The American Board of Anesthesiology
Important Notices
New ABA Policy on Duration of Candidate Status for Primary Certification in Anesthesiology
The ABMS is striving to establish consistency amongst its 24 Member Boards regarding the time frame in which a physician must complete the requirements for certification relative to the physician’s satisfactory completion of an ACGME-accredited residency program. On September 21, 2011, the ABMS created a new policy mandating that no more than seven (7) years can elapse between a physician’s completion of residency training and achievement of Board Certification.
Revised ABA Policy on Duration of Candidate Status
In order to meet the requirements of the ABMS policy, the ABA's policy on the duration of candidate status has been modified. Effective January 1, 2012:
- Candidates completing residency training prior to January 1, 2012, must satisfy all requirements for certification by January 1, 2019.
- Candidates finishing residency training after January 1, 2012, must satisfy all requirements for certification within 7 years of the last day of the year in which residency training was completed.
- The ABA will declare the candidate’s application void if the candidate does not satisfy the examination requirements within the prescribed number of opportunities or time, whichever comes first.
- If the ABA declares an application void, the physician must reestablish his/her qualifications for admission to the examination system before filing another application. The manner in which this may be done is described in the ABA Booklet of Information (BOI) under Section 2.04.F. These requirements are reviewed annually by the ABA Board.
Please see the ABA Booklet of Information for complete certification requirements.
"Board Eligible" Status Not Recognized by the ABA
The ABA does not recognize "Board Eligible" as a physician status relative to the ABA examination system for primary certification in anesthesiology. Physicians with an active application are considered candidates in the ABA examination system, not "Board Eligible." Therefore, physicians should refrain from making any representations of being "Board Eligible."
Subspecialty Certification in Pediatric Anesthesiology
The ABA is pleased to announce that the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has approved its application for sponsorship of subspecialty certification in Pediatric Anesthesiology. The first pediatric anesthesiology certification examination will be administered on October 19, 2013 and applications will be accepted beginning in March, 2012. For more information, please see the Pediatric Anesthesiology Certification section of the Examinations & Certifications page.
Anesthesiologists and Capital Punishment
Professional Standing
The ABA has incorporated the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics, Opinion E-2.06 (June 2000) in its Professional Standing Policy.
ABA certification includes more than passing examinations; it also includes maintaining high professional and ethical standards. Specifically, it is the ABA’s Professional Standing Policy that diplomates should use their clinical skills and judgment for promoting an individual's health and welfare. To do otherwise would undermine a basic ethical foundation of medicine which is – first do no harm.
If diplomates of the ABA participate in an execution by lethal injection, they may be subject to disciplinary action, including revocation of their ABA diplomate status.
Click here for additional information on Anesthesiologists and Capital Punishment.
Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties (MOCA-SUBS) Program
The ABA began transitioning from the current subspecialty recertification programs to Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology for Subspecialties (MOCA-SUBS) on January 1, 2010. The last subspecialty recertification examinations will be administered in 2016, and the first MOCA-SUBS examinations will be administered in 2017.
The MOCA-SUBS program is the only option for ABA Diplomates certified or recertified in a subspecialty after January 1, 2010. These Diplomates will be automatically enrolled in MOCA-SUBS. Diplomates awarded certification or recertification on or before January 1, 2010 may apply for subspecialty recertification as early as 7 years from their certification date and up to the application deadline of March 31, 2016.
Please click here for more information.
Information Regarding Status Designations
The ABA routinely reports through its web site or by mail, whether a physician is a Candidate in the ABA examination system or an ABA Diplomate.
The ABA Diplomate and Candidate Directory will display these new status designations to the public and others interested in obtaining information
about Board Certified anesthesiologists.
Diplomate status is limited to the period of time the physician's certification or application for certification is valid.
The ABA has expanded its diplomate status designations to include three new designations:
Instructions to changing status designations to:
- Retired
- Not Clinically Active for Primary Certification
- Not Clinically Active for Subspecialty Recertification
- Not Clinically Active for MOCA-SUBS
- Clinically Active
- Certified Post Retirement
Alternate Path for Entry into ABA Examinations for Primary Certification
The ABA has approved a 7-year pilot program that would allow international medical graduates, certified by the national anesthesiology organization in the country where they trained in the specialty and practicing anesthesiology in the United States, to qualify for entrance into the ABA examination system for initial certification in the specialty at most once via an alternate entry path. The objective of the pilot program is to encourage outstanding foreign trained and certified anesthesiologists, who come to the United States, to become productive members of U.S. academic anesthesiology programs.
Alternate Entry Path into ABA Primary Exam SystemData Privacy and Security Policy
The American Board of Anesthesiology exists to advance the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology. To fulfill our mission, the ABA must collect and utilize personal and professional information pertaining to our applicants and diplomates. We are aware of the trust you place in us to protect your privacy. The ABA has published a Data Privacy and Security Policy describing how we approach data privacy and information security. Our goal is to assure all persons disclosing information to the ABA of the sensitivity and care utilized in protecting this information.