“Our aim is to make it a simple matter for AANS Active members to fulfill the Maintenance of Certification requirements as they evolve,” said Christopher Loftus, MD, chair of the newly established AANS Education and Maintenance of Certification Committee known as EMC2. “It may be tempting to view MOC requirements as another onerous burden, but the ‘membership advantage’ is that the AANS, through EMC2, is taking on the burden.”
Dr. Loftus said that a primary focus of EMC2 is creating an accessible, member-friendly mechanism that will manage the process and eliminate the guesswork-Have I met current the requirements? What do I need to do and how long do I have to do it?-and the attendant worry.
“I envision our members logging into ‘My AANS’ on the AANS Web site, viewing an accounting of their own continuing medical education credits that tells them what they need to accomplish and the timeframe for doing so, reviewing a listing of pertinent CME opportunities, and clicking and registering for a needed course or meeting,” he explained. “A simple, effective, all-encompassing CME management process that is tied into ABNS requirements will free members to concentrate on practicing neurosurgery rather than scrutinizing the details of the MOC process.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Loftus has been involved with various aspects of incorporating neurosurgical education into neurosurgical practice. At present he serves as chair of neurosurgery at the University of Oklahoma and chair of the AANS Publications Committee.