LLSA is the newest certification requirement from my specialty board, ABEM. It’s a yearly test (called Emergency Medicine Continuous Certification, “EMCC”) over a set of articles meant to review topics relevant to emergency medicine. I have to take them in order to be eligible to retest for board certification in about 9 years.
I just finished the first test (released in 2004, and available for 3 years, so it’s not very deadline-driven), and it was a fair test of the material. Although there’s no CME associated with the test itself, I used a review course to prepare, and that did come with CME, so it’s covered.
I wonder, though, as more and more medical specialties go to LLSA, will the states look at passage of the LLSA as either a) a sign of adequate CME, or b) a requirement for continued licensure? I’m all for the former, but against the latter.
LLSA is, by the way, a really horrible acronym. EMCC is a little better.
Since I’ve got to recert in 2005, I figured that I do the LLSA for 2004 and 2005 first. Did you take the EMA review course? I’m doing that right now and find it pretty useful.
I did the Bukata/Hoffman course. I didn’t find the CD’s all that useful (terrible lot of densely packed info in there), but their study guide and pre-test were excellent, and good prep.