In the May issue of The Carlat Report, right under the article I wrote, is an article about Maintenance of Certification, by Dr. James Amos. It's informative and well written, but as importantly, it links to his blog, The Practical Psychosomaticist, which has some wonderful posts and resources.
He has a particular interest in getting rid of the MOC requirements, very much in line with my own feelings about MOC (See Alphabet Soup). He thinks the exam and PIP are unnecessary wastes of time and money, but that lifelong learning should be encouraged in other ways.
I want to make people aware of some links and resources, for those who think MOC requirements are, well, extortion that may soon be linked to maintenance of licensure:
1. The Change Board Recertification site. The link will take you, not to the homepage, but to the page with a list of Boards' tax returns. The ABPN reported $ 46.7 million in total assets and $ 27.6 million in gross receipts in 2009. Links to form 990s are included.
2. Dr. Amos' petition: Dr. Amos' resolution to uphold lifelong learning in the continuous improvement of patient care and to oppose MOL was approved by the Iowa Medical Society House of Delegates in April.
3. The lawsuit: The Association of American Physicians & Surgeons (AAPS) filed suit April 23, 2013 in federal court against the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) for restraining trade and causing a reduction in access by patients to their physicians. The ABMS has entered into agreements with 24 other corporations to impose enormous “recertification” burdens on physicians, which are not justified by any significant improvements in patient care.
