The American Board of Anesthesiology

07/24/2026

The ABA has conducted a mid-year update of its Policy Book to meet the evolving needs of programs, residents and board-certified anesthesiologists.

The Policy Book is a go-to roadmap for understanding ABA requirements. We encourage you to bookmark the Policies page of our website and refer back to it throughout your board certification journey.

Explore the latest revisions: https://loom.ly/T2rPut4

While the policy book is typically updated annually, the ABA Board of Directors found that a mid-year release was necessary this year to ensure our policies meet the evolving needs of our programs, residents and board-certified anesthesiologists.

07/21/2026

We are honored to be selected as the first-ever recipients of the ABMS Innovation Award for our development and implementation of MOCA Minute. We look forward to accepting this award at the upcoming 2026 ABMS Conference this September.

Also, major kudos to former ABA Board of Directors President Daniel J. Cole, M.D., for receiving the ABMS Edward M. Jackson, M.D., Derrick T. Vail, M.D. Award in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to medical specialty education and certification field.

Congratulations to The The American Board of Anesthesiology for being named the inaugural recipient of the 2026 ABMS Innovation Award!

The ABA has advanced approaches to assessment within medical specialty certification through the development and implementation of MOCA Minute®, which provides diplomates with a longitudinal assessment consisting of 120 multiple-choice assessment questions per year (30 per quarter), a defined period for response, and immediate feedback.

Born out of this innovation and its demonstrated success, all 24 ABMS Member Boards have adopted some form of longitudinal assessment as part of their continuing certification programs, underscoring the ABA’s foundational role in shaping the evolution of certification assessment.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4xL2Z3g

07/07/2026

MOCA Minute® helps you stay current with evolving clinical knowledge, and the MOCA Content Outline makes that process even easier.

This outline is a powerful resource that clearly maps out the topics covered in MOCA Minute questions, giving you a transparent look at what to expect.

Curious about what topics you may see in your MOCA Minute questions? The full content outline is available on our website: https://loom.ly/XDgjYDU

07/03/2026

Wishing you a happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸🎆 Our offices will be closed today in recognition and will re-open Monday, July 6.

07/02/2026

We heard your feedback and are pleased to launch our first annual MOCA Minute Feedback Report! The report is designed to provide transparency into board-certified anesthesiologists’ comments and demonstrate how that feedback informs improvements to MOCA Minute. 📝

Find the 2025 report on our website: https://loom.ly/8ht88Ig

06/30/2026

We’re excited to share that the ABA is now accepting applications for new APPLIED examiners through Friday, Aug. 21!

In order to become a volunteer examiner, eligible board-certified anesthesiologists must:
✔️ Hold a valid, unexpired certificate in anesthesiology
✔️ Have been certified no later than 2021
✔️ Be clinically active at least one day per week for 12 consecutive months over the past three years, on average
✔️ Be “Participating in MOCA” throughout their examiner service

For details on how to apply and a full look at the examiner commitment, check out our News post: https://loom.ly/v4YnuwA

Apply today to join the ranks of volunteer examiners who help us establish and uphold the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology!

06/26/2026

We wrapped up a productive and engaging Summer Item Writing Workshop last week at our Raleigh, N.C., headquarters. Our dedicated volunteers came together to collaborate, brainstorm and generate new questions for our initial and subspecialty exam item banks.

Interested in playing a part in shaping the future of our exams? Explore volunteer opportunities on our website, including APPLIED examiner recruitment which is open now through Aug. 21: https://loom.ly/Ao31Mx4

06/19/2026

In recognition of Juneteenth, the ABA will be closed for business as we commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. We will be back in the office on Monday, June 22. Happy Juneteenth!

06/16/2026

This week, our MOCA Minute Committee met in Raleigh, N.C. to review and refine MOCA Minute questions and content to help board-certified anesthesiologists stay current in a rapidly evolving specialty.

We’re grateful to our volunteers for their expertise, time and commitment to this important work.

06/11/2026