Who Participates?
- Diplomates with time-limited and continuing certification certificates
- Program directors, training directors and primary laboratory directors of ABMGG-accredited lab training programs, including those with non time-limited certificates
- Members of the ABMGG Board of Directors, including those with non time-limited certificates
- ABMGG volunteers (e.g., committee members, item writers), including those with non time-limited certificates
NOTE: Diplomates with non time-limited certificates, while not required, are strongly encouraged to participate in Continuing Certification.
Getting Started
Diplomates are automatically enrolled in the Continuing Certification Program at the time they become certified.
Upon entering the portal for the first time, all diplomates must:
- Accept the terms and agreements
- Check that all contact and personal information is accurate
- Upload an updated CV
- Agree to the professionalism guidelines
A Four-Part Process
The ABMGG Continuing Certification Program is comprised of activities designed to support the standards for Continuing Certification set forth by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Activities are performed continuously within 3-year cycles and are grouped into four parts:
- Professionalism and Professional Standing
- Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment
- Assessment of Knowledge, Judgement, and Skills
- Improvement in Medical Practice
How the Program Works:
- Each of the four components above have activity requirements created to demonstrate competency and help keep you up-to-date in your specialty(ies).
- The Continuing Certification Program operates on a 3-year cycle in which each of the core requirements (Professionalism, Lifelong Learning, and Improvement in Medical Practice), must be completed.
- Assessment of Knowledge, Judgement, and Skills consists of longitudinal assessment through the CertLink™ Program. Questions must be answered every 6 months for a 4-year period before final scores are calculated.
- Diplomates who have outstanding requirements at the end of the 3-year cycle enter a grace period of 1 year, after which the diplomate will receive a status of “Not Meeting Requirements”. In order to remain certified, the diplomate must catch up on all outstanding requirements in addition to current activities. If a diplomate is still not caught up, by the end of 5 years, certification is lost.
- The Continuing Certification annual fee must be submitted by December 31st of each year. Currently the fee is $500.
- Documentation of activity completion must be submitted to ABMGG’s portal for credit.
Diplomate Responsibility
Active, continuous and ongoing participating in the Continuing Certification Program is the responsibility of the diplomate and is required to maintain certification for time-limited and continuing certification certificate holders. Per the requirements outlined on this website, each diplomate’s Continuing Certification progress may be audited to determine if they are maintaining their Continuing Certification status of “Meeting Requirements” and to ultimately remain certified. The status is reflected in the diplomate portal. Maintaining appropriate participation is the diplomate’s responsibility.