During each hour of the examination, approximately 30 minutes of questions will be developed from the cases you submitted. Selected cases will be displayed on the computer screen for your reference and the examiner's reference. Some of the questions will specifically address how you evaluated and managed your actual patients.
The examiner will also use the cases to explore your management of similar patients with different specifications. For example, you might list a 48-year-old woman with an adnexal mass. After discussing the actual management, you might be asked if the management would have been different (and how) if the patient were 18 years old or 78 years old.
Questions will test your ability to:
- develop a diagnosis, including the necessary clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic procedures;
- select and apply proper treatment under elective and emergency conditions;
- prevent, recognize, and manage complications; and
- plan and direct follow-up and continuing care.
Carelessly prepared or incomplete case lists may contribute to failure to pass the Certifying Exam. All case lists will be submitted electronically. You can't bring a copy of your case list to the Certifying Exam for personal reference.
Case List Entry and De-Identification
All information for the case list for the Certifying Examination must be entered online. The information can be entered through any device with an internet connection, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers.
- To enter a case, open your ABOG portal and click on "Case List Entry."
- The entry process is simple, and common abbreviations are acceptable.
You will be asked to enter patient-identifying information on the case list that you print. This information will be stored on a non-ABOG HIPAA-compliant server. The electronic copy of the case list that is submitted to ABOG must not contain patient-identifying information. The case lists submitted to the ABOG office must not contain the patient hospital number or other identifying information other than age.
- The de-identification of patient case lists doesn't allow the omission of any patients under your care, which are otherwise to be reported.
- The completeness of your case list is subject to audit.
- If you're found to have not listed any case that is required, you'll be subject to disqualification from the exam and other discipline as appropriate.
