QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR DIPLOMATES
Listed below are questions and answers most relevant to diplomates of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, particularly related to maintenance of certification, grouped under these major headings:
There are also separate listings of the questions most relevant to candidates and the public and medical organizations and a comprehensive list of all questions and answers.
APPLICATIONS FOR EXAMS, TRACKING AND ADDRESS CHANGES
How do I get an application for an examination?
You must submit a written request for any application for an examination offered by this Board. The request should include your name, address, social security number (social insurance number for Canadians) and a phone number. The request can be faxed to 214 871 1943 or mailed to the Board Office.
Was my application, case list or payment received?
Due to the enormous amount of mail received by the Board office, we cannot confirm receipt of packages immediately following a deadline.
The Board recommends that you submit all applications, case lists or miscellaneous items that must be received by a set deadline, by a courier service that has a tracking procedure.
Please refer to the "Word of Caution" statement.
I have changed my name and/or my address; how do I notify the Board of the change(s)?
Notifications of changes in name or address must be received in writing. Please include your previous name or address and social security number. If you are changing your name, you must also include legal documentation of the change (i.e., marriage certificate or divorce decree).
ANNUAL BOARD CERTIFICATION (ABC)
When do I begin the ABC process?
If you have a certificate with no time limit, you can start at any time.
If you have a time-limited certificate and start the process more than two years prior to the expiration of your certificate, this is considered voluntary recertification and will add no time to your certificate.
By commencing two years or less prior to your expiration date, will constitute certificate renewal for the year following the expiration date imprinted on your certificate for the first year the ABC examination was taken and then annually, thereafter.
If I start now, do I have to continue every year even though my certificate does not expire until 2011?
No. Prior to 2009, this would be a voluntary process and is strictly up to the individual as to whether they wish to continue it on a yearly basis.
Does this cancel my certificate that is not due to expire for a number of years even when I pass the ABC examination?
No. This is voluntary until two years prior to the expiration of your certificate and does not affect the original date imprinted on your certificate.
I'm grandfathered; does this affect my unlimited (non-expiring) certificate?
No. An unlimited certificate remains unlimited.
Does the ABC certificate replace the 6-year written examination?
No. There are two options. You can take the written recertification examination once every 6 years, or you can take the ABC annually commencing as early as two years before your time-limited certificate is due to expire.
Although it says annual, do I have to do this every year?
No. Prior to the expiration of your time-limited certificate, this does not have to be done yearly. Once you begin recertification, then YES it must be completed annually to maintain your certification.
If I do not achieve a 70% or higher pass rate, what happens? Do I get another chance? Will it be in the same year?
Yes. If you receive notice by November, 2007, of failure on the ABC examination, a second attempt to take the same examination will be allowed. Information will be included in the notice of failure about how you may re-apply. Please note that there is an additional fee associated with re-taking this examination.
Do I have to pass to earn the CME credits?
Yes.
How does an incomplete examination affect my original certificate?
If you do not have a time-limited certificate or if this is being performed in a voluntary fashion, an incomplete examination will not affect your original certificate.
Also, if you take the ABC one or two year(s) prior to the expiration date of a time-limited certificate, your certification will not be affected.
If you take the ABC examination in the year that your certificate expires and this is the only method of certificate renewal you have chosen, you will temporarily not be certified or recertified if you do not properly complete the examination.
If I am applying for hospital privileges and do not pass the ABC examination, will this information be released if the hospital asks?
The short answer is no; however, if you have a time-limited certificate which is expiring and you fail the examination, your certificate will expire. If the hospital inquires, they will be told that your certificate has expired.
Where can I obtain the articles?
The articles can be obtained from your hospital library or a medical college near you. You also can obtain some of the articles from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' publications. There are also companies that can obtain medical articles for a fee. Using the internet and your favorite search engine, try searching with the key words "ABOG articles."
ABOG can not supply these articles because of copyright laws.
May I refer to the articles while answering the questions?
Yes.
When will the final grade be released?
The final grades will be reported in November of each year. If you did not pass and you were given additional time to re-take the examination, the results will be provided to you approximately one month after you repeat the examination (see above).
This information will be furnished to ACOG in January.
Are the CME credits for the year that I take the ABC examination or the next year? When do they become effective?
The CME credits are effective for the year you take the examination. For example, if you take and pass the ABC process in 2006, the CME credits are effective for the year 2006.
If I answer all the questions in all three (3) test books, do I still have to get only 84 questions correct out of the 180 or do I have to get more answers correct?
You will be graded on the first 120 questions that you submit. You must correctly answer 70% or 84 of the first 120 questions you choose. If you choose to answer the next 60 questions and submitted an extra $50.00 you will receive 10 additional CME credits. You still must answer 70% of these additional questions. Thus, you MUST answer all 180 questions, and correctly answer 70% or 126 of the 180.
If my certificate expires in 2009 and I am taking the ABC process in 2007, when will my certificate expire?
Your certificate was dated to expire in the year 2009 and you take the ABCC process in 2007, your new certificate will expire on December 31, 2010.
Are all of the answers to the questions in the assigned articles?
Usually. There are occasional exceptions to this when a higher order of thinking is required to select the correct answer. In other words, you must read the article in order to arrive at a conclusion to a problem-solving question which is not specifically stated in the article. This type of question is not frequent, but at least one such question is almost always included in each of the assignments.
Can all the questions be answered on one answer sheet?
YES.
Who will contact us that our certificate is expiring?
It is the responsibility of the Diplomate to seek information concerning the current requirements for maintenance of certification as an obstetrician/ gynecologist.
Next: Frequently Asked Questions for the Public and Medical Organizations
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