Letter: MOC is a money drain, but not really optional

Thank you for your continued coverage of our ongoing frustration and disgust with the entire Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process (“MOC: An examination of costs and impact to physicians,” July 25, 2014).

Regarding the cost of MOC, my greatest expense was actually the time I had to miss from my practice to study for the test and actually take the exam. I estimate that, in addition to the testing fees, preparation materials, etc, I lost about $7,000 to $10,000 in revenue. 

That was a huge expense for me, and as much as I would like to say I’ll never do it again, my hospital privileges and a few of my major insurance contracts hinge on my recertification. It is a grand mess. 

I love medicine or would have been burned out by all of this many years ago. Keep up the excellent work. We really do appreciate the support.

Beth Renzulli, MD
Middletown, Delaware