Blog | ABO Diplomate Digest

Mar 31, 2020
1 min

Share Your Patient Safety Story

The American Board of Ophthalmology is collecting stories for an ABO-led series in the Morning Rounds section of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeNet magazine. If you have a story you think would help illustrate the importance of patient safety protocols, the ABO is presently collecting anonymized cases. Each story of 1,500 words or fewer adheres to a template that includes the following elements: Case Summary Brief case description with key details, including: Expl

Nov 16, 2019
1 min

ACCME Debuts New 'Coffee with Graham' Podcast

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) recently announced a new monthly podcast series with ACCME President and CEO, Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, where he discusses topics that affect clinicians, educators, and healthcare thought leaders in CME today. Our first episode, available now, discusses including patients as partners in CME. Upcoming episodes chronicle physician burnout, combating overconfidence in the workplace, and the changing role of CME.

Sep 5, 2019
2 min

Journal Highlights its Participation in Quarterly Questions

Survey of Ophthalmology has updated its website to promote its participation in the article-based component of the American Board of Ophthalmology’s Quarterly Questions program. The journal’s contribution to this year’s Quarterly Questions’ activity, “Clinical Decision-Making Heuristics and Cognitive Biases for the Ophthalmologist,” may be accessed here as one of the ABO’s core article options. The full list of article offerings from Quarterly Questions’ inception in 2017 thr

Jul 31, 2019
1 min

Questions about MOC? Visit the ABO Learning Learning Lounge at AAO 2019

The American Board of Ophthalmology will once again host a Learning Lounge during the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Annual Meeting, open to any diplomate interested in learning more about maintaining certification. Led by CEO George B. Bartley, MD, and MOC Committee Chair Andreas K. Lauer, MD, along with staff and directors of the ABO, the session will walk attendees through the updates and improvements to the recertification process, including the elimination of the 10

Jul 3, 2019
1 min

Share Your Most Memorable Patient Safety Cases

In the July 2019 edition of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeNet magazine, American Board of Ophthalmology diplomate Tamara Fountain, MD, with co-author and ABO Emeritus Director Philip L. Custer, MD, explore the root cause of a surgical oversight (note: AAO login required). Edited by ABO Director Jane Bailey, MD, the article is part of an ABO-led series for the Morning Rounds section of the magazine. If you have a story you think would help illustrate the importanc

Nov 8, 2018
3 min

2019 American Board of Ophthalmology Maintenance of Certification Program Preview

If you attended the American Board of Ophthalmology’s Learning Lounge at AAO 2018 last month, you were among the first to hear about the improvements coming to the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program in 2019. In response to the feedback of the diplomate community in ophthalmology, and thanks to the hard work of your peer content writers and reviewers, the ABO looks forward to the January release of a 2019 recertification program that enhances the diplomate experience,

Nov 8, 2018
5 min

Get to Know the Quarterly Questions Program

The American Board of Ophthalmology’s new Quarterly Questions program brings the future of assessment in clinical knowledge to today’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Both a learning activity and an assessment tool, the Quarterly Questions program is available online, on-demand and may be completed at your own pace. The program invites you to answer questions in increments throughout the 10-year cycle in order to measure practice-related knowledge in a longitudina

Oct 24, 2018
2 min

How a Mid-Career Fellowship Changed One Ophthalmologist's Perspective

American Board of Ophthalmology Director Jane Bailey, MD, enjoyed a comfortable life in Nebraska with an active family and a busy private practice. But after 21 years, she longed for a new professional challenge: to experience the work she loved in a whole different way. So, in 2017, at the age of 51, she left her successful practice behind, packed her bags, and moved her family 250 miles to enroll in a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship training program at the University of Iowa

Oct 23, 2018
2 min

SACME Spotlight: Try This Virtual Patient Case for Orbital Fracture Following Eye Surgery

An 80-year-old man arrives at the ER complaining of blurred vision, just one week after routine cataract surgery. What happens next is up to you in this Virtual Patient Case co-created by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). This free online activity, approved for .25 AMA PRA Category 1™ credits, is designed to provide non-geriatrician specialists with guidance on best practices in the care of older adults. This specific

Oct 18, 2018
1 min

What Do You Need to Know From the Past Year's Literature? Find Out at AAO18

Please mark your calendars and join us for the co-sponsored AOS/ABO Symposium at AAO 2018 in Chicago. Advances in ophthalmic research and practice occur rapidly, making it difficult for busy ophthalmologists to keep abreast of important advances outside of their subspecialty. This symposium will highlight a compendium of key journal articles and discoveries published or presented during the previous year in a cross-section of subspecialties, with analysis and commentary by

Aug 23, 2018
2 min

Need SACME? Don’t Miss These Opportunities at AAO 2018

American Board of Ophthalmology diplomates certified or recertified after 2012 should complete 8 Self-Assessment CME (SACME) credits per year (and attest to their completion every other year) as part of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. If you’re still looking for ways to meet your SACME total before the end of the year and you’re attending the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s (AAO) 2018 Annual Meeting in October, you’ll have 21 options for increasing your SA

Aug 20, 2018
2 min

Patient Safety: Do You Have a Story to Tell?

American Board of Ophthalmology Emeritus Director Philip L. Custer, M.D., recently worked with colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to co-author a piece for July's EyeNet about a memorable patient safety encounter. Edited by ABO Director Jane Bailey, M.D., Dr. Custer’s article tells the story of a patient who underwent wrong fluorescein angiogram. Dr. Custer reviewed the series of events that led to the error and discussed the practice’s respons

Aug 7, 2018
1 min

AAO 2018: Earn CME, SACME and Attend ABO Sessions

ABO Learning Lounge: Learn About Quarterly Questions On Monday, Oct. 29 from 3:30 to 4:30 PM, the ABO will host a Quarterly Questions Learning Lounge at the 2018 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting in Chicago. Join us in Theater 1 to learn more about our newest assessment program and hear from some “early adopters.” Hosted by ABO MOC Chair Andreas K. Lauer, M.D., the discussion will also feature ABO Directors Jane Bailey, M.D., Harold E. Shaw, Jr., M.D., a

Jun 29, 2018
1 min

Study: Physicians Who Participate in MOC Are Less Likely to Face Disciplinary Action

Physicians who pass the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) examination given by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) within 10 years of becoming Board Certified are more than two times less likely to face state medical board disciplinary actions than those who do not pass the exam, according to a recent study published online by the Journal of General Internal Medicine. ABIM researchers studied MOC exam results and any reported disciplinary actions for nearly 48,000

Mar 16, 2018
1 min

Quarterly Questions Program Featured in ABMS Insights

Some specialty boards within the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) community have begun incorporating journal articles into their assessment programs for Maintenance of Certification. Selected for their relevance and timeliness, journal articles can help physicians apply new knowledge to their clinical practice. Reading journal articles and answering associated questions are important steps for participating in the American Board of Ophthalmology's new Quarterly Qu

Mar 1, 2018
1 min

Your Most Frequently Asked Questions About Quarterly Questions

Since the launch of the Quarterly Questions program, you've answered more than 100,000 questions! You've also asked the ABO some great questions of your own about the program, such as: Is the Quarterly Questions program actually replacing the DOCK Examination for MOC? Do I have to study before taking Quarterly Questions? In this quick, downloadable Q&A, we answer the diplomate community's most common inquiries about the Quarterly Questions program. #quarterlyquestions #FAQs #

Feb 28, 2018
2 min

Apply Now for the ABMS Visiting Scholars Program

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Visiting Scholars Program is a one-year, part-time program that is intended to provide exposure to the fields of professional assessment, quality improvement, and regulatory policy while promoting research and scholarship in areas related to Board Certification and Continuing Certification that are important to the ABMS Member Boards Community. The American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) is a founding Member Board of ABMS and is

Feb 6, 2018
2 min

Article-Based Learning and Assessment in Quarterly Questions

“Must-read” articles from the peer-reviewed literature play a pivotal role in the American Board of Ophthalmology’s (ABO) Quarterly Questions assessment program. Launched in 2017, the program measures “walking around knowledge” based on the things ophthalmologists see and do every day before challenging participants to use recent journal articles to build new practice-related knowledge. Each year, participants answer 40 knowledge-based questions and 10 article-based questions

Jan 29, 2018
1 min

New Directory Makes it Easy to Locate CME and SACME Opportunities

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) launched a new Continuing Certification Directory this month. The site hosts CME opportunities that have been approved by one or more ABMS Member Boards for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit, including the American Board of Ophthalmology. The ABMS Continuing Certification Directory provides access to high quality, practice-relevant, accredited CME activities. You can easily browse activities that the ABO has approved fo

Jan 19, 2018
2 min

How to Maintain Certification in 2018

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) encourages board-certified ophthalmologists to advance their excellence in knowledge, skills, and practice. Activities adhere to a structured, four-part framework developed by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): 1) Professionalism & Professional Standing; 2) Lifelong Learning & Self-Assessment; 3) Assessment of Knowledge, Judgment, & Skills, and 4) Improvement in Medical Practice. For ophthalmologists, this means completing the