Whether you're a resident studying for the boards or a fully-fledged internist maintaining your license, you're going to need a valid ABIM certificate to practice medicine legally—but you already know that.
What you may not know is how to achieve and maintain your ABIM certification. We've gathered all the information about how to get your ABIM certificate and keep it.
Taking the ABIM Certification Exam
Achieving your ABIM certificate, in the words of Richard J. Baron, MD, ABIM President and CEO, is a capstone moment in your career. Because of this, it can feel incredibly daunting. That's why we created learning tools tailored to the ABIM exam blueprint, so you get the most up-to-date, clear, and board-focused information available. Remember: We make learning (and reviewing!) medicine easier.
Internal Medicine Study Strong Essentials in print and digital
With the Internal Medicine Study Strong Essentials, you'll study exactly what you need to know for your certification exam—no more, no less. This powerhouse package boosts your study with the combination of IM Core, Flashcards, and Q&As (get the All-Access package for both digital and print formats of the Core and Flashcards plus $600 in savings). The digital versions of these study tools are interlinked, so you can toggle back and forth across study formats showing content concerning the same topic area, to make sure it sticks in your head. In a single click, you can go from Core to Flashcards, Flashcards to Core; Q&As to Core, or Core to Q&As.
Need a study plan? That's where Personal Trainer comes in. This super-smart, personalized learning tool makes the perfect interactive, adjustable study schedule for your board exam. This study schedule plans exactly what you need to study and when so you can focus on the content you need to learn to ace your cert exam. You'll get weekly study plans so you can prepare for each topic on the ABIM exam blueprint. Personal Trainer is included for free (a $300/year value!) with the Internal Medicine Study Strong Essentials.
Remember: Before you register for the ABIM certification exam, you need to have a few things done first. The ABIM certification requirements are below.
- Graduate from an LCME-accredited medical school
- Meet the graduate medical education training requirements (graduate from an ACGME-accredited residency program)
- Demonstrate clinical competence (FasTrack®)
- Meet licensure and procedural requirements
Maintaining Your ABIM Certificate with MOC
Your relationship with the ABIM does not end at certification! Once you get certified, you will need to pass Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exams and earn CME credits and MOC points to maintain your certificate. The good news is, we've got the tools for that too!
MOC Exam Options
In early 2022, IM docs started utilizing the ABIM's new longitudinal assessment for its MOC program—the self-paced Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA). That being said, you still have the option to take the traditional 10-year MOC exam if you'd like.
The ABIM Longitudinal Exam includes 120 questions offered per year for five years. Plus, it's flexible and open-book, meaning you can use any resources during the LKA that you would use when treating patients.
Need resources for the LKA? Our Digital Core comes in handy during exams! It's searchable and always up-to-date.
Digital Core is the perfect resource for the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment.
CME & MOC for Your ABIM Certificate
Now on to CME and MOC. You need to earn 100 MOC points every 5 years in order to remain certified by the ABIM. Plus, every two years, you must participate in an MOC activity, and the number of credits earned during this activity will count towards the required 100 total credits. Lastly, as mentioned above, you must also pass an MOC assessment.
ABIM general Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program requirements.
Most of our learning tools offer the chance to earn CME/MOC—even on a tight timeline! Here are some physician favorites:
- Video Board Review- Earn 39 CME credits/MOC points and study at your own pace with internists' favorite on-demand video board review.
- Board-Style Q&As- Earn 100 CME credits/MOC points and build your confidence using the most focused, board-style questions with detailed explanations.
- Core Audio Pearls- Earn 44 CME credits/MOC points on-the-go with the highest-yield content curated by our expert educators into streaming audio.
How To Claim CME Credits and MOC Points With MedStudy
With our learning tools, it's easy to claim your required CME credits and MOC points. Here's how to claim your credits and points from your myMedStudy account.
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