Clarifying ABOG’s Mission and the Certification Process

ABOG Leadership team

Statements Clarifying ABOG's Mission & the Certification Process An overview of ABOG’s mission and certification standards, including the role of in‑person examinations and the principles that guide fair, secure, and evidence‑based assessment.

The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) acknowledges the perspectives and concerns raised by attorneys general regarding the safety and accessibility of in-person certification exams, particularly for providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care.

"ABOG’s certification process advances high-quality OB-GYN care through our initial and continuing assessments."

These assessments are grounded in science and foster clinical expertise delivered with professionalism by board-certified diplomates to patients nationwide. ABOG strives to serve society by advancing knowledge, practice, and professionalism in women's health and supports that objective by defining standards and certifying obstetricians and gynecologists. Pursuing board certification demonstrates an individual physician’s commitment to their patients to achieve these standards and to continually learn and strive for mastery throughout their career.

To respect our patients, candidates, and diplomates, ABOG is passionately committed to conducting its board certification processes in a fair and safe manner. ABOG continually monitors and reassesses evidence-based medicine, the science of psychometrics, legislation, case law, and regulations to ensure that our processes accomplish excellence in assessment.

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In-Person Exams Ensure Quality and Equity

ABOG's priority through certification is to promote high-quality care for OB-GYN patients. In-person exams, conducted at our purpose-built National Center, provide the most equitable, fair, secure, and standardized assessment. Remote exams were a necessary but temporary pandemic measure and do not offer the optimal method of assessment.

ABOG must utilize best assessment practices when administering certification exams to ensure certification serves as a reliable indication to all patients that their physician has successfully completed a comprehensive and rigorous certification process.

Certification Is Not Required to Practice Medicine

While certification is often used by hospitals and insurers as a measure of competence, certification is not a prerequisite to practice medicine and care for patients. After graduate medical training, state licensure is the legal requirement for medical practice in all but rare cases.

ABOG does not oversee medical training (residency/fellowship) or medical licensure. Following training, the certifying process is the final critical step for those physicians seeking certification and serves as a peer assessment of an individual provider's actual practice.

Certification Is Voluntary and Apolitical

Certification is a voluntary, professional assessment process and must be independent of political influence. ABOG is ardently committed to its mission of defining standards, certifying OB-GYN physicians, and promoting continuous learning to advance women's health.

Our standards are evidence-based, psychometrically rigorous and sound, and aligned with national practices to support our primary objective of promoting quality care for OB-GYN patients across the spectrum of the specialty. Because it is grounded in science, the process of defining standards and administering assessments must remain free from political influence and other biases.

Simultaneously, the assessment process must respect and honor the diverse viewpoints of candidates and diplomates, provided those viewpoints are supported by evidence.

"All exam-related information, including an individual candidate's exam date, is confidential and shared only with the candidate."

Security, Confidentiality, and Support

All exam-related information, including an individual candidate's exam date, is confidential and shared only with the candidate. It is the candidate's prerogative to share exam scheduling details with anyone outside of ABOG. ABOG's candidacy process is designed to allow ABOG to verify a candidate's deidentified clinical practice history.

The exam facility operates under robust security protocols and has no identifying signage. There have been no incidents of harm to candidates or examiners across thousands of in-person examinations. ABOG continues to assess and evolve security protocols to ensure this record of safety is maintained.

Emergency medical support for pregnant and non-pregnant conditions has been arranged for candidates and examiners and is located approximately 3 miles from the National Center. Additionally, candidates have up to 8 years to complete the certification process, which offers flexibility if additional time is needed for any reason: preference, medical, or other.

Texas laws apply to physicians licensed in Texas and to clinical care provided to patients within Texas. In recent days, the Texas legislature has passed the Life of the Mother Act, which clarifies that physicians in Texas are able to act to address lethal and non-lethal medical risks to pregnant patients.

Closing Statement

ABOG has consistently responded to and continues to respond to all inquiries from individuals and groups regarding the in-person certifying exam. Our goal is to provide all candidates with equitable and secure exam experiences, and our collective objective is for candidates to achieve successful exam outcomes based on an evidence-based and psychometrically rigorous exam process inclusive of all scopes of practice. ABOG continuously monitors legal developments and maintains its commitment to protecting the confidentiality and safety of all examinees, as it has for nearly 100 years of assessing candidates for board certification.