Dear Members,

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has announced the launch of their new alternative Maintenance of Certification (MOC) assessment option—The ABIM Knowledge Check-In. The Check-Ins are an alternative to the 10-year MOC exam and will be available for Internal Medicine in 2018.

The new option aims to provide more physicians with more choice, relevance, and convenience in maintaining their certification. Of critical note, the updates below will take place within the program:

• Registration for all 2018 Knowledge Check-Ins, as well as spring and fall 2018 traditional MOC exams, will open in early 2018.
• The two-year Knowledge Check-Ins will be available for Internal Medicine on 4-6 dates in 2018. Knowledge Check-Ins will expand to other specialties in 2019 and 2020. The Knowledge Check-Ins will be offered every other year from the year they are first offered within a specialty.
• Internal Medicine Knowledge Check-Ins will be offered in 2018. There will be no Internal Medicine Knowledge Check-Ins in 2019, so those interested in that option should register for a date in 2018.
• Physicians can begin to access an open-book feature, UpToDate®—an online, evidence-based clinical decision supporting resource—beginning in 2018 during Internal Medicine Knowledge Check-Ins and Internal Medicine traditional MOC exams. Access to this resource will continue to expand through 2018 and 2019.

SCAI has long advocated for changes to the existing MOC program, and hope that this alternative will improve the quality of the program. SCAI will be sure to share updates with our members on the Knowledge Check-Ins as they become available in the coming months. More information, including frequently asked questions and other resources, can be found at www.abim.org/checkin.

As always, please contact me anytime with your thoughts and concerns at [email protected].

Sincerely, 

Kirk N. Garratt, MD, MSc, FSCAI
SCAI President, 2017-18