate no longer holds a valid ABA certificate, no longer is actively performing, teaching or supervising the practice of anesthesiology, and no longer has a professional responsibility to the specialty of anesthesiology.

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 this link 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 this link 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.

Anesthesiology Recertification Program

The voluntary program for Anesthesiology Recertification will end in 2009. If your ABA certificate is not time limited and you think you have a need to recertify, you must apply for admission to the Anesthesiology Recertification examination by December 31, 2008. No applications will be accepted after this date.

The Anesthesiology Recertification examination will be administered for the last time during two separate testing windows in 2009: January 3 – 17 and August 1 – 15. Diplomates who want to have two opportunities to take the Anesthesiology Recertification Examination in 2009 must submit a completed application to the ABA by June 30, 2008.

Diplomates submitting an application between July 1 and December 31, 2008 will have only the August 2009 opportunity to satisfy the recertification examination requirement. After December 31, 2008, Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) will be the only recertification option for diplomates certified before 2000.

See Section 4.01 of the ABA Booklet of Information to read additional information regarding the requirements for admission to the Anesthesiology Recertification program.

The ABA will not alter the status of diplomates that hold a non-time limited certification if they do not recertify, and voluntary participation in the Anesthesiology Recertification program will not jeopardize the diplomates’ certification status.

ASA Patient Safety Modules Now Available

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has launched the ASA Patient Safety Module CME Web site. Completion of 20 Category 1 CME credits of the online Patient Safety modules fulfills one of the three Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) Part IV: Practice Performance Assessment and Improvement (PPAI) requirements.

The modules can be purchased at http://psmcme.asahq.org. Upon completion of the Patient Safety modules, MOCA candidates can also report the 20 Category 1 CME credits as Part II: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (LL-SA) activities. See Section 4.03 of the ABA Booklet of Information to read additional information regarding all of the MOCA Program requirements.

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.

Alt Entry Path Entry into ABA Primary Exam System

ABA Information Sessions 2008

On March 30, 2008, in conjunction with the 82nd Clinical and Scientific Congress of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), on October 18, 2008, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and on December 13, 2008, in conjunction with the 62nd Post Graduate Assembly in Anesthesiology of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA), ABA Directors will conduct a special information program on Board Certification and Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA). There will be brief presentations followed by discussion and questions about both ABA processes.

ABA Information Sessions - 2008

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