Continuing Certification Annual Fee Policy
The American Board of Ophthalmology establishes fees for Continuing Certification annually based on contract agreements with testing vendors and the overall cost of administering the program. Fees cover the 10-year cost of recertification for all ABO-administered activities along with two printed certificates suitable for framing. The ABO aims to keep Continuing Certification fees low. Despite rising inflation and continued investment in the recertification program, the ABO has not increased the $200 diplomate fee since 2012.
Annual fees are assessed on the first day of each calendar year and must be paid in full prior to accessing Continuing Certification activities. A downloadable invoice for each year's fee is located on your Status Page and a receipt for payment will be emailed to you upon successful completion of your online transaction. Fees paid to the ABO for Continuing Certification will not be refunded if you choose not to complete the remainder of your 10-year cycle.
Diplomates in active duty United States military service may request a 50% refund on all fees.
ABO fees are not tax deductible as charitable contributions; however, they may be deductible under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Please consult your tax preparer for advice.
2023 Fees
Completing the Continuing Certification program costs each diplomate $200 per year or a total of $2,000 for each 10-year period. These fees enable access to:
- The Quarterly Questions® program
- The Improvement in Medical Practice Menu
- Printed Certificates: Two are included; extra copies may be ordered at $30 per certificate
Double Your Investment
The value of the ABO Continuing Certification program far exceeds its cost. With the option to claim up to 80 CME credits over 10 years through the Quarterly Questions program (and the average cost of a CME credit being about $50 per hour), this makes the ABO's 80 credits worth approximately $4,000 -- twice the total dollar amount of the 10-year Continuing Certification program.
In addition, the American Medical Association (AMA) will reward the work diplomates do to stay certified with up to 60 additional AMA PRA Category 1™ credits upon completion of a 10-year cycle. To claim these credits, you must complete the AMA's online form and submit a copy of your ABO certificate or official Continuing Certification completion letter. Please note that a separate fee for this service is assessed by the AMA.
Additionally, the ABO provides easy-to-use tools to share your certification status with patients:
- Personalized Participation Web Badge: Download a personalized web badge for your practice website or social media profiles. Each badge links directly to the ABO verification page for your certification status.
- Public Search Profile Page: The search information provided through the Verify a Physician search tool details the American Board of Ophthalmology certification history for each ophthalmologist. You have the option to create a detailed diplomate information page for patients to view, which includes information about your training, practice location, and office contact information.