Continuing Certification Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled by those Diplomates seeking to complete the Continuing Certification process in 2026:
Part I - Professional Standing

Diplomates need to ....
  • hold a valid ABTS certificate at the time of application;
  • be in good standing under the former MOC process;
  • hold a currently valid, full and unrestricted license(s) to practice medicine;
  • have privileges from a hospital(s) accredited by the Joint Commission or other institutions judged acceptable by the ABTS;
  • submit a letter of reference from the Chief of Surgery or the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery; and
  • submit a letter of reference from the Chief of Staff or the VP of Medical Affairs or the equivalent.
Part II - Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment

Diplomates need to ...
  • earn an average of 30 AMA Category 1 CME credits per year over 5 years (150 CMEs total for 5 years);
  • half (75 CMEs) should be in the broad category of cardiothoracic surgery; and
  • half (75 CMEs) can be of any type as long as it is Category 1 CME.

Acceptable Category 1 CMEs include, but are not limited to: 
  • annual meetings like the AATS, STS, STSA, WTS, ACS, and other national, regional, and/or local meetings; 
  • online courses such as the CME journal articles from the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and/or the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery;
  • 12 hours annually of Morbidity & Mortality conferences from the Diplomate's institution(s) provided that they are AMA Category 1
  • surgery grand round(s) conferences from the Diplomate's institution(s) provided that they are AMA Category 1 
Diplomates will be randomly audited during the application process and copies of the CME certificates issued by the sponsoring organization(s) of the CME activities will be requested.
Part III - Cognitive Expertise

Diplomates who are eligible for the Continuing Certification process must take an online, graded Continuing Certification Exam that will test fundamental and practice-related knowledge in order to fulfill Part III. Diplomates will have the option of selecting one of the following four exam modules: Adult Cardiac Surgery, Congenital Cardiac Surgery, General Thoracic Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery.

The Continuing Certification Examination will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions similar to the format found in SESATS (questions followed by critique) and 6 journal based questions from 3 specialty specific journal articles. Questions on the examination will be modular, based on your specialty, and presented in a self-assessment format. The Board anticipates the Diplomate will work through the questions over an 8 week period. The Continuing Certification Exam is graded, and it is possible to fail the exam.

Diplomates who are currently in the Continuing Certification process must take and pass the exam every five years. Diplomates will be allowed to take the exam one year early (i.e., fourth year). Diplomates who are not able to complete the Continuing Certification process by the end of the fifth year due to extenuating circumstances may petition the Board for a one-year grace period. The Board will consider a one-year extension on a case-by-case basis.
Part IV - Evaluation of Performance in Practice

Diplomates who want to maintain their Certified-Active Status must complete Part IV; however, Diplomates with Certified-Inactive Status do not need to complete this component.

  1. Performance Improvement - The Board requires Diplomates to participate in a Practice Quality Improvement (PQI) project within two years prior to application.

  2. Patient Safety Module - The Board requires Diplomates in the Continuing Certification process to take a Patient Safety Module/Course within two years prior to application. The patient safety course can range from hospital-based programs to online programs with CME credits. You may have already taken a course in your institution such as:
    • Pain Management
    • Infection Prevention
    • Prevention of Medical Errors
    • Workplace Safety
    • Patient Rights
    • Conscious Sedation

  3. Peer Evaluation Letters - The Board reserves the right to randomly audit Diplomates and request additional letters of reference from referring physicians, colleagues, staff and patients.