Child and adolescent psychiatry was established as an American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) subspecialty in 1959. Beginning in 1995, certification in child and adolescent psychiatry has been awarded for a ten-year period only rather than lifetime certification. At the conclusion of the ten-year certification cycle, child and adolescent psychiatrists must take a recertification examination in order to maintain their certification. The Maintenance of Certification movement was initiated by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the major certifying specialty boards as a way of demonstrating to the public that physicians maintain professional statues (e.g. state licensure), documentation of commitment to lifelong learning and assessment of practice-based performance.
The ABPN MOC Part III Pilot Project is a professional journal article-based assessment activity designed as an optional alternative to the current secure, proctored 10-year MOC examination. The ABPN has released the list of articles for child and adolescent psychiatry and your AACAP membership includes access to 29 of them for free. Several others are freely available, and do not require a fee to access. For your convenience, we have made a collection of these articles, including direct links to each.
Beginning in 2016 diplomates will be required to complete an approved Patient Safety Course within the three years prior to board certification/recertification OR in their first C-MOC block (beginning with those whose first block is 2017-2019).
Lifelong Learning Modules are one way in which AACAP aids members in the recertification process. Each module consists of approximately 35 journal articles, chosen by the Lifelong Learning Committee, that serve to educate individuals on important topics in child and adolescent psychiatry. Included in each module is a pre- and post-test that allows individuals to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and ABPN-approved self-assessment activity credits.