Re: ACOG
From: mark decker (mhdmd@wi.rr.com)
Wed May 30 12:56:10 2007
i am doing the 6 yr written exam - it is in
milwaukee - and i drive by the building it is at
several times a week - so it is close
i can't say if my test is on a computer per se or
just that i am at a remote test site
i have not had to recert for some time obviously
- i did the abc exam a for a few years as well for the article list mainly -
testing on 26th of June
so will advise
mdmd
the cash "in" is the Mac at the end of that line -- i suspect at least
mdmd
At 12:38 PM 5/30/2007, you wrote:
>I also liked how the bulletin states that there
>will be a charge for the new written computer
>exam. I'm looking forward to how convenient
>these locations are around the country.
>
>On May 30, 2007, at 9:24 AM, Lynn Montgomery wrote:
>
>>I feel I must vent here a little and y’all are
>>my sounding board. I have been a member in
>>good standing of ACOG since my second year of
>>residency. Over the course of the years, I
>>have paid my dues, totally expecting that this
>>is “my” organization and it would look out for
>>my best interest as a practicing obstetrician
>>in the trenches. I continued my membership
>>despite practicing with a grand old partner who
>>never belonged and was freely professed that he
>>would never give money to an organization who
>>would do nothing for him. I was proud when I
>>passed my boards and could now be officially
>>known as a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
>>
>>All that said, I must have missed the memo
>>regarding ACOG’s initiative with ABOG regarding
>>the re-vamping of the boards and
>>recertification program. In the recent
>>pamphlet I received from ABOG there is an
>>extremely hard to follow description of the new
>>recertification process. In that pamphlet, it
>>clearly states that both ABOG and ACOG
>>cooperated in designing this process. I, as a
>>“fellow” certainly was not allowed to have a
>>say in changing this process. If this is a
>>collegial organization, why is the “membership”
>>asked whether or not they desire a change in
>>any certification process. Maybe these are
>>mandates set forth by the collective medical
>>boards, but could not our organization have
>>communicated the proposed changes, requested
>>input and then described what the changes will
>>entail. I am certainly not alone in this in
>>that several months ago, I inquired of this
>>list if anybody was aware of the changes coming
>>and got no response. Further, my young partner
>>had no idea regarding the changes until recently.
>>
>>So, I currently spend my approximate $600/year
>>for fellowship dues and my approximate
>>$600/year for recertification so that Norman
>>Gant can have a fancy building in Dallas for
>>testing – when every other “board” entity is
>>moving toward computer testing held in
>>multi-use “testing centers” located across the
>>country. Further, I attend obstetric medical
>>management meetings and continually hear how
>>OB/GYN is behind other specialties in coding
>>initiatives (I am familiar with this acutely in
>>MFM coding, while Neo has all of their
>>codes). In addition, I repeatedly see reports
>>regarding excessive charging on the part of
>>medical liability insurance companies and the
>>reporting groups are not ACOG, but rather other interest groups.
>>
>>Rather than deal with the issues that directly
>>reflect on my day-to-day practice, ACOG spends
>>its time coming up with “immediately
>>available”, mandating prenatal testing for ALL
>>pregnant patients, mandating hep B vaccination
>>for ALL pregnant patients, mandating CF testing
>>for ALL obstetric patients. How about mandating some protections for me…
>>
>>I know it has been said here before, but I must
>>say it again – “ACOG, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME
>>LATELY?” Maybe we should start with some
>>financial accountability – how much of our dues goes to the top and for what…
>>
>>Lynn
>>
>>Lynn D. Montgomery, M.D.
>>
>>Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
>>
>>The Birth Center/Rocky Mountain Women's Health
>>
>>1211 S. Reserve St.
>>
>>Missoula, Montana, 59801
>>
>>406-549-0978
>>
>>fax 406-549-0987
>>
>>e-mail: <mailto:apgar10@thebirthcentermt.com>apgar10@thebirthcentermt.com
>>
>
>****************************************************************************
>Charlie Chambers
>Hood River, OR
><mailto:cchamber@alumni.rice.edu>cchamber@alumni.rice.edu
>
>"... all good things, trout as well as eternal salvation,
>come by grace and grace comes by art
>and art does not come easy."
>-Norman Maclean
>
>******************************************************************************
>
>
>
