What do I have to do this year? 

An individual tracking page is available upon secure log in to the Board's website. Log in to review requirements by calendar year.  

• Activities are required annually.
• Log in to your personalized tracking page on the Board’s website to view current requirements and complete online activities.
• The Board will send email reminders throughout the year in which requirements are due.
• Additional questions may be directed to staff@abplasticsurgery.org. 

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Is the Continuous Certification Program Annual Fee required? 

Yes. The annual fee of $410 is required for all diplomates in the Continuous Certification program regardless of the year of expiration for their current cycle, with no additional fees being charged for Continuous Certification activities or assessments. The ABPS will continue efforts to reduce fees.

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How do I complete Continuous Certification Activities?

• Log in to the Board’s website to access your tracking page. All activities are completed online.
• Refer to Activities Booklet 

 

Step I: Tracer Procedure Log (Years 3 and 6)

• Select one tracer procedure
• Enter data from 10 consecutive patient charts (within the last 3 years)
• Review Benchmarking Report
• Complete approved educational activity aligned with the tracer procedure
• Complete the Action Plan for Improvement

Step 2: Professional Standing Update (Years 3 and 9 - CME only in Year 6)

• If NOT selected for audit: answer questions, upload CME documentation only.
• If SELECTED for audit: answer questions, upload all supporting documentation.
• Finalize the Professional Standing Update.

Step 3: Self-Assessment (Annually)

• 30 questions completed annually
• A minimum of 8 assessments per 10-year cycle required to satisfy 10-year exam

 

Print your Annual Confirmation of Participation Letter once all activities are completed

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What is the Tracer Procedure Log? 

• Tracer Procedure Log - a self-assessment activity requiring a structured review of 10 cases on a specific procedure of your choice.
• Benchmarking report compares data to that of your peers.
• Data Pearls are provided within the benchmarking report, highlighting practice data and practice standards.
• Educational Activity - completion of an approved course or article related to the tracer procedure. 
• Action Plan - Allows you to document plan for practice improvement.
• The Program is designed for diplomates to re-measure in three years and validate any practice improvement.

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What do I need to complete the Professional Standing Update?

• List medical licenses, hospital privileges, outpatient accreditation, 3 peers and advertising material.
• Upload CME report from an accredited CME provider. Automatic transfer of your CME records from ASPS now available.

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I am selected for audit, what is required? 

• 10% of diplomates completing the Professional Standing update annually are randomly audited. 
• The Year 9 Professional Standing Update of the 10-year cycle will serve as an audit for all diplomates in place of the previously required exam application.
• In addition to CMEs, you must also upload copies of medical license(s), hospital privilege letters, outpatient accreditation certificates, peer evaluations and advertising material. 
• All documents must be uploaded as PDF files. 
• Contact the Board Office if you need assistance scanning or saving documents as PDF.

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How do I submit CMEs? 

• You may upload a CME report from an accredited CME Provider
• If you are a member of ASPS, you may import your records automatically.
• You may also upload CME certificates individually as PDF files.
• CMEs must be documented in years 6 and 9 of the 10-year certification cycle.
• REQUIRED over the course of 5 years:
  • At least 125 hours in Category I Plastic Surgery activities
  • At least 25 hours in Patient Safety activities

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Why are some links on my tracking page inactive?

• Links will become available as you progress through the Continuous Certification process. 
  
  

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Is there still an Exam?

• No, the full 200-question examination was phased out in 2021. Diplomates, starting in 2019, will participate annually in the Self-Assessment Activity, which consists of 30 questions. A total of 8 of the 10 years must successfully be completed in order to satisfy the examination component of Continuous Certification.

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Do I need to study?

• No, with this new testing format, there is no need to study ahead of time. Starting in 2019, all Continuous Certification assessments will have a new question format, where the diplomate is given the question and asked to answer. Everyone is then directed to the rationale which explains the question. If the diplomate answered wrong on the first attempt, they are given a second opportunity to answer correctly. The new 30 question assessments will provide immediate feedback and direct you to further educational resources. Why would ABPS do this? The Board wants to identify individual “knowledge gaps” at your baseline.  The artificial knowledge spike that occurs after cramming for an exam quickly fades away, however if the individual is repeatedly exposed to their weak areas, through the annual self-assessments, they will eventually resolve their knowledge gaps.

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Why do I have to participate in Continuous Certification? 

• The goal of Continuous Certification for all 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is that lifelong learning and practice self-assessment helps to improve patient care. 
• More than 800,000 physicians are Board Certified by an ABMS Member Board.
• Currently, over 550,000 physicians across ABMS specialties have met the requirements or are engaged in Continuous Certification program activities.

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What if I am already participating in Continuous Certification through another certification board?

The Board will offer credit to satisfy Professionalism and Lifelong Learning requirements if already completed through the American Board of Surgery, or another ABMS member board.

Contact the Board Office at staff@abplasticsurgery.org for assistance.

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What if I am already participating in a quality improvement effort within my organization?

Diplomates who successfully complete a Quality Improvement (QI) effort will now receive credit for satisfying the Board's Part IV Practice Assessment Module. 

 

You may submit an application through the Board's QI program:

Application for Practice Improvement credit for QI project

Application for Practice Improvement credit for QI publication 

Application for Practice Improvement credit for QI registry

 

Contact the Board Office at staff@abplasticsurgery.org for assistance.

 

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Who is required to participate in Continuous Certification?

• Diplomates with time-limited certificates are required to participate in Continuous Certification.
• Lifetime certificate holders are strongly encouraged to participate on a voluntary basis. 
• Directors, Advisory Council members and Examiners are required to participate in Continuous Certification whether they have time-limited or lifetime certification.
• The Board of Directors of ASPS, PSF, ASAPS, AAPS, and all Program Directors are strongly encouraged to participate in Continuous Certification.

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How does Continuous Certification participation benefit me?

• Continuous Certification serves as an important marker for a higher standard of care. Patients, physicians, health care providers, insurers, and quality organizations look for these markers as the best measure of a physician’s knowledge, experience and skills to provide quality health care.
• Physician benefits from participation include:
• Focused learning based on individual practice needs
• Increased practice-based and clinical efficiencies
• Enhanced communication with colleagues, patients, and caregivers
• Better working relationships within the system of care
• All diplomates have a Continuous Certification status reported on the ABPS website and the ABMS website. Diplomates who are participating are distinguished from those who are not. 
• More than 47,000 consumers/patients search the ABPS website annually.
• More than 800,000 consumers/patients visit  the ABMS website annually, www.certificationmatters.org