Requirements for MOC Parts I-IV

Part I: Professional Standing

  1. All diplomates of the ABP must maintain a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in at least one jurisdiction of the United States, its territories, or Canada. If a diplomate holds more than one license, all must be full and unrestricted. Evidence of licensure must be provided to the ABP at the end of the 4th and 8th years of the MOC cycle.

    Each candidate for initial certification and each diplomate must provide the ABP with complete information concerning any and all restrictions placed on his/her license within sixty days after its imposition. This information must include, but shall not be limited to, the identity of the medical board imposing the restriction as well as the restriction's duration, basis, specific terms, and conditions.



    2. A diplomate who has been diagnosed as chemically dependent, has been treated for drug or other substance abuse, and/or has entered a rehabilitation or diversionary program for chemical dependency authorized by the applicable medical licensing authority will be required to provide additional information to the ABP. The diplomate must show that he/she has successfully completed the authorized rehabilitation or diversionary program, is successfully enrolled in such a program, or is successfully enrolled in or has completed a private treatment program. In the latter case, the responsible program administrators and physician must attest, to the satisfaction of the ABP, that the diplomate has been free of chemical dependency for a period of time sufficient to establish that the individual is not currently engaged in the use of illegal drugs or other substance abuse and/or that the use of illegal drugs or other substance abuse is not an ongoing problem. This documentation must accompany the evidence of licensure submitted at the 4th and 8th years of the MOC cycle.

  2. At the end of the 4th and 8th years of the MOC cycle, diplomates must provide the ABP with documentation of medical staff membership and scope of health care organization privileges. If the diplomate's practice is such that this information is not applicable, then the diplomate must submit a description of his/her practice.


Part II: Life-Long Learning and Self-Assessment

  1. Each diplomate must obtain an average of 35 Category 1 CME credits per year for each two-year period in the MOC cycle. Ten of these credits must be obtained from completion of self-assessment modules (SAMs). Eighty percent of the CME requirement must be directly related to the diplomate's practice. The remainder may be in areas of general relevance to pathology, such as administration or ethics. Participation in a fellowship during one full year of any two-year period will cover all Part II and Part IV requirements for that period. If the fellowship is not accredited by the ACGME, the Designated Institutional Official must submit a letter to the ABP indicating that the fellowship is reviewed by the GME committee and meets institutional standards.

    The ABP is working with organizations that provide CME in pathology to assist them in developing SAMs for diplomates. SAMs must be approved by the ACCME for Category 1 CME credit. Each program must include a self-administered examination and the diplomate must meet a minimum performance level.

    Each diplomate is responsible for maintaining an electronic record of his/her Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment activities with the ABP. This record must be updated at least every two years. These requirements must be met before a candidate will be allowed to sit for the cognitive examination.


    2. The ABP plans to add links to available SAMs to this site in early 2008.

  2. In order to assist organizations developing CME and self-assessment activities as well as to help diplomates through the MOC process, the ABP will periodically publish content specifications that it considers to represent (1) advancements important to a broad conceptual understanding of principles of pathobiology; and/or (2) critical elements related to the accurate diagnosis of disorders important to patient health. These topics will provide the basis for Parts II and III of the MOC process.

Part III: Cognitive Expertise

  1. The MOC examination is mandatory, will be given at least once each year, and must be taken no later than ten years after initial (or most recent) certification. The examination may be taken as soon as eight years after the most recent certification, giving a candidate a potential period of qualification of three years.



  2. The ABP recognizes the breadth of pathology practice and will provide modular examinations that are as relevant as possible to individual practice settings. The ABP hopes to develop these modules such that a diplomate will be able to complete all examinations in both primary (AP and/or CP) and one subspecialty area of certification in one day. Additional time may be required if a diplomate is maintaining certification in more than one subspecialty.

  3. The exact nature of the modules to be provided is under development. However, each testing module will contain questions related to:

    • Fundamental knowledge


    • Current and clinically valid practice-related knowledge, e.g. questions will include information new to the field since the diplomate's last certification or MOC examination and will evaluate the outcome of the diplomate's Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment experience.


    • Practice environment: includes such areas as federal and state regulations relevant to anatomic and/or clinical pathology, CLIA standards, AABB standards for transfusion medicine, principles of laboratory management, coding and billing, quality assurance, laboratory accreditation and safety, professionalism, and ethics.



  4. The examination will be a closed-book assessment based on knowledge that a competent practitioner would be expected to possess without access to reference material. The ABP recognizes that utilization of appropriate reference material during the diagnostic process is basic to the practice of pathology. Accordingly, appropriate reference material (such as staging systems, etc.) will be embedded in the examination.


  5. Initially, the examination will be given in the ABP Examination Center in Tampa, Florida. If future technology permits assurance of examination security, the ABP anticipates administering its computer-based examinations in regional computer testing centers or possibly on the World Wide Web.


  6. The cognitive examination will be based on the same proven psychometric principles used in the primary certification examinations. The examinations will be criterion referenced.


  7. Aggregate results of the MOC examination in each general and subspecialty area will be published in the ABP newsletter on the ABP Web site.

Part IV: Evaluation of Performance in Practice

  1. All diplomates will be required to provide peer attestations as to interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, ethics, and effectiveness in systems-based practice. At the end of the 4th and 8th years of each certification period, each diplomate will be asked to supply the ABP with the names and contact information for four references who can attest to his/her ability and effectiveness in practice. These references must include: (1) an ABP-certified pathologist who is familiar with the diplomate’s practice, (2) the credentials committee or equivalent of the primary health care facility where the diplomate practices, (3) a board-certified physician in another specialty, and (4) a technologist or pathologist’s assistant who works with the diplomate in his/her practice and is familiar with his/her professional activities. If any of these reference requirements are not applicable to the diplomate's practice or position, other references may be substituted on a case-by-case basis. The ABP will provide for electronic submission of references directly by the individuals requested to provide them.



  2. The ABP encourages voluntary accreditation of all laboratories and regards such accreditation as a very important part of system-based practice. Each pathologist participating in MOC will be asked to document the accreditation status of his/her laboratory at the end of the 4th and 8th years of the MOC cycle. The accrediting agency must be appropriate for the diplomate’s scope of practice, such as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, College of American Pathologists, American Association of Blood Banks, and the National Association of Medical Examiners.

  3. Each laboratory with which a pathologist is associated must participate in inter-laboratory performance improvement and quality assurance programs appropriate for the spectrum of anatomic and clinical laboratory procedures performed in that laboratory. Programs recognized and approved to meet this requirement include those sponsored by a cooperating society of the ABP. Documentation of the laboratory’s or practice’s participation in such programs must be supplied to the ABP via electronic transmission every two years.


  4. Each individual pathologist must participate in at least one laboratory performance improvement and quality assurance activity or program per year appropriate for his/her principal professional activities. These could include surgical and cytopathology inter-laboratory programs sponsored by a cooperating society of the ABP (or otherwise approved by the ABP) as well as departmental quality assurance and government-mandated compliance activities. Documentation of the pathologist’s participation in these programs must be submitted to the ABP via electronic transmission every two years.

    Practice performance may also be assessed by documentation of use of appropriate protocols, outcome measures, and practice guidelines as developed by recognized authorities in the appropriate area and sponsored or approved by the ABP or one of its cooperating societies. Protocols, methods of outcome evaluation, and guidelines may be made available to the MOC candidate through a variety of mechanisms including Web sites, CDs, journals, and presentations at professional meetings.



    5. An application form is available on the ABP web site for approval of laboratory or individual performance improvement and quality assurance activities that are not part of a previously approved program. This form and supporting documentation should be submitted to the ABP office for approval by the MOC Committee before the activity is submitted by the diplomate as part of his/her Part IV activities.

  5. The ABP reserves the right to audit a pathologist’s participation in quality improvement activities.

    6. This page was last modified on May 22, 2008.