Requirements

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5-Year MOC Milestone Policy Update

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Policies

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Renewing a Lapsed or
Expired Certificate

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2026 Application Details

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2026 Continuing Certification
Booklet of Information

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Continuing Certification 
(formerly known as Maintenance of Certification)

To meet new Continuing Certification Standards from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery replaced Maintenance of Certification (MOC) with Continuing Certification (CC) in January 2024. The CC program ensures the public that certified physicians maintain high clinical standards throughout their careers. All Diplomates—including those with 10 year certificates issued under MOC or current CC 5 year certificates—must participate, except those who have formally notified the Board of retirement or disability.

It is critical that Diplomates keep the Board informed of all current contact information, including mailing and email addresses. Log in to the ABTS website to update your profile or send contact information updates to info@abts.org.

What happens to my MOC Certificate?

ABTS Maintenance of Certification (MOC) certificates remain valid through the expiration date shown on the certificate. To earn a new Continuing Certification certificate, Diplomates must first complete their 5-Year MOC Milestone requirement and then successfully fulfil the Continuing Certification requirements. Diplomates who successfully complete the Continuing Certification process will be issued a new certificate, and their certification will be valid for 5 years.

Diplomates who hold a 10-year, time-limited certificate issued before 2024 must fulfil the 5-Year MOC Milestone requirement.  After meeting this requirement, they are eligible to transition into the Continuing Certification process starting one year prior to their certificate's expiration date.

What is the difference between Continuing Certification and MOC?

The ABTS Continuing Certification (CC) process replaced the former Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process. The Continuing Certification process issues 5-year certificates rather than 10-year certificates under MOC. Unlike certificates that were issued under the MOC process, Continuing Certification certificates do not have an expiration date; however, certification must be maintained every 5 years. Continuing Certification requires Diplomates complete the CC process every 5 years to remain Board certified rather than every 10 years under the former MOC process.

Diplomates are enrolled in the Continuing Certification process upon successful completion of initial certification or successful completion of Continuing Certification when their 10-year MOC certificate expires.

Every 5 years, Diplomates must pass a secure online exam in their specialty: Adult Cardiac, Cardiothoracic, Congenital Cardiac, or General Thoracic. Failure to complete this requirement will make Diplomates ineligible to renew certification, regardless of whether the certification is 10-year under MOC or 5-year under CC. For those who have already transitioned to CC, the exam may be taken in the 4th or 5th year, with a possible one-year grace period (6th year) granted on a case-by-case basis for extenuating circumstances. Requests must be submitted by email to continuingcert@abts.org and require approval.

Diplomates with a 10-year MOC certificate may transition to Continuing Certification in year 9 or 10 as long as they successfully completed their 5-year MOC Milestone.

Candidates who earn initial certification in June 2026 must complete the Continuing Certification process in 2030 or 2031 to remain Board certified.
2026 Dates

Application Opening Date:
Former 10-Year MOC: March 2026
5-Year Milestone: July 2026

Continuing Certification Exam:
September - November 2026
News

ABTS is pleased to announce that format of the Continuing Certification Written Exam has been updated in an effort to improve content coverage and validity, and reduce cognitive load. Beginning in 2025, ABTS’s written exams will include multiple choice questions with three answer options, down from four answer options in previous written exams. ABTS written exams will continue to assess a surgeon’s knowledge of clinical knowledge and surgical skills, and evaluate their competency to ensure they meet standards for safe and effective patient care.

Policy Change for Renewing a Lapsed or Expired Certificate
Starting on January 1, 2026, Diplomates whose certification lapsed or expired and who seek to regain Board certification will be required to fulfill the list of requirements found here.

End of CME Self-Reporting
ABTS will retire self-reporting of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, effective December 31, 2027. Beginning January 1, 2028, all CME credits used to meet Continuing Certification (CC) requirements must be reported directly by the accredited provider through the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) PARS (or JA-PARS, as applicable). This means that self-reported CME entries will no longer be accepted after this change takes effect. To ensure your credits are properly recorded, please confirm that your CME activities are provided by organizations that report to the ACCME.

Continuing Certification Process: CME Credit Now Available
ABTS is pleased to announce that Diplomates who successfully complete the Continuing Certification (CC) process will be awarded 60 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Diplomates do not have to individually apply for the credit, and ABTS will cover the expense of electronic CME certificates. Diplomates will receive their CME certificate via an email sent directly from the AMA to the preferred email on file with the ABTS. Visit the ABTS Web Portal to confirm your contact information is up to date. This new opportunity is available only to Diplomates who successfully completed the Continuing Certification (CC) process or the 5-Year MOC Milestone.

CME Finder
Diplomates can now search for thoracic surgery specific CMEs on the ACCME website at: findit.cmepassport.org/ABTS.