Continuous Certification Policies

All UCNS certifications are continuous beginning with the date of issuance when the continuous certification requirements are met. The UCNS Board has adopted a policy setting forth requirements that must be met by all diplomates to continue their certification. This policy applies to all current and future diplomates.

General Requirements

To meet continuous certification requirements diplomates must:
  1. Continue to be a diplomate in good standing in the primary specialty of an ABMS member board or the RCPSC
  2. Maintain a current, active, valid, unrestricted, and unqualified license to practice medicine
  3. Pay annual C-cert fee
  4. Read the annual journal reading list assigned to the subspecialty
  5. Take and pass annual C-cert quizzes

Transitional Requirements

  1. Diplomates who were certified prior to the effective date of this policy, must meet CME requirements to document life-long learning activities during the time-limited period as outlined in the CME Transition Requirements for Continuous-Certification Table. Diplomates must attest that all CME requirements have been met by December 2, 2019, at which time they will be transitioned to C-cert and their certification status listed as “Certified – Meeting Requirements.”
  2. Diplomates who do not meet or attest to the subspecialty CME credits prior to December 2, 2019, will have their certification status listed as “Certified – Not Meeting Requirements.”
  3. Diplomates who recertified in 2016, 2017, or 2018 will have their C-cert fees waived until the fifth year after their recertification year.

Reinstatement for Lapsed Diplomates Prior to 2020

Diplomates whose certification lapsed prior to 2020 have an opportunity to reinstate their certification in 2020. If the requirements are not met by December 31, 2019, those diplomates must take and pass the initial certification examination in order to reinstate their certification.  

Reinstatement requirements are as follows:
  1. Pay reinstatement fee
  2. Submit 60 subspecialty-specific AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM from original 10-year cycle, PLUS six subspecialty-specific AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM  for each year past the recertification lapse date by December 2, 2019

If the above requirements are not met by 2020, they must take and pass the initial certification examination to reinstate their certification.

Reinstatement for Diplomates Due in 2020 and Later

Diplomates certified between 2009 and 2019 who chose not to transition to continuous certification in 2020 will be considered “Certified – Not Meeting Requirements.” Certification can be reinstated if the reinstatement requirements are met prior to December 31, 2021 (two years from initiation of C-cert). Physicians who do not meet the reinstatement requirements by December 31, 2021 will be required to take the initial certification examination to regain certification. 

Reinstatement requirements are as follows:
  1. Pay reinstatement fee
  2. Pay annual C-cert fees from time of lapse to present
  3. Submit CME as displayed in transition requirements CME table for C-cert, PLUS six subspecialty-specific AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM  for each year past the recertificatin lapse date by December 2, 2019
  4. Read annual reading list of journal articles
  5. Take and pass current year's C-cert quiz
  6. Take and pass C-cert quizzes from lapsed period

Reinstatement for Diplomates Certified in 2020 and Later

Physicians initially certified in 2020 and later who chose not to participate in continuous certification will be considered “Certified - Not Meeting Requirements” until reinstatement requirements are met. Reinstatement requirements must be met within two years of initial certification. Physicians who do not meet the reinstatement requirements within two years will be required to take the initial certification examination to regain certification. 

Reinstatement requirements are as follows:
  1. Pay reinstatement fee
  2. Pay annual C-cert fees from time of lapse to present
  3. Pay current year's C-cert fee
  4. Read annual reading list of journal articles
  5. Take and pass current year's C-cert quiz
  6. Take and pass C-cert quizzes from lapsed period

Failed Annual Quizzes

Any diplomate who fails a C-cert quiz may re-take the quiz two additional times in the same year. If an examinee should fail the third attempt their certification status will change to “Certified – Not Meeting Requirements” until they pass the quiz the following year. If a diplomate does not pass the quiz in the second year their certification status will change to “Not Certified.” Certification may be regained through passage of the initial certification examination.