UP FRONT
ASH Directions
ASH Recommends
Changes to Continuing
Board Certification
In December 2018, a commission
appointed by the American Board
of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
and other entities released a draft
report with recommendations for
reforming Maintenance of Certi-
fication (MOC), “The Continuing
Board Certification: Vision for
the Future Commission.” ASH
submitted comments in response
to the draft report to ensure the
final recommendations align with
the needs of hematologists. (A
final report is due to the ABMS
in February; at press time it is
unclear when that report might be
made public.)
“We are
submitting
ourselves
to a testing
process
that is not
proven to
demonstrate
that people
taking the
test are truly
learning.”
—ALAN LICHTIN, MD
ASH applauded ABMS for tak-
ing a long-overdue look at MOC,
agreeing with many of the commis-
sion’s recommendations, including
its stance on replacing summative
tests with formative assessments.
The Society favors a continuing
ASHClinicalNews.org
board certification process that
provides ongoing feedback and
offers periodic, low-stakes assess-
ments. ASH believes the current
10-year summative exam does not
recognize the diversification of
career paths in hematology and,
without a link to education, does
not provide opportunities to close
knowledge gaps.
The commission’s recom-
mendations are not necessarily a
cure for the anxiety and concern
many subspecialists feel regarding
MOC. Some physicians believe
MOC – a significant investment
of time and resources – adds little
value to their practice of medi-
cine, and individual suggestions
for change vary widely. Over the
past few years, ASH has worked
with ABMS and the American
Board of Internal Medicine
and has posed questions about
the evidence supporting board
certification programs in general.
Alan Lichtin, MD, a hematolo-
gist at Cleveland Clinic and chair
of ASH’s MOC Working Group,
spoke to ASH Clinical News for a
July 2018 feature article about a
pragmatic approach to the MOC
process. “We are submitting
ourselves to a testing process that
is not proven to demonstrate that
people taking the test are truly
learning,” Dr. Lichtin said.
ASH staff and volunteers will
continue to advocate on behalf of
hematologists by interacting regu-
larly with ABMS and exploring
ways to make meaningful changes
to MOC and to help hematologists
navigate the shifting certification
landscape. The Society also will
continue to invest in education
programs and ensure that all CME
activities are available for MOC
credits. In a press statement, 2019
ASH President Roy Silverstein,
MD, remarked: “The Society
remains committed to working
closely with ABMS to make con-
tinuing certification more valuable
for hematologists and the patients
in their care.”
Be the Voice of Your Peers
ASH is accepting applications from individuals in MD, MD-PhD, or PhD training pro-
grams interested in serving on the 2019-2020 ASH Trainee Council. Council members
help the Committee on Training develop and evaluate ASH events and services, facilitate
annual meeting trainee events such as ASH-a-Palooza, and assist in the creation and
revision of educational materials.Participating on the Trainee Council is an excellent op-
portunity to gain exposure to ASH committee service and interact with Society leaders,
as Council members represent the needs of trainees at all levels of the organization. Visit
hematology.org/Fellows/Council to learn more and apply by the April 12 deadline. ●
Joonhee Park, PhD, and Sara Choi, BA, share a laugh after scoring on their opponents during
a game of foosball at the Trainee Welcome Reception at San Diego’s Petco Park.
Trainees enjoy food and drinks at the Trainee Welcome Reception.
Sonia Esparza, MD Matthew Painschab, MD, and Patrick Eullit, MD, pose with
Red at the Trainee Welcome Reception following ASH-a-Palooza.
ASH Clinical News
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