ABOG and ABU Rename Subspecialty to Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery

The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and the American Board of Urology (ABU) have announced the name change of the jointly sponsored subspecialty of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) to Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS), effective January 1, 2024. 

The joint proposal was supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society (AGOS), American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS), the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG), the Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology (SASGOG), the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS), and the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) for their members and the patients they serve. It was also supported by the European Urogynecological Association (EUGA) and the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA). 

“We are pleased to work with our colleagues at ABOG and the specialty societies to promote the name change to Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery,” said Dr. J. Brantley Thrasher, Executive Director of ABU. “We hope this new name will clarify for the public those clinicians who practice in this subspecialty-specific area.”  

The request for change was approved in June 2023 by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The joint proposal went through a period of open public comment, review by the ABMS Committee on Certification, and approval by the ABMS Board of Directors.  

ABOG and ABU FPMRS certification was approved by the ABMS in 2011, and the first subspecialists were certified in 2013. Approximately 1,700 subspecialists have achieved FPMRS certification by the two boards. FPMRS subspecialists must also be specialists in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology or urology, and they seek subspecialty certification after completion of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited fellowship programs. 

ABOG and ABU requested this change to more accurately describe the subspecialty and adopt a name that is more recognizable to the public, patients, and referring health care providers. 

“Ultimately, the goal of this name change is to make it easier for patients to find the care that they need,” stated Dr. Amy Young, ABOG Executive Director, and Dr. George Wendel, former ABOG Executive Director. 

FAQs about how this name change will affect ABOG diplomates can be found here.

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