General Information
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.
View a list of approved abbreviations.