About CMQ

Introduction and Purpose-
The American Board of Medical Quality, with the cooperation of the American College of Medical Quality (ACMQ), will offer to ACMQ members, 2022 ACMQ national conference attendees, and other potential candidates a certification examination to test basic knowledge in medical quality management, including principles of clinical quality improvement. 
 
Apply to take the CMQ Exam- 
All candidates for certification or recertification must complete the electronic application on the ABMQ website and check the correct category: individual first time candidate, recertification candidate, ACMQ Member, or ACMQ Quality Scholar.
All applications will be reviewed and approved by the Applications Review Committee, appointed by the ABMQ Chair. 
If you meet the essential eligibility criteria for candidates you will be notified by email that your application has been approved.
 
Candidate Eligibility Criteria-
Exam Eligibility:
One of the following pathways must be met. The board exam applications require description and/or documentation of expertise and experience in quality improvement work.
Physician:
Have an MD, DO, DMD with an active unrestricted license to practice and expertise/experience in using the principles of quality to improve clinical practice.
Healthcare Doctorate:
Have a PhD, PharmD, DNP, JD in Health Law, DDS or other doctorate in a health related field, with expertise/experience in using the principles of quality improvement.
Post-graduate:
Have an MPH, MPA, MSc, MBA, MSN or other masters’ degree with expertise/experience in using the principles of quality improvement.
ACMQ Quality Scholar:
Medical students, residents or fellows who have been awarded the status of Quality Scholar by the American College of Medical Quality.
Registered Nurses:
Have a minimum BSN degree and working in healthcare management for five years.
Allied Health Professionals:
Have a bachelor degree working in a healthcare quality supervisory / leadership role for five years.
 
Suggested Study Materials-
Study materials in the basic tenets of medical quality management and clinical quality improvement as suggested by the American College of Medical Quality are:
a)    The ACMQ textbook Medical Quality Management: Theory and Practice.
       3rd Edition, 2021;
      Electronic Book and Hard Copy Available Here (Click here for book) 
b)    Introduction to Health Care Quality: Theory, Methods, and Tools. Dlugacz Y, 2016;
c)    The Health Care Quality Book: Vision, Strategy and Tools.
       3rd Edition. Nash D et al, 2014;
d)    The Quality Handbook for Health Care Organizations. Dlugacz Y et al, 2004;
e)    Other resources that may be announced later.
 
How to Apply & Register-
STEP 1:  Access the online application portal by visiting https://reg.testrac.com/abmq/
STEP 2:  Fill out the online application form and upload the necessary documents needed to get approval to take the exam
STEP 3:  Wait for the confirmation letter from ABMQ
STEP 4:  Once you receive the confirmation letter from ABMQ, proceed with the registration and payment via MENA Conference website
STEP 5:  A notification for confirmed payment will be sent to you along with the details of the examination
 
Exam & Application Guidelines-
All candidates for certification must complete the online application before the published deadline of application, 30th October, 2022. All applications will be reviewed and approved by the ABMQ Applications Review Committee, whose members are appointed by the chair of the ABMQ Board of Directors.
If you meet the essential eligibility criteria for candidates you will be notified that your application has been approved and you can proceed with payment and registration.
 
Date / Time: 26 November, 2022
Place: Al Ain University - Abu Dhabi Branch, Computer-based Testing Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Exam Duration & Format: Two hours/multiple choice questions (examination proctored either online or in-person)
 
Exam Scoring-
1. Examination questions, answers, and grading guidelines are developed and approved by the ABMQ Board of Directors.
2. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.
3. No credit is given for items for which more than one response is selected.
4. For the 2022 examination the passing score will be decided based on psychometric principles.
   All candidates achieving that score will be awarded the CMQ designation.
   The ABMQ Board of Directors reserves the right to change the grading system for future examinations in 2023 and beyond.
 
Reporting of Results-
Candidates will receive the results of their examination via email, pass or fail only, four weeks after the exam. Individual test scores will be released only to the candidate and only upon request
Designation of Successful Candidate
Certified in Medical Quality (CMQ)
 
Certification Expiration-
The initial CMQ certification expires after 5 years.
Subsequent certifications, i.e., recertifications, expire after 10 years.