Certificates

• Issuance of Certificate
• Update of the ABP Certificate
• Voluntary Recertification
• Maintenance of Certification
• Revocation of Certificate
• Appeals Procedure
• Verification of Certification

Issuance of Certificate

All certificates issued by the ABP after January 1, 2006, will be valid for 10 years. Certificates issued prior to that date are not time-limited.

On passing the appropriate examination(s) and satisfying all other requirements, a candidate will be issued a certificate by the ABP in those fields of pathology for which the ABP declared the candidate qualified. Thus, a candidate who is qualified for the combined examination in anatomic pathology and clinical pathology will receive one certificate only after both anatomic pathology and clinical pathology examinations have been passed.

A candidate qualified for combined examination in anatomic pathology or clinical pathology and a subspecialty area of pathology on the basis of the required training in each area will receive one certificate indicating that the individual is certified in the primary and subspecialty areas.  This certificate will be issued only after the primary and subspecialty examinations have been passed.

A candidate who has fulfilled all the prerequisites, including the minimum requirement of 36 months of approved training in anatomic pathology only or clinical pathology only, will receive a certificate after passing the examination in anatomic pathology or clinical pathology.

The ABP does not issue duplicate certificates. If a certificate is lost or destroyed, the diplomate must request a replacement in writing, stating the reason for replacement of the original certificate. The replacement certificate will indicate that the certificate is a replacement and the date of the replacement. The fee for a replacement certificate is $75. If the diplomate is paying by check or money order, the replacement certificate request form must be included. It can be accessed and printed from our Web site under Links, Applications and Forms. If the diplomate is paying online by credit card, the online form must be used. It can be accessed from our Web site under Payments, Replacement Certificates.

Update of the ABP Certificate

The ABP will permit its diplomates to retake the examination in the area of pathology in which they are already certified for the purpose of updating their certificate(s). The application-examination fee and the passing requirements are the same as for initial applicants. Successful candidates will be issued new, currently dated certificates. This process is not the same as the maintenance of certification process, which has requirements in addition to examination. (See Maintenance of Certification.)
 

Voluntary Recertification

To enable diplomates with non-time-limited certificates to demonstrate maintenance of competence in the practice of pathology, the ABP offers a process of voluntary recertification. For additional information on this process, please download the Voluntary Recertification booklet from the ABP Web site.
 

Maintenance of Certification

The Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program is directed primarily toward those pathologists with time-limited certificates (certificates received in 2006 or after). The process will be open, however, to all certified pathologists.

The Maintenance of Certification program is based on four components:

1. Evidence of professional standing.
2. Evidence of commitment for lifelong learning and involvement in periodic self-assessment (organized CME and self-learning).
3. Evidence of cognitive expertise
4. Evidence of successful evaluation of performance in practice.

Revocation of Certificate

At its discretion, the ABP may revoke or suspend a certificate for due cause, including, but not limited to:

a. The diplomate did not possess the required qualifications and requirements for examination, whether or not such deficiency was known to the ABP or any committee thereof prior to examination or at the time of the issuance of the certificate, as the case may be.

or

b. The diplomate made a material misstatement or withheld information in the application or in any other representation to the ABP or any committee thereof, whether intentional or unintentional.

or

c. The diplomate engaged in irregular behavior in connection with an examination of the ABP (as described under Irregular Behavior), whether or not such practice had an effect on his or her performance on an examination.

or

d. The diplomate was convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of a felony or of a misdemeanor that involves moral turpitude and that in the opinion of the ABP, has a material relationship to the practice of medicine.

or

e. The diplomate made a misrepresentation to the ABP or any third party as to his or her status as a diplomate of the ABP.

or

f. The ABP receives information that an adverse licensure action has been taken against a diplomate. For purposes of this policy adverse licensure action will mean a final action by one of the licensing agencies of the United States or Canada that revokes, suspends, or limits (including the imposition of any requirement of probation, surveillance, supervision, or review) any license or right associated with the practice of medicine issued by one of the licensing agencies of the United States or Canada and that resulted from or is based on misconduct involving patient care and/or ethical practice; or the voluntary surrender of a license or associated right in connection with or in lieu of any disciplinary action by, or consent decree or settlement agreement with, one of the licensing agencies of the United States or Canada.

A diplomate may appeal a revocation of certificate pursuant to the ABP Appeals Procedure set forth herein.

If a diplomate’s certificate is revoked because of an adverse licensure action, and the diplomate subsequently regains a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine, he/she may provide proof of such licensure to the ABP and request that the certificate be reinstated. If the request is approved, the certificate will be restored subject to all rules in force at the time of the restoration, including time-limited certification and mandatory participation in Maintenance of Certification.
 

Appeals Procedure

1. An individual who has received an unfavorable ruling from the ABP or a committee of the ABP may appeal such determination by mailing a notice of appeal to the ABP within 60 days of the date such ruling was mailed to the individual. However, failure of a certifying examination may be appealed only in the manner and to the extent provided in paragraph 11, which follows.



2. On receipt of a notice of appeal, the applicable ABP committee will invite the individual to submit, in writing, such information as the individual feels appropriate in support of the appeal. The committee may make such further investigation as it deems appropriate and may request the individual to submit additional information. The committee, acting on all the information before it, will reconsider the unfavorable ruling and report its decision to the individual and the president of the ABP. Any notice of unfavorable action will specify the grounds for the action and inform the individual that he or she may request a hearing before an appeals committee of the ABP by doing so in writing within 30 days of the date the notice of unfavorable action was mailed.



3. On receipt of a request for a hearing, the executive vice president will inform the president of the ABP, who will appoint an ad hoc appeals committee consisting of three trustees who are not members of the committee whose determination is being appealed. The chairperson of the ad hoc committee will convene a meeting of the committee within 90 days of the date of its appointment to conduct a hearing at which the individual may appear in person with a legal and/or other representative to present such information deemed appropriate in support of the individual’s position.



4. Not less than 30 days prior to the hearing, the executive vice president will send written notice to the ad hoc committee and to the appellant stating the time and place of the hearing and will provide them copies of written material and a list of witnesses that the concerned committee intends to present at the hearing. The executive vice president will also specify any information and documents the individual is required to produce at the hearing. Not less than seven days prior to the hearing, the concerned ABP committee will provide the executive vice president and the individual with copies of any written reports, affidavits, or statements of experts the concerned ABP committee intends to present at the hearing.



5. Not less than seven days prior to the hearing, the individual will provide the executive vice president with such written information concerning his or her position as he or she deems appropriate; a list of witnesses, if any, whom he or she expects to call to testify; and copies of any written reports, affidavits, or statement of experts he or she intends to present at the hearing.



6. The executive vice president will submit the written material referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 to the members of the Appeals Committee prior to the hearing.



7. At the hearing, the concerned ABP committee and its legal or other representatives will present such relevant information and evidence as it deems appropriate to support its previously made determination. However, the committee will not have the right to present any information or evidence not previously provided as required in paragraphs 4 and 5. The committee may call, examine, and cross-examine witnesses.



8. The individual will have the right to be represented at the hearing by legal counsel or any person of his or her choice. He or she may present such relevant information and evidence as he or she deems appropriate in support of his or her position. However, the individual will not have the right to present any information or evidence if not previously provided as required in paragraphs 4 and 5. The failure of the individual to produce information or documents requested by the concerned ABP committee as required in paragraph 4 will be grounds for upholding and confirming the determination of the concerned ABP committee.



9. The individual and the concerned ABP committee may submit written statements at the close of the hearing. A written record of the hearing will be made available to the individual at one-half the cost of its preparation.



10. The decision of the Appeals Committee will be by vote of a majority of the committee members based on the information presented at the hearing. The committee may affirm, modify, or overrule the decision of the ABP committee. The Appeals Committee will inform the individual, the concerned committee, and the president of the ABP, in writing, of its decision and the reasons therefore within a reasonable time of the hearing. The decision of the Appeals Committee will be final and binding.



11. A candidate who fails a certifying examination may request that the examination be rescored to verify the accuracy of the results as reported. Such request must be made in writing to the executive vice president of the ABP within 90 days of the date of mailing of the results of the examination to the candidate and must include a fee of $50 per certifying examination or part thereof. There will be no further appeal from failure of an examination.

Verification of Certification

Requests for written verification of a pathologist’s certification should be made in writing and must include enough information to identify the pathologist in question. Requests must include a check for $35 made payable to the American Board of Pathology.

The American Board of Pathology routinely provides the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) with a listing of diplomates. ABMS publishes this information online at www.abms.org for the public and specialists. The ABP also releases this information to cooperating societies of the ABP (ACLPS, ADASP, APC, ASIP, ASCP, CAP, and USCAP) and on request to any recognized pathology society.
 

This page was last modified on December 20, 2006.