ABP Sleep Medicine

The ABP lists the sleep medicine certifying examination among its computer-based subspecialty certifying exams, and the subspecialty examinations are offered every year. Specific item counts, section timing, and appointment length are set by the ABP and published with exam dates and fees; consult those pages rather than relying on secondhand figures, since they change.

Beginning with examinations administered in 2014, applicants must have completed the training required for initial certification in the pediatric subspecialties within the previous seven years. If training was not completed within that window, an additional period of supervised practice is required before applying. Plan your application timeline with this expiration in mind.

Yes, with limits. A fellow engaging in part-time training must complete the required training on a part-time basis not to exceed two years. The training must still be in an ACGME- or RCPSC-accredited sleep medicine program and must be satisfactorily completed before the first day of the month in which the examination is administered.

Combined absences or leaves in excess of one month during the year of training, whether for vacation, parental leave, illness, or otherwise, must be made up. No continuous absence of more than one year is permitted, and interruptions beyond 12 months require Credentials Committee review of any request for previous credit.

The ABP source page does not state a sleep medicine-specific retake policy, number of permitted attempts, or waiting period between attempts. Because the subspecialty examinations are offered every year, most candidates regain eligibility annually, but you should confirm current retake rules and any fees directly with the ABP before reapplying.

No. Sleep medicine fellowship training credited toward the training requirements for admission to another ABP examination, such as pediatric pulmonology or neonatal-perinatal medicine, cannot also be used to fulfill the training requirements for the sleep medicine certifying examination. Likewise, no credit is given for training during core pediatrics residency or a chief residency.

A Verification Form must be on file at the ABP for admission. If training is unverified or any competency except professionalism alone is rated unsatisfactory, you must complete an additional period of subspecialty fellowship training before reapplying, with a separate Verification of Competence Form. Professionalism-only deficiencies may allow a supervised observation period plus an approved remediation plan.

Start with the highest-weight domains, sleep-related breathing disorders and insomnia, then move through hypersomnolence, circadian disorders, parasomnias, and movement disorders, finishing with pediatric considerations and testing procedures. Common failure modes are shallow pattern-matching on polysomnography scoring rules, neglecting pediatric presentations, and forgetting that fellows must demonstrate competence interpreting polysomnography, MSLT, MWT, actigraphy, and portable monitoring.

No. The certifying examination in 2011 was the last examination for which an individual could apply for certification in sleep medicine using practice experience accrued by the deadline stated in the original eligibility criteria when the subspecialty was established. Current applicants must meet the training-based admission requirements.

Yes. A candidate must have achieved initial certification in general pediatrics or in a subspecialty of pediatrics and continue to maintain certification in order to take a sleep medicine certifying examination, and no exceptions to this policy are granted. Confirm your MOC status well before the application deadline so acceptance is not delayed.