Ob/Gyn physician perspectives on maintenance of certification

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Professional Development
• Continuing Medical Education

Background:

• Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is crucial for ensuring physician competency.
• Physician perspectives on MOC are essential for program improvement.
• The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) MOC program is widely utilized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess physician views on current ABOG MOC activities.
• To identify physician-reported benefits and drawbacks of MOC.
• To gather recommendations for enhancing the MOC process.

Main Methods:

• Convergent mixed methods study utilizing online and paper surveys.
• Nationwide sample of Obstetrics and Gynecology physicians surveyed.
• Quantitative and qualitative data collected on MOC, burnout, and demographics.

Main Results:

• Majority found MOC valuable (62.8%) and relevant (77.8%).
• MOC perceived to aid professional development (70.3%) and lifelong learning (64.3%).
• 46% found MOC burdensome; 1/3 of burned-out physicians cited MOC as a major contributor.

Conclusions:

• Ob/Gyn physicians largely view ABOG MOC as valuable and relevant.
• Significant physician desire exists for MOC process improvements.
• Suggestions include extending recertification cycles and revising Practice Improvement activities.