ABFM Continuing Medical Education 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A family physician attends a hospital grand rounds lecture that has not been accredited for CME credit. How should she count this for ABFM purposes?
- It cannot count toward any ABFM requirement
- It may count as AMA PRA Category 2 Credit (Correct answer)
- It counts as AMA PRA Category 1 Credit automatically
- It counts only if she passes a post-test
Correct answer: It may count as AMA PRA Category 2 Credit
Unaccredited educational activities may be claimed as AMA PRA Category 2 Credit, which documents learning but is not equivalent to Category 1.
Question 2: Which ABFM MOC requirement specifically addresses staying current with evidence-based clinical guidelines?
- Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (LLSA) (Correct answer)
- Practice Performance Assessment
- Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP)
- Patient Safety CME
Correct answer: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (LLSA)
ABFM's LLSA activities are designed to assess and promote ongoing medical knowledge aligned with current guidelines.
Question 3: Under the AAFP CME credit system, how many AAFP Prescribed credits are equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™?
- They are not equivalent
- 1 AAFP Prescribed = 0.5 AMA Category 1
- 1 AAFP Prescribed = 1 AMA PRA Category 1 (Correct answer)
- 2 AAFP Prescribed = 1 AMA PRA Category 1
Correct answer: 1 AAFP Prescribed = 1 AMA PRA Category 1
AAFP Prescribed credits are equivalent on a 1:1 basis with AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Question 4: A family physician teaches a medical student preceptorship. Which CME category can this teaching activity be claimed under?
- AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ automatically
- AMA PRA Category 2 Credit (Correct answer)
- No CME credit is permitted for teaching activities
- ACCME-accredited simulation credit only
Correct answer: AMA PRA Category 2 Credit
Teaching and preceptorship activities typically qualify for AMA PRA Category 2 Credit as a self-directed learning activity.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of the ABFM's Continuous Certification program compared to the older 10-year exam model?
- To reduce the total CME credits required over a career
- To spread assessment and learning activities continuously rather than cramming before one high-stakes exam (Correct answer)
- To eliminate the need for any written examination
- To allow diplomates to self-report their learning without verification
Correct answer: To spread assessment and learning activities continuously rather than cramming before one high-stakes exam
Continuous Certification distributes ongoing learning and assessment throughout a physician's career, avoiding the 'teach-to-test' phenomenon of periodic high-stakes exams.
Question 6: Which of the following CME activities would be LEAST appropriate for a family physician managing a practice quality gap in diabetes care?
- A PI CME project tracking HbA1c outcomes before and after intervention
- A live conference lecture on diabetes pharmacotherapy
- An online enduring module on ADA diabetes guidelines
- A non-accredited pharmaceutical company-sponsored dinner talk on insulin products (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A non-accredited pharmaceutical company-sponsored dinner talk on insulin products
Industry-sponsored promotional talks without independent CME accreditation are not appropriate for addressing clinical quality gaps and may introduce bias.
Question 7: How does ABFM define the 'stage' of a FMCLA activity cycle?
- A single question answered on the longitudinal assessment platform
- A set of questions completed over a defined assessment period within the cycle (Correct answer)
- An annual written exam administered at a testing center
- A portfolio of patient cases submitted for peer review
Correct answer: A set of questions completed over a defined assessment period within the cycle
FMCLA stages consist of question sets that diplomates complete over designated time windows within their certification cycle.
ABFM Continuing Medical Education 3
A family physician attends a hospital grand rounds lecture that has not been accredited for CME credit.
How should she count this for ABFM purposes?