Predictors of Performance on the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Maintenance of Certification Examination

Abstract

Background: Maintenance of certification (MOC) in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a process of lifelong learning that begins after successfully completing an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited residency and passing the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) Part I and Part II Examinations. We seek to identify factors predictive of successful MOC Examination performance.

Objective: To identify characteristics predictive of successful completion on the ABPMR MOC Examination.

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation database review.

Participants: 4,545 diplomates who completed the MOC Examination between January 2006 and December 2017.

Methods: MOC Examination performance was the primary outcome variable. Performance on Part I and Part II Examinations were independent variables. Additional potential predictors evaluated included year of MOC cycle in which examination was taken, years of practice since residency completion, age, and subspecialty certification.

Main outcome measures: Performance on MOC Examination.

Results: Age at time of MOC Examination was inversely correlated with examination score (r = -0.14, P < .001). Similarly, as time since completion of residency training increased, MOC scores declined. Passing the Part I Examination on first attempt predicted a 98% MOC pass rate, compared to 90% for those who failed initially. MOC performance was highly correlated with Part I performance (r = 0.59, P < .001) and Part II performance (r = 0.32, P < .001). Although MOC performance was similar for those taking the examination in years 7 - 10 of their cycle (97% pass rate), those taking the examination after more than 10 years of the cycle had a significantly lower performance (85% pass rate, P < .01).

Conclusions: Better performance on the MOC Examination is associated with better performance on Part I and Part II Examinations, taking the examination earlier in the 10 year cycle, younger age, and less time since completion of training. Diplomates who are at higher risk for failing the examination may need to prepare differently for MOC Exam than those who are more likely to pass.

Level of evidence: III.