5 MOC Resolutions I’m Following at the 2018 AMA House of Delegates
The 2018 AMA House of Delegates kicks off this weekend. Despite being 100% open to the public, and free for any physician to attend regardless of their AMA membership status, very few regular...
View ArticleConnecting Physician Burnout, Poor Patient Outcomes, and Healthcare Costs
There has been a nauseating amount of discussion about physician burnout lately. An equal number of remedies, from mindfulness to exercise, to inpatient psychiatric treatment for doctors experiencing...
View ArticlePracticing Physicians Question Nonprofit Monopoly
Choosing Wisely The Choosing Wisely campaign is a program of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, the 501c3 foundation arm of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and has a campaign...
View ArticleMy MOC Failure
Today one of my favorite families came for a visit. The kids were behind on their check-ups, but this wasn’t too surprising. Their young mom was recently diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and was working...
View ArticleLearning from MOC Reform Failures in Tennessee, Florida, & Oklahoma
It’s been a rough few weeks for physicians in this year’s first state battles against forced Maintenance of Certification. The good news is that 13 states now have pending legislation to limit the...
View ArticleCertification Culture
Clear evidence of our bureaucracy run amok is found in the rapidly growing area of certification. Years ago people would get hired for a job, perhaps, but not necessarily after specific training in a...
View ArticleAlaska Docs Join MOC Opposition
What a year. Today, I received a copy of the Alaska State Medical Association newsletter in my mailbox, and it caps off an incredible year for physicians in our battle against MOC. What started as a...
View ArticleAmerican Board of Pediatrics Directly Markets to Parents
Well, it’s official. The American Board of Pediatrics has officially jumped the shark. Faced with the reality of thousands of pediatricians refusing to buy the American Board of Pediatrics MOC...
View ArticleMOC is a Taxi Medallion
Taxis are highly regulated in most U.S. cities. There are a large number of reasons for this, most of which are suspect. You could argue that regulated taxi fares prevent ‘gouging’ of customers...
View ArticleNew AMA Policy Opposes MOC Exams
Shhh. I think this is supposed to be a secret, but this Wednesday at the super-elite AMA House of Delegates meeting in Chicago, where only the mostly highly connected and AMA devoted doctors get to...
View ArticleWhat Happens When You Stop Doing MOC?
The American Board of Medical Specialties says “board certification is a voluntary process, and one that is very different from medical licensure.” This is echoed by my board, the American Board of...
View ArticleOklahoma Bans Forced MOC, Becomes the First “Right to Care” State
On Tuesday, April 12, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed SB 1148 into law and freed every Oklahoma physician from the ABMS MOC. I get chills thinking about how awesome this is and what an...
View ArticleHigh Noon
I recently watched the classic Western movie High Noon (1952). Despite my love for movies and an extensive collection, this was the first time that I had seen this particular film. It is amazing, and...
View ArticleTime for MOC action
Physicians everywhere: You are good people, but you are doing evil by your complacency. I am writing this to every physician who is frustrated with the certification system we have in place and that is...
View ArticleYou Say You Want a Revolution?
Wow. For those who think MOC isn’t a big deal, my Open Letter to the American Board of Pediatrics just hit 70,000 views. That’s stunning. For those commending my bravery, realize efforts like this...
View ArticleOpen Letter to the American Board of Pediatrics
Dear American Board of Pediatrics: On December 17 2015, at 3:01 in the middle of my busy day seeing patients, I voluntarily gave up my American Board of Pediatrics certification. I thought I should...
View ArticleBCBS of Michigan Supports ABMS Monopoly, Rejects NBPAS
Well, it’s official. After months of speculation about insurer acceptance of anything other than ABMS certification, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is on record refusing certification through the...
View ArticleABIM’s Latest Letter – Translated
Click here for original letter. Dear Plebians, There have been many things written and said about the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program...
View ArticleABP Celebrates Some MOC Non-Compliant Docs, Punishes Others
My inbox has been flooded lately with emails from fellow pediatricians begging for help fighting the American Board of Pediatrics MOC program. These are doctors with decades in the care of children,...
View ArticleWhy MACRA Might Make SGR Look Good
Just recently, our beloved Congress repealed the dreaded Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), with huge...
View Article