This Year's Learning Objectives for MOCA-Peds Questions
Key Points
1. The ABP releases a new content outline each year for their MOCA-Peds testing option.
2. The 2023 MOCA-Peds content outline for General Pediatrics contains 45 learning objectives and 4 featured readings.
3. The learning objectives selected are meant to reflect the breadth of knowledge required for practice.
4. Featured readings are pulled from peer-reviewed journal articles and guidelines. They are seen as important material for every certified pediatrician to read. Questions about each will begin appearing in Q2.
Each year the exam content outline is updated to cover new learning objectives and featured readings. Throughout the exam year, you'll receive one unique question for each of the learning objectives within the content outline. The learning objectives are meant to reflect the breadth of knowledge required for practice and fall under a variety of categories.
At MedStudy we focus on the General Pediatrics section of the exam, and every year develop a new QuickREF, the perfect sidekick for your open-book assessment. The 2023 QuickREF is available in print, digital and audio formats. Additionally, our board-style Q&As contain a filter with over 300 questions related to MOCA-Peds.
The 2023 learning objectives and featured readings have been released by the ABP, so you can start preparing now. Here's what you should brush up on before opening up your Quarter 1 questions.
What Will Covered In 2023's MOCA-Peds Questions?
MOCA-Peds questions are based on 45 learning objectives, which are drawn from the ABP content outline used for the 10-year proctored exam. As soon as Quarter 2 of your MOCA-Peds, you could start to see questions on peer-reviewed journal articles or guidelines, which the ABP calls featured readings.
The ABP recommends that participating pediatricians review the learning objectives and featured readings prior to starting MOCA-Peds each year. This gives you time to brush up on topics you don't see frequently in your practice and time to read over any new material. Keep in mind, the exam is both timed and open-book. Having a grasp of the material ahead of beginning your questions will allow you more time to check your answers in the five-minute window you get for each question.
What Are MOCA-Peds Questions Like?
For each question—whether it's related to a learning objective or featured reading—you'll see a clinical vignette followed by a multiple-choice question. After each question, you'll rate your level of confidence and question relevance. Each quarter MOCA-Peds participants received up to 20 questions. You will have 5 minutes to answer each one.
PRO TIP! Pay attention to the questions that you rated confidently but answered incorrectly. There is an increased likelihood of seeing those questions again in future quarters.
2023 MOCA-Peds Learning Objectives
Brush up on these MOCA-Peds learning objectives before you start your questions, and you'll be on your way to breezing through the assessment! We've included some videos from our YouTube channel that can kick-start your review. For a full review of each learning objective and featured reading, check out QuickRef for MOCA-Peds.
1. Diagnosis and evaluate dysphagia.
2. Evaluate a child with microscopic hematuria.
3. Evaluate a child with short stature.
4. Evaluate an infant with microcephaly.
5. Evaluate and manage a child with hypoglycemia.
6. Evaluate and manage a patient with conjunctivitis.
7. Evaluate and manage an infant exposed to HIV.
8. Evaluate and manage an infant with polydactyly.
9. Evaluate and manage an infant with prenatally diagnosed hydronephrosis.
10. Identify an adolescent athlete who is using performance-enhancing drugs.
11. Know the indications and imitations of allergy testing (including skin and in vitro tests).
12. Manage a child with acute asthma exacerbation.
13. Manage acne in an adolescent patient.
14. Manage an adolescent with self-injurious behavior.
15. Manage children who are behind on vaccines or have an unknown vaccination record.
16. Plan the appropriate use of controller therapy in a patient with asthma.
17. Plan the evaluation of a child with staring spells.
18. Plan the transition to an adult care provider for an adolescent/young adult with chronic illness.
19. Provide anticipatory guidance regarding safety and injury prevention for school-age children (ages 5 to 10 years).
20. Provide counseling regarding childhood-onset fluency disorder.
21. Recognize and apply ethical principles regarding parental refusal of immunizations or other treatments.
22. Recognize and manage common neonatal birth injuries.
23. Recognize and manage hypospadias in a neonate.
24. Recognize and plan initial management of status epilepticus.
25. Recognize common viral exanthems.
26. Recognize indications for sexually transmitted infection testing in prepubertal and peripubertal children.
27. Recognize the clinical features of rheumatic fever.
28. Recognize the clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children (including post-acute sequelae) and plan appropriate initial evaluation/management.
29. Recognize the clinical manifestations, etiology, and diagnosis of myocarditis.
30. Recognize the complications and implications of thrombophilic disorders.
31. Recognize the presentation of primary immunodeficiency disorders.
32. Screen for oral health risks and manage appropriately.
33. Understand and apply return-to-school criteria for common pediatric illnesses. Recognize the clinical presentation and evaluation for oral allergy syndrome.
34. Understand current recommendations for introducing solid foods (including highly allergenic foods) to infants.
35. Understand risk factors that influence generalizability of a research study.
36. Understand risk factors, screening, and prevention strategies for adolescent intimate partner violence.
37. Understand the clinical features, approach to evaluation, and differential diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
38. Understand the clinical features, management, and prognosis of febrile seizures.
39. Understand the clinical manifestations and differential diagnosis of central nervous system tumors in children.
40. Understand the common causes and management of hoarseness in children.
41. Understand the differential diagnosis and evaluation of chest pain in children and adolescents.
42. Understand the health risks of vaping or e-cigarette use.
43. Understand the initial evaluation and potential complications of blunt abdominal trauma.
44. Understand the prevention and management of complications of sickle cell disease
45. Understand use of emergency contraception in adolescent patients.
2023 MOCA-Peds Featured Readings
These are the 2023 MOCA-Peds featured readings for General Pediatrics.
1. The 2020 Focused Updates to the NIH Asthma Management Guidelines: Key Points for Pediatricians
2. Sudden Death in the Young: Information for the Primary Care Provider
3. Evaluation and Management of Well-Appearing Febrile Infants 8 to 60 Days Old
Ready to dive into the content? Our QuickRef for 2023 Learning Objectives is a great place to start! You'll see that the features in QuickRef help you be even more efficient during the exam—after all, you only have 5 minutes to answer each question!
Note: Learning objectives and featured readings listed are for the 2023 MOCA-Peds Learning Objectives for General Pediatrics, via the ABP website on 12/28/22.
Related Reading
1. Five Things You Need to Know About the MOCA-Peds Exam
