Adolescent Medicine

Initial Certification Requirements for Adolescent Medicine

If you are interested in obtaining a CAQ in Adolescent Medicine, you are required to:

• Continuously maintain your family medicine certification.
• Complete a minimum of 24 months of full-time training in an ACGME-accredited Adolescent Medicine fellowship training program and submit verification of completion documentation.
• Submit an online application with associated fees.
• Achieve a passing score on the Adolescent Medicine one-day exam
  (offered every other year in even numbered years).

For information regarding CAQ board eligibility, visit the CAQ Board Eligibility page.

Your first cycle of the Adolescent Medicine longitudinal assessment, MOCA-Peds, will begin in the sixth year after gaining initial certification. Going forward, you can expect to begin a new cycle of MOCA-Peds every five years to maintain your Adolescent Medicine certification.

Continuing Certification for Adolescent Medicine

To continue your CAQ in Adolescent Medicine, you are required to:

• Continuously maintain your family medicine certification.
• Submit an online application with the associated fees.
• Submit annual CAQ certification fees.
• Achieve a passing score on the Adolescent Medicine longitudinal assessment (MOCA-Peds).

*As of 2023, Diplomates holding a CAQ in Adolescent Medicine will transition to longitudinal assessment (MOCA-Peds) in the year their 10-year exam requirement is due; the one-day exam is not offered to physicians seeking continued certification. 

Going forward, you can expect to begin a new cycle of MOCA-Peds every five years to continue your CAQ in Adolescent Medicine. To learn more about MOCA-Peds, visit the Adolescent Medicine Longitudinal Assessment page.

Regaining Certification in Adolescent Medicine

If you previously held a CAQ in Adolescent Medicine, you can regain certification by:

• Continuously maintaining your family medicine certification.
• Submitting an online application with the associated fees.
• Achieving a passing score on the Adolescent Medicine one-day exam or MOCA-Peds.

After you pass the one-day exam, you will begin MOCA-Peds in the sixth year after regaining certification. Please note, if you enroll in MOCA-Peds while not certified, you will not regain your certification until you complete the assessment with a passing score (minimum three years).

How Do I Get Started?

If you are interested in obtaining, maintaining, or regaining a CAQ in Adolescent Medicine, you may access the online application for the exam under “Added Qualifications” in your MyABFM Portfolio.

For additional information, please contact us at adolescent@theabfm.org.