OCC Overview FAQs
The number of physicians taking our exams is small and has been declining.
The last exams for candidates wishing to pursue osteopathic certification in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine or Forensic Pathology will be offered in 2024.
The OCC cycle will be a 3-year cycle aligned with the certification CME cycle. To maintain continuous certification, diplomates will be required to adhere to the OCC process as detailed below:
- Maintain valid, active medical licensure in good standing in the U.S., its territories or Canada.
- Adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.
- Complete each 3-year certification CME cycle.
- 2022-2024: For the current 2022-2024 cycle, the requirement will remain 60 total CME credits.
- 2025-2027 and beyond: Beginning with the 2025-2027 certification CME cycle, the requirement for all diplomates will be 120 total CME credits. Of the 120 total CME hours required, 25% (or 30 CME hours) must be specialty specific.
- Please note, the specialty-specific requirement is 25% total, not 25% for each specialty/subspecialty certified.
- Specialty-specific CME will be verified by the diplomate via a self-attestation form, subject to random audit by the AOBPa.
- Pay an annual certificate maintenance fee of $100 beginning in 2024 to cover administrative costs associated with CME services and activity. This fee is waived for members of the AOA.
- OCC Component 3: Cognitive Assessment and OCC Component 4: Practice Performance Assessment will be discontinued effective immediately.
In order to maintain continuous certification of a non-time limited certificate, diplomates will be required to adhere to the requirements as detailed below:
- Maintain valid, active medical licensure in good standing in the U.S., its territories or Canada.
- Adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.
- Complete each 3-year certification CME cycle
- 2022-2024: For the current 2022-2024 cycle, the requirement will remain 120 total CME credits.
- 2025-2027 and beyond: Beginning with the 2025-2027 certification CME cycle, the requirement for all diplomates will be 120 total CME credits. Of the 120 total CME hours required, 25% (or 30 CME hours) must be specialty-specific.
- Please note, the specialty-specific requirement is 25% total, not 25% for each specialty/subspecialty certified. CME can be earned in any combination of Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Dermatopathology or any of the other subsets of pathology (cytopathology, blood banking, etc.).
- Specialty-specific CME will be verified by the diplomate via a self-attestation form, subject to random audit by the AOBPa.
- Pay an annual certificate maintenance fee of $100 beginning in 2024 to cover administrative costs associated with CME services and activity. This fee is waived for members of the AOA.
The requirements listed above apply equally to certifications in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine and Forensic Pathology. Holding multiple certificates does not increase any of the requirements.
The only certification that has any additional requirements is the conjoint subspecialty certification of Dermatopathology.
The Dermatopathology Conjoint Certification Examination Committee is still currently active. In addition to maintaining active licensure and completing the new 120 CME requirement with 25% specialty-specific attestation each CME cycle (beginning in 2025-2027), you will be required to pass the OCC cognitive assessment examination in Dermatopathology.
Currently, you are eligible to sit for the OCC exam in the final three (3) years of certification (e.g., If your Dermatopathology certificate expires in 2027, you are eligible to take the OCC exam in 2025, 2026 or 2027.)
For more information on the Dermatopathology OCC process, please visit the Dermatopathology OCC Overview webpage.
No. Your certification is still time-limited, and you must complete your OCC requirements to maintain active certification. The OCC cycle will be three (3) years long, coinciding with the certification CME cycle (2025-2027, 2028-2030, etc.).
The AOBPa will provide one final printed certificate to each diplomate with a time-limited certificate that follows the current certificate format.
Under current policy, no. If you are in this situation, please contact the AOBPa via email at AOBPa@osteopathic.org or via phone (312) 202-8227 to discuss your options.
Pay an annual certificate maintenance fee of $100 beginning in 2024 to cover administrative costs associated with CME services and activity. This fee is waived for members of the AOA.