What Is the Difference Between a Board Eligible & a Board Certified OB-GYN?

Doctors often seek certification from one of several professional organizations to indicate they have advanced skills within their profession. Those specializing in obstetrics and gynecology can attain certification from the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. An OB-GYN seeking board certification must first complete certain requirements to become board eligible.

Eligibility

• An OB-GYN is board eligible if she has earned a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree, as well as completed a four-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology through an accredited medical school. The training must include areas related to pregnancy and childbirth, as well as general women's health, such as reproductive health, breast cancer treatment and female sexuality. The doctor must have an unrestricted medical license to be eligible for board certification.

Certification

• A physician may apply for board certification after completing his residency. The applicant must pass a written exam and an oral exam. The written exam is offered once a year, typically on the last Monday in June. After passing the written exam, an OB-GYN must work in unsupervised practice for at least one year and submit a list of all his cases before taking the oral exam. The oral exam is administered in November and December.

Specialized Certifications

• Board certified OB-GYNs can gain additional certifications in specialized areas of reproductive and women's health. There are four specializations: Maternal-fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, female pelvic medicine and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. These certifications require an additional three years of training after the initial residency. Candidates must pass a separate written and oral exam to attain certification in one of these specialties.

Benefits

• Attaining board certification as an OB-GYN shows that a physician has proven herself qualified by the medical industry's standards. About 80 to 85 percent of board eligible OB-GYNs will pass the exams and become board certified. A patient can request a doctor's certification status from the ABOG; she must pay a $25 fee. OB-GYNs certified after 1986 must be recertified every 10 years.