Beginning in 2018 nephrologists certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) will have the option of taking a Knowledge Check-In every two years in place of the traditional 10-year Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exam. The ABIM Knowledge Check-In may be taken at your home or office, as well as at a test center. Three hours will be allocated for the exam, unlike the full day required for the traditional exam. It will remain a breadth of discipline exam. Physicians will be able to access UpToDate® — an online, evidence-based clinical decision support resource — directly through the exam platform during the 2018 Knowledge Check-Ins for Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Most physicians will receive immediate performance results with more detailed feedback about performance to follow.
The Knowledge Check-In is designed to be lower stakes and more flexible than the 10-year exam:
If a nephrologist is successful on the ABIM Knowledge Check-In in 2018, it will count as a pass. However, if a nephrologist is not successful and his or her exam was due in 2018 or 2019, he or she will have another opportunity to take it again in 2020 without a change in certification status.
This doesn't mean nephrologist can skip the assessment. If a nephrologist skips it, and his or her certification expires in 2018, the status will change to Not Certified.
In addition to meeting other certification requirements, nephrologists with certifications expiring in 2018 will need to take the Knowledge Check-In or pass the traditional MOC exam or they will no longer be certified.
Florida Women in Nephrology Chair
FSN President
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