Source: American Board of Family Medicine
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly and the need for family physicians to care for patients during the outbreak increases, the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is committed to keeping you aware of adjustments they are making with respect to certification activity requirements to accommodate these extraordinary times.
Like many organizations, the ABFM has had to make a number of changes over the last week to support Diplomates during this time. ABFM leadership has developed and implemented a robust business continuity plan to ensure they are able to do so. Since March 16, 2020, all ABFM staff have been working remotely, and will continue to operate under normal business hours at this time.
With everything that front-line family physicians are facing right now, the ABFM does not want them to have unnecessary concerns about their certification. While the underlying certification requirements remain unchanged, it is far more important for family physicians to care for their patients and to support their families than be concerned about certification. As such, the ABFM is planning in advance for appropriate accommodations and is enhancing communications, both directly and through their COVID-19 updates on their website.
- The ABFM has learned that Prometric, the company that provides testing sites for the Family Medicine Certification examination, is closing their centers in North America at least through Friday, April 17, of this year. All April 2020 administrations of the Family Medicine Certification examination have been cancelled. The ABFM is working with Prometric to identify possible examination dates over the summer and are committed to attempting to offer two examination cycles during this calendar year.
- The deadline for participants in FMCLA to complete their first quarter questions has been extended to June 15, 2020 (previously was March 31).
- Many meetings have been cancelled and thus may be impacting a physician’s plan for live continuing medical education (CME). However, in regards to certification requirements, the ABFM does not require LIVE credits. Online and other virtual CME opportunities will suffice if unable to attend live sessions. Please continue reporting CME hours through the American Academy of Family Physicians if that is currently being done, and completed credits will be reported to the ABFM on the physician’s behalf once the minimum required hours have been reached.
- If a group knowledge self-assessment (KSA) was cancelled, these are always available online in the ABFM Physician Portfolio to complete individually in order to meet certification points and to earn CME; especially if needed before Thursday, December 31, 2020.
- The ABFM is working with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to coordinate accommodations to residency training related to rotation and continuity visit requirements. More details to come on this, but the ABFM is working hard to meet the needs.
Rest assured that the ABFM is monitoring the situation and continuously preparing for all scenarios, and will be communicating updates and changes as decisions are being made providing updates via email to those who are affected by upcoming deadlines and examination change, as well as through the ABFM website.