Cognate Program

Overview

Many states require continuing medical education (CME) to maintain a license to practice medicine. In 1974, ACOG introduced its Program for Continuing Professional Development, referred to as the Cognate Program. This voluntary program is designed to maintain CME credits and assist participants in meeting individual state requirements. Each ACOG cognate credit is recognized as equivalent to an AMA PRA Category 1 credit™.

The program is composed of six years made up of two three-year cycles. The first three-year cycle is established at the date of the earliest reported activity. A physician member that wishes to join the program may submit activities for the past two calendar years plus the current year. To receive an award, a participant must earn a minimum of 150 cognate credits within each three-year cycle. The award is issued automatically to a participant who successfully completes the program. Fulfilling the requirements will also qualify the physician member for the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award.

How to Participate in the Program

The program is open to all physician categories of ACOG. Enrollment in the program is automatic upon ACOG’s receipt of the first appropriate continuing medical education activity verification. Appropriate verification is a certificate of attendance or correspondence from an accredited provider indicating that the activity is Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)-accredited, that the activity was designated for Category 1 credit, and that the individual completed the activity. The certificate should include name, the ACOG ID number, the date of the activity, title of the activity, and the number of credits earned. If the activity is self-learning or related specifically to special topics (ie, ethics/professional responsibility, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS programs, infection control, risk management/professional liability, or ultrasound education, pain management or geriatrics), the accredited provider must indicate this information on the copy. When forwarding validation to ACOG:

Please check all certificates and correspondence for accuracy. ACOG staff will interpret the information and record it in your cognate file. Incorrect information may be invalidated.
Each physician should claim only those credits that they actually spent on the activity.
Include your ACOG identification number on the copy. It is the nine-digit number that appears on your ACOG membership card.
Fax or scan and email a copy of the appropriate verification to (202) 484-1586 or [email protected]. Please include your nine-digit ACOG ID number.

Category 1: Formal Learning Activities and Definitions

Category 1, Formal Learning, is defined as activities planned, coordinated, administered, and evaluated in terms of specific educational objectives for a defined group of individuals. Formal learning must be provided by an organization accredited by the ACCME and designated by that organization for Category 1 CME credit. Certificates issued by the organization must specify that the activity meets either ACOG or AMA Category 1 criteria. The certificate also must state the maximum number of credits that can be claimed for the activity.

Special Topics

To assist in meeting individual state requirements, postgraduate courses or meetings, enduring materials, or lectures related to specific topics will be identified on the transcript. These topics include:

Ethics/professional responsibility
Domestic violence
HIV/AIDS programs
Infection control
Risk management/professional liability
Ultrasound education
Pain management
Geriatrics
Patient safety education
Risk evaluation mitigation and strategies

Activity	Description	Cognate Credits	How to Obtain Credit
American Board of Obstetric and Gynecology (ABOG) MOC Part II MOC Part IV	Part II—Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment: Is delivered through article reading assignments from peer-reviewed literature Part IV: Improvement in Medical Practice Include activities that result in improved patient or population health outcomes, improved access to health care, improved patient experience (including patient satisfaction), andincreased value in the heal th care system	Part II: Receive up to 25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from ACOG upon successful completion of assignments. Part IV: Receive up to six AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from ACOG upon successful completion of activities.	Submit documentation from ABOG only if credit was not automatically updated from electronic file. ABOG reports to ACOG the total credits earned.
ACCME Category 1 Approved Programs	Non-ACOG postgraduate courses or meetings accredited by an ACCME provider	Per hour of attendance	Submit a copy of the certificate of attendance or correspondence from the accredited provider indicating the activity is ACCME accredited and the activity was designated for Category 1 credit and credits earned.
ACCME Category 1 Self-Instructional Programs	Accredited self-instructional programs related to the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology	Per hour of study	Submit documentation from ACCME provider indicating that the activity was a self-instructional enduring material program and indicating number of credits earned.
ACOG Meetings	Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting, District meetings, Section meetings, and postgraduate courses with formal evaluation, or other ACOG-accredited CME meetings	Per hour of attendance	Cognate credits are recorded automatically upon completion.
ACOG Self-Instructional Programs	Programs in audio, monograph or CD-ROM format that concentrate on specific areas in obstetrics and gynecology	Per hour of study	Cognate credits are recorded automatically upon completion and submission of the posttest or the evaluation form that accompanied the self-instructional program.
ACOG Clinical Updates in Women’s Health Care	Monograph series designed for practicing obstetrician–gynecologists who provide primary health care to women, available quarterly	Five credit hours per issue (Note: Two credit hours per issue for Volume 1 Issues 1 through 4)	Cognate credits are recorded automatically upon completion and submission of the posttest.
ACOG Webinar	ACOG-accredited online webcast	Per hour of study	Cognate credits are recorded automatically.
Hospital Training Sessions	Activities such as departmental scientific meetings, institutional training conferences, and grand rounds approved for Category 1 by an accredited ACCME provider	Per hour of attendance	Submit a copy of the certificate of attendance or correspondence from the sponsor indicating the sponsor is ACCME accredited and the activity was designated for Category 1 credit.
International Conferences	Organizations that have applied to AMA or European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to be recognized for credit. If they have been approved, the announcements will include the approval statement.	Per hour of attendance	Submit documentation. The documentation must include the approval statement from the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education or the AMA and indicate number of credits earned.
Manuscript Reviewing for ACOG Publications as Determined by ACOG	Physicians participating in the manuscript review process. All standards as outlined by the AMA must be met.	A maximum of three cognate credits per each review article. A maximum of five reviews per year. Maximum credits apply to the combination of all manuscript reviews.	Cognate credits are recorded automatically for ACOG publications. All others require documentation from the ACCME-accredited provider indicating Category 1 designation and credits earned.
Medicine-Related Degrees	Earning an advanced degree in an area related to medicine, such as a master’s in public health	Twenty-five cognate credits following the award of the degree	Submit a copy of the diploma or transcript.
Poster Presentation at an ACCME-Accredited Meeting	Presenting a poster at a medical meeting designated for Category 1 credit	Five cognate credits per poster, one poster per year	Submit a page from the program with the presentation abstract and identification of the presenter. Include page indicating Category 1 designation for the meeting.
PROLOG	ACOG Personal Review of Learning in Obstetrics and Gynecology for self assessment	Twenty-five cognate credits	Credited automatically upon completion and submission of the posttest
ACOG eModules	ACOG eModules are a self-evaluation program developed specifically as a learning resource for practicing obstetrician–gynecologists.	Seven cognate credits	Credited automatically upon completion and submission of the posttest
Published Articles in a Peer-Reviewed Journal or ACOG Publication as Defined by ACOG	First or second author as stated on the byline of an article published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, ACOG Clinical Updates, or PROLOG	Ten cognate credits per article, one article per year	Submit a reprint of the first page of the article.
Teaching at ACCME-Accredited Meetings	Teaching at a medical meeting designated for Category 1 credit	Two cognate credits for each hour of teaching, with a maximum of 10 credits per year	Submit a program or announcement of the activity with identification of the presenter and show the Category 1 designation for the meeting.
Test-Writing Activities for ACOG Educational Programs	Physician question writers participating in the development of an ACOG educational program. All criteria as outlined under the AMA guidelines must be followed.	Ten cognate credits per activity, per year	Cognate credits are submitted automatically during the writing process.

Participants in the ACOG Program for Continuing Professional Development can review their cognate activity on the member side of the ACOG website. If you have not registered, please go to ACOG home page, click on ACOG Member Login, and Register. Once you have been granted access to the member side, click on My ACOG and then click My CME Transcript. You will not be able to register more than one physician per email address. Each physician must have their own unique email address. We encourage you to review your transcript online and print if needed.

Cycle updates are made in January of each year and the ACOG Award for Continuing Professional Development is issued automatically to participants who successfully complete the program. The program requires a minimum of 150 cognate credits within a three-year cycle to earn the award certificate.

Please note that the College has a reciprocity agreement with the AMA that allows AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ to be equivalent to College Cognate Credits. Participants may claim College Cognate Credits or AMA PRA credits for qualified activities, but not both.

If there are any questions regarding the Program for Continuing Professional Development, please feel free to contact us.

Contact

Christina Brooks, Cognate Program Manager

Cognate Program
PO Box 96920
Washington, DC 20090-6920

[email protected]

Phone: (800) 673-8444, ext 2555
(202) 863-2555

Fax: (202) 484-1586