Continuing Certification (CC, formerly called Maintenance of Certification, or MOC) is a staple of all medical specialties. However, it continues to cause controversy and elicit emotions among many psychiatrists. Most professionals agree with the underlying rationale that once we finish our formal training, we should demonstrate that we are continuing to practice life-long learning. The devil is, however, in the details – for CC to be useful, the process should be relevant and meaningful to a psychiatrist’s practice. The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) is finishing a pilot program of an alternative approach to the Part 3 (10-year exam) portion of CC using a journal article-based assessment option.

Format

Recorded session, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity.

This presentation was recorded on May 23, 2022.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the pilot process and update participants on the results of the pilot.  
• Discuss our ongoing plans, including how this alternative approach to CC will be implemented for all diplomates as well as incorporate subspecialty training into the process. 
• Review recent updates to CC intended to make the process more accessible and educational for participants. 

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, other mental health professionals

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 1 hour 
Program Release Date: October 24, 2022
Program End Date: October 24, 2023

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity - including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others - are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity. 

Program Planner: 

The following Planners have no relevant financial relationships to disclose: 

• Iqbal "Ike" Ahmed, M.D.; Josepha Cheong, M.D.; Jacqueline Feldman, M.D.; Vikas Gupta, M.D.; Philip Muskin, M.D.; Edmond Pi, M.D.; Art Walaszek, M.D.; Eric Williams, M.D.; and Ronald Winchel, M.D.

Faculty: 

The following Faculty have financial relationships to disclose: 

• Christopher R. Thomas, MD, ABPN Board of Directors, receives an honorarium 
• Bob Boland, MD, ABPN Board of Directors, receives an honorarium 
• Catherine Crone, MD has no relevant financial relationships to disclose 

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance