Maintenance of Certification
Important Notice Regarding Your ABPN Certification
As of October 1, 1994, all individuals achieving certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (ABPN) are issued 10-year, time-limited certificates. Certificates issued in the subspecialties of geriatric psychiatry, clinical neurophysiology, addiction psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry, including those issued prior to October 1, 1994, are 10-year, time-limited certificates. All ABPN time-limited certificates, regardless of their exact dates of issuance, are considered to expire 10 years later on December 31.
Maintenance of Certification and You
Maintenance of certification (MOC) will have some impact on all US and Canadian neurologists because of the ever-changing landscape of health care. But it will have more immediate impact on neurologists certified by the ABPN after October 1994, who are obligated every ten years to meet or exceed the MOC requirements in order to maintain their ABPN-certified neurologist status. Each ten-year MOC cycle culminates with the MOC cognitive examination.
The Four Components of MOC are:
- Evidence of Professional Standing
- Evidence of Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Periodic Self-Assessment
- Evidence of Cognitive Expertise (the Recertification Examination)
- Evaluation of Performance in Practice
How Will MOC Affect Neurologists?
MOC will continue to have importance for neurologists throughout their career. The AAN has provided some guides to help clarify the purpose and components of MOC and how they affect you, see Additional Resources at right.