Continuing Medical Education
All diplomates participating in
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) must obtain an average of 30 Category 1 CME credits per year from an Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
(ACCME)
approved organization as of the date of certification and throughout the 10 year MOC cycle. Three CME credits must be in ethics; at least 80 percent of the Category I CME credits must be relevant to the practice of ophthalmology; and the remainder of the CME credit hours can be in general medicine.
The ABO offers different submission options based on when you submit CME information and how you submit the CME information. Review the submission options detailed below to determine the best submission option for you.
Options for When You Submit CME (Option 1 and 2)
Option 1: If you submit CME prior to or at the time you register for the DOCK examination, you can reduce the total number of CME required.
To complete this option, you must submit a total of 30 credits multiplied by the year you are registering for the DOCK, including three CME in ethics. For example, if you register for the DOCK in your eighth year of certification: 8 X 30 = 240. If you submit 240 CME prior to the April 1 DOCK registration deadline (including three ethics CME), you will have met the CME requirements and you will owe no additional CME towards MOC. Submissions will be reviewed after the April 1 DOCK registration deadline and the CME balance for those who meet this option will be adjusted to reflect 0 CME owed. Any submission received after the DOCK registration date, will be subject to the rules of option 2.
Option 2: Submit a total of 300 CME prior to the expiration of your current certificate.
If you do not have the required number of CME to meet option 1 at the time of DOCK registration, you must submit a total of 300 CME by the December 31 expiration date of your current certificate (including three ethics CME).
Options for How You Submit CME (Option A and B)
Option A: Log your CME directly into CME tracking tool on your MOC status page.
The CME tracking tool requires you to list your CME in chronological order as of the date of Board certification. To log a course into the tracking system, the following information is required: name, sponsor, location, dates and credits earned of the CME courses completed. The CME tracking tool will automatically calculate and store your information. Submission will be reviewed after the April 1 DOCK registration deadline and the CME balance for those who meet Option 1 above will be adjusted to reflect 0 CME owed. Any submission received after the DOCK registration date, will be subject to the rules of Option 2 above.
Option B: Submit a Computer-Generated Paper List of Your CME to the Board Office
You can submit a paper computer-generated listing as long as it is in chronological order and contains the: name, sponsor, location, dates and credits earned of the CME courses completed. The Board will only count CME obtained after Board certification. The Board will not accept hand-written lists.
Ethics CME Requirement
All diplomates participating in MOC must obtain three CME credits in ethics. Ethics courses can be found through various institutions; such as bioethics departments of many universities, community hospitals and medical centers. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) also has an active ethics program which offers courses at its annual meeting and has on-line ethics courses.
The Board’s ethics requirement is designed to encourage ophthalmologists to recognize and resolve the ethical dilemmas that arise which directly impact patient care. The Board does not accept risk management or medico legal courses as ethics courses. While there are no specific guidelines regarding courses that will satisfy the ethics requirement, the course should contain the word ethics in the title or be designated as ethics by the sponsoring organization. Please note, even if an ACCME-sponsored organization designates a specific course as ethics, the Board reserves the right to accept or reject any course submitted as ethics based on course content.
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