Re: ACOG
From: Charlie Chambers (ricechaz@earthlink.net)
Wed May 30 13:44:26 2007
Correct if I'm wrong but the written exam in the bulletin is new not
the one currently being offerred. It will be available 2013. The way
I read it (could be incorrect), everyone has to take this exam as
well as the annual recert, and a new CQI module (10 "modules" every 6
years). It doesn't appear to have a choice of the 3.
On May 30, 2007, at 10:56 AM, mark decker wrote:
> 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
>>
>> *********************************************************************
>> *********
>>
>
************************************************************************
*
Charlie Chambers
Hood River, OR
cchamber@alumni.rice.edu
"No matter where you go...
there you are."
Dr. Buckaroo Banzai
************************************************************************
