The American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) has announced an upcoming change in how Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit is recognized for ABTS Continuing Certification (CC) requirements.
Effective December 31, 2027, ABTS will retire self-reporting of CME credit by diplomates. This means that for an ABTS surgeon to have their CME credit count toward their ABTS Continuing Certification (CC) requirements, CME credit must be reported directly by the accredited provider through PARS (or JA-PARS, as applicable) beginning January 1, 2028.
What this means for accredited providers
Accredited organizations whose CME activities are used by ABTS diplomates may wish to begin—or continue—registering activities and reporting individual learner credit to ABTS through PARS/JA-PARS.
Why this matters
This change reflects a broader shift toward automated, provider-reported CME data, a transition many providers have already navigated with other certifying boards. Reporting individual learner credit through PARS/JA-PARS helps reduce administrative burden for physicians, improves the accuracy and verification of CME data, and supports a more efficient, reliable system for recognizing CME credit.
When providers report CME credit, physicians can view and manage their CME automatically in CME Passport, a free, secure tool that allows them to find CME that counts for ABTS, see credits reported on their behalf, and download a consolidated transcript—without uploading certificates or manually entering activities.
What’s next
This announcement is the first in a series of communications from ABTS, ACCME, and Joint Accreditation over the next two years to support a smooth transition. Additional details, resources, and reminders will be shared in future newsletters.
For questions about reporting learner credit or registering activities in PARS or JA‑PARS, accredited providers may contact ACCME at info@accme.org or Joint Accreditation at info@jointaccreditation.org.
