American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) MOC is based on the
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education six core competencies for
quality patient care: medical knowledge, patient care and procedural skills,
interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice-based
learning and improvement, and systems-based practice.
The 24 ABMS specialty boards adopted four MOC components to serve as a
framework for physicians to demonstrate their ongoing professional development
and compliance with these competencies.
Part I - Licensure and professional standing
Must hold a valid, unrestricted medical license in at least one state or
jurisdiction in the United States, its territories, or Canada
Part II - Lifelong learning and self-assessment
Participate in educational and self-assessment programs that meet
specialty-specific standards that are set by their member boards
Part III - Cognitive expertise
Demonstrate practice-related and practice environment–related
knowledge to provide quality care (re-certification exam)
Part IV - Assessment of practice performance
Demonstrate use of best evidence and practices compared to peers and
national benchmarks
Specific requirements, options for meeting them and timeframes vary per specialty
board.
