Preparing for ABIM Board Recerti铿乧ation
April 14, 2023
Choices, choices, choices—how should I recertify? Being quadruple board certi铿乪d by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in internal medicine (IM), pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine (CCM), and sleep medicine felt great at the end of fellowship training. Ten years later, I am now faced with the responsibility of maintaining all four board certi铿乧ations and the reality that I will essentially have to complete a board recerti铿乧ation exam each consecutive year for the next 4 years; and, this will likely recur in another 10 years in perpetuity until I choose to retire.
Fortunately, the timing of my IM and pulmonary medicine recerti铿乧ation coincided with the introduction of the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) option. The LKA is a timed, open-book exam which one takes on a quarterly basis to ensure maintenance of certi铿乧ation (MOC) of the IM board. As a pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) sleep physician, 铿乶ding the time for keeping up with general IM and current practices can be more challenging, and, so, I found the LKA is a great way to balance updates in my IM knowledge and 铿乼s well into my busy schedule.
Similarly, I am once again faced with the choice of how best to recertify for the pulmonary boards this year. I had to acknowledge that much has changed in the principle and practice of pulmonary medicine since completion of the fellowship, and studying for the 10-year recerti铿乧ation exam would not be an easy process. In addition, if I am honest, I found the 铿乺st pulmonary board exam to be the hardest out of the four board exams. As such, I had to make the choice between the LKA option or attempting the 10-year recert exam.
The choice, however, was an easy one. This is because I love pulmonary medicine, I enjoyed studying for my pulmonary boards 10 years ago, and the resources available from 糖心原创 to support physicians recertifying are excellent. Available 糖心原创 resources include 糖心原创 SEEK™ study tools, the recordings from previous board review sessions, and the in-person board review courses. It is fortunate that the 糖心原创 Pulmonary Medicine Board Review course is being held locally here in Miami this year. This presents a great opportunity for me to attend the review course with our own PCCM fellows as we prepare for certi铿乧ation/recerti铿乧ation.
For me, the recerti铿乧ation process is not simply about passing an exam, as it also invariably will ensure the updating and consolidation of one’s clinical knowledge post fellowship training. It is that con铿乨ence in one’s clinical knowledge and ongoing addition to that knowledge base that makes the recerti铿乧ation process so relevant. I have not yet decided what option I will choose for CCM and sleep medicine recerti铿乧ation in the next 2 years, respectively; but no matter my choice, I know I will be a better-informed physician for another 10 years.
Dionne M. Morgan, MBBS, FCCP
Dionne M. Morgan, MBBS, FCCP, is a board-certified physician specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Dr. Morgan earned her medical degree from the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, and completed her specialty training in internal medicine and pulmonary/critical care medicine at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY, followed by a sleep medicine fellowship at National Jewish Health/University of Colorado in Denver, Colorado. She currently serves as a clinical assistant professor of medicine, core teaching faculty, and staff intensivist at HCA Florida Aventura in Miami, FL.