Specialty Certifying Exam Preparation
Two important areas and corresponding topics to help you prepare for the Specialty Certifying Exam:
- Exam Content/Topics - You can view the topics list or download a PDF version below.
- Visit Cast List Preparation for comprehensive details about prepping your case lists to submit.
Exam Blueprint
Approximately 30% of the questions on the test will be in the area of Obstetrics, 30% in Gynecology, 30% in Office Practice and Women's Health, and 10% in Cross Content. The approximate percentage of questions in subcategories may be viewed in the 2023 Specialty Certifying Exam bulletin.
2023 Exam Topics:
Provide preconception, prenatal, and antenatal care
- Provide management, counseling, and testing for routine prenatal care
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide initial management of co-existent medical diseases (e.g., cardiovascular, chronic hypertension, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal including liver disease, hematologic, endocrine including thyroid, psychiatric disorders, autoimmune including DM, neoplastic, dermatologic, neurologic, obesity) during pregnancy
- Provide patient counseling regarding options, risks, and benefits of genetic testing
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage the following preconception/antenatal conditions
- Select, perform, and/or interpret antepartum fetal assessment and manage associated abnormalities (e.g., biophysical profile, contraction stress test, nonstress test, vibroacoustic stimulation)
- Apply knowledge of female anatomy and pathophysiology to improve patient outcomes
- Patients at risk for preterm delivery
- Common antepartum complications (e.g., hyperemesis, first trimester bleeding)
- Medical disorders unique to pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, eclampsia, hyperemesis, gestational diabetes, cholestasis, acute fatty liver, peripartum cardiomyopathy, PUPPS, herpes gestationis)
- Infectious diseases in pregnancy (e.g., HIV, Group A Streptococcus, varicella, pyelonephritis, CMV, toxoplasmosis, parovirus)
- Surgical conditions (e.g., acute abdomen, adnexal masses) during pregnancy
- Abnormal fetal presentation (e.g., external cephalic version)
- Manage multifetal gestation
- Fetal growth abnormalities (e.g., fetal growth restriction, macrosomia)
- Post-term pregnancies
- Thrombophilias
- Fetal assessment/prenatal diagnosis (e.g., fetal anomalies, abnormal AFV, ultrasound assessment - infectious disease exposure, isoimmunization, non-immune hydrops)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide co-management of non-obstetric emergencies during pregnancy (e.g., trauma, intimate partner violence, sexual assault)
Provide general intrapartum care
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide operative vaginal delivery (e.g., forceps, vacuum)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide operative delivery (e.g., cesarean delivery)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and repair obstetric lacerations and associated complications
- Counsel patients on analgesia options and manage intrapartum pain
- Evaluate and diagnose infants in need of resuscitation and perform initial management
- Manage induction and augmentation of labor including cervical ripening
- Prevention and management of thrombosis
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage the following intrapartum conditions
- Labor abnormalities (e.g., preterm labor, dystocia, PROM, cord problems, abnormal presentation)
- Obstetric hemorrhage
- Medical disorders
- Infectious diseases
- Placental abruption
- Abnormal placentation
- Uterine rupture
- Uterine inversion
- Placental abnormalities (e.g., placenta previa and vasa previa)
- Acute maternal decompensation (e.g., amniotic fluid embolism, septic shock)
- Fetal heart rate abnormalities
- Previous cesarean delivery (e.g., TOLAC, VBAC)
- Infectious complications
Perform the following obstetrical procedures
- Amniocentesis for fetal lung maturation and genetic testing
- 1st-, 2nd, and 3rd-degree vaginal laceration repair
- 4th-degree vaginal laceration repair
- Debridement and repair of perineal dehiscence
- Cervical laceration repair
- Breech vaginal delivery
- Vaginal delivery of twin gestation
- Internal version and extraction
- Operative vaginal delivery (low forceps, vacuum)
- Shoulder dystocia maneavers
- Cesarean delivery
- Peripartum hysterectomy
- Management of abnormal placental location (e.g., placenta previa)
- Management of abnormal placentation (e.g., placenta accreta)
- Surgical management of uterine atony
- Management of hysterotomy extension
- Management of cystotomy
- Management of enterotomy
- Neonatal circumcision
- Cervical cerclage
- Postpartum uterine curettage
- Amnioinfusion
Provide general postpartum care
- Provide routine care (e.g., breastfeeding, contraception, pain management)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage postpartum complication (e.g., vulvar and vaginal hematoma, endometritis, mastitis)
- Evaluate and manage common medical and obstetric complications or conditions (e.g., gestational diabetes, hypertension, depression, thyroid disorders, psychiatric disorders)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage lactation and breastfeeding complications
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage postpartum hemorrhage
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage postpartum hypertensive disorders
Provide general preoperative evaluation
- Counsel patient about risks, benefits, and alternative treatment options
- Determine appropriate surgical intervention
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage co-existing medical conditions
- Obtain informed consent
Perform the following perioperative care
- Provide interventions to reduce perioperative infection
- Provide interventions to reduce venous thromboembolism
- Communicate with interdisciplinary team members to reduce surgical error (e.g., timeouts, counts, fire hazard risk)
- Communicate with interdisciplinary team members to provide appropriate anesthesia and positioning
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage postoperative care
- A hemodynamically unstable patient
- Nerve injuries
- Wound complications
- Postoperative venous thromboembolism
- Nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Fever and infections
- Urinary tract complications
- Altered mental status
- Small / large bowel injury
Provide general intraoperative care
- Apply knowledge of female pelvic anatomy to reduce intraoperative complications
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage intraoperative hemorrhage
- Evaluate, diagnose, and initially manage small / large bowel injury
- Evaluate, diagnose, and initially manage urinary tract injury
Evaluate, diagnose, and surgically manage
- Acute pelvic pain
- Pelvic inflammatory disease/TOA
- Vulvar disorders
- Gynecologic trauma
- Adnexal torsion
- Ectopic pregnancy and pregnancies of unknown location
Perform minimally invasive surgical procedures
- Diagnostic hysteroscopy
- Diagnostic laparoscopy
- Operative hysteroscopy (e.g., endometrial ablation, myomectomy, polypectomy, septoplasty)
- Laparoscopic ablation and excision of endometriosis
- Laparoscopic hysterectomy (e.g., LAVH, supracervical, TLH)
- Operative laparoscopy (e.g., LOA, ovarian cystectomy, salpingectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy, salpingostomy)
- Laparoscopic myomectomy
- Laparoscopic sterilization
- Lysis of intrauterine adhesions
- Proximal fallopian tube cannulation (chromopertubation)
Perform gynecologic surgical procedures for benign disorders
- Abdominal hysterectomy
- Abdominal myomectomy
- Bartholin gland duct cystectomy
- Bartholin glad duct marsupialization
- Bilateral tubal ligation
- Cervical conization
- Cherney incision
- Cornual wedge resection
- Dilatation and sharp curettage
- Dilatation and suction curettage
- Exploratory laparotomy
- Hymenectomy
- Labia minora reduction
- Lysis of adhesions
- Maylard incision
- Midline vertical incision
- Oophorectomy
- Ovarian cystectomy
- Pfannenstiel incision
- Salpingectomy
- Salpino-oophorectomy
- Salpingostomy
- Trachelectomy
- Vaginal hysterectomy
- Vaginal septum excision
- Vestibulectomy
- Vulvar abscess or hematoma drainage
- Wound debridement and secondary closure
Perform surgeries for pelvic floor disorders (e.g., prolapse, incontinence)
- Diagnostic and operative cystoscopy and urethroscopy
- Surgical repair of urinary incontinence (e.g., Burch colposuspension, tension-free vaginal tape, transobturator tape sling)
- Vesicovaginal fistula repair
- Vaginal prolapse repair (e.g., anterior colporrhaphy, posterior colporrhaphy, perineorrhaphy)
- Vaginal apical suspension (e.g., uterosacral ligament suspension, sacrospinous ligament fixation, McCall culdoplasty)
- Colpocleisis
Provide general neoplasia care
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage intraoperative findings consistent with neoplasia
- Evaluate and diagnose genetic risks of neoplasia
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage gestational trophoblastic disease
Provide routine care
- Perform age-appropriate preventative health screening
- Provide appropriate immunizations
- Evaluate and manage at-risk patients and recommend genetic screening and cancer preventive measures
- Counsel and promote wellness (e.g., weight management, diet, smoking cessation, exercise)
- Family planning (individual reproductive priorities, contraception, optimize fertility, and pre-pregnancy health)
- Risks and benefits of ovarian preservation
Provide care for patients with unique obstetric or gynecologic needs including
- Geriatric patients
- Pediatrics (<12 years) patients and Adolescent (<21 years) patients
- LGBTQIA patients
- Substance and alcohol abuse
- Intimate partner violence and sexual assault
- Psychiatric disorders
- Reproductive tract congenital anomalies
Evaluate and initiate management of primary care problems
- Breast disorders
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Thyroid disease
- Osteopenia/osteoporosis
- Obesity
- Depression and anxiety
- Acne and dermatological conditions
- Low back pain
- Headaches
Perform general office gynecology care
- Evaluate, diagnose, and initiate management of infertility disorders
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage disorders of menopause (e.g., vasomotor, genitourinary syndrome of menopause)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and initiate management for sexual development disorders (e.g., structural, chromosomal)
- Provide cervical cancer screening and manage abnormal results
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage adnexal abnormalities (e.g., simple and complex masses)
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage pelvic pain disorders and endometriosis
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide gynecologic care for women with HIV
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide gynecologic care for women with Hepatitis B/C
- Evaluate, diagnose, and manage urinary tract infections
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage endocrine disorders
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Galactorrhea
- Hirsutism
- Disorders of puberty
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage disorders of menstruation
- Primary amenorrhea
- Secondary amenorrhea
- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Dysmenorrhea
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage vulvovaginal conditions
- Benign conditions (e.g., infections, dermatoses, cysts)
- Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia / Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia
- Chronic pain / vulvodynia
- Pediatric (e.g., labial adhesions
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage structural uterine abnormalities
- Leiomyomata
- Polyps
- Hyperplasia
- Adenomyosis
Evaluate, diagnose, and initiate management of incontinence / pelvic floor disorders
- Urinary incontinence
- Accidental bowel leakage
- Pelvic organ prolapse
Evaluate and manage early pregnancy disorders
- Abortion (e.g., spontaneous, incomplete, missed)
- Recurrent pregnancy loss
- Pregnancy of unknown location
- Ectopic
Evaluate, diagnose, and initiate management for reproductive tract cancer
- Vulva
- Cervix
- Uterus
- Ovary
- Fallopian Tubes
Evaluate, diagnose, and manage sexually transmitted infections
- Chlamydia
- Syphilis
- Gonorrhea
- HPV
- Herpes Simplex Virus
- Trichomonas
- Rare STIs (Lymphogranuloma venereum, Chancroid, Molluscum contagiosum)
- Partner treatment
- Prophylaxis including PrEP
Perform office-based procedures
- Diagnostic hysteroscopy
- Endometrial ablation
- Induced abortion
- First trimester uterine aspiration
- Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)
- Biopsies
- Colposcopy (e.g., cervical, vaginal, vulvar)
- Placement and removal of intrauterine device
- Placement and removal of long-acting reversible contraception
- Pessary fitting
- Incision and drainage of vulvovaginal cyst, abscess and hematoma
- Treatment of condyloma
- Wound care
Communicate effectively and professionally with patients and/or family members about the following situations
- Unexpected outcomes (e.g., fetal demise, stillbirth, cancer, surgical complications)
- Crisis situations (e.g., substance abuse, intimate partner violence)
- Disclosure of adverse outcomes
- Disclosure of medical errors
Basic and applied science
- Physiology
- Anatomy
- Pathology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Embryology
- Pharmacology
- Epidemiology and Evidence-based medicine
Evaluating and managing the following ethical situations, personally or with colleagues
- Boundary violations (sexual)
- Signs of excess stress and burnout
- Unprofessional behavior (e.g., dishonesty, verbal abuse, disruptive behavior)
- Impaired physicians (e.g., alcohol abuse, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders)
- Personal and team member wellness
- Counsel patients on ethically complex cases
Act ethically and professionally
- Provide care with multidisciplinary teams (systems-based practice)
- Participate in continuous quality improvement (practice-based learning and improvement)
- Participate in hospital, department, or office-based patient safety initiatives (patient safety)