Key Deadline Approaching for Some ABFM Diplomates

Here's a reminder for family physicians who certified or recertified with the American Board of Family Medicine, or ABFM, in 2005: If you want to continue on the path to earning a three-year extension on your certificate, you only have until Dec. 31 of this year to complete the first stage of ABFM's Maintenance of Certification Program for Family Physicians, or MC-FP, 10-year certification option.

If you need a refresher on expectations for the 10-year certification track, the ABFM Web site has developed a special MC-FP section that offers a detailed schematic on this option. Briefly, the 10-year option allows ABFM diplomates to complete two Part II modules and one Part IV module at their own pace in three distinct three-year windows, known as stages (diplomates, however, have the option of completing three Part II modules during their first stage only).

Currently, the ABFM's self-assessment modules offer the only option for fulfilling Part II of the MC-FP. To fulfill the Part IV requirement, diplomates have more choices. They can, for example, choose to complete

What's the big incentive to opt for the 10-year, rather than the traditional seven-year, certificate? According to ABFM President and CEO James Puffer, M.D., it's easier that way. The overwhelming majority of family physicians who have entered MC-FP to date have opted for the 10-year pathway, rather than the traditional seven-year cycle, he said.

"More than 80 percent of those who are eligible to participate in MC-FP to date have met their stage one requirements, and our historical data tell us that these numbers are greater than the number of family physicians we would normally expect to recertify at the end of a seven-year cycle," Puffer told AAFP News Now.

Basically, he added, it comes down to doing the math. "Most of our diplomates will appreciate that, over the course of their professional career, they will have the opportunity to take one less examination -- maybe two less examinations for those who have just certified for the first time," Puffer said.

For the 10,520 FPs who successfully completed their certification or recertification exam in 2005 and who want to take advantage of the 10-year option, doing the math means making sure they've got those first three modules -- in whichever combination -- covered by year's end. Those who choose not to complete the three modules before Dec. 31 are automatically moved onto the seven-year certification path.

Diplomates who have questions regarding their current MC-FP status or who need help logging into the MC-FP system or completing the online modules are invited to contact the ABFM Support Center by phone at (877) 223-7437 or via e-mail for assistance.