Find Your Specialty 813-433-2277

Board Certification and Recertification for Family Medicine Obstetrics

Family Medicine ObstetricsAs family medicine obstetrics continues to gain ground as a recognized and needed medical specialty, it becomes more and more crucial for physicians who choose this specialty to have the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in the core competencies and experience required to provide patients the highest quality of care and treatment. The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) responded to that need by establishing the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics (BCFMO).

The BCFMO recognizes that physicians who practice family medicine obstetrics provide full OB care as part of their family practices, and therefore require an examination, certification, and recertification system that addresses and recognizes the scope of the practices they manage. The BCFMO also understands that many family medicine physicians gain an advanced level of training and experience through recognized fellowship programs or their historical equivalent. Family medicine obstetrics board certification through the BCFMO has been developed specifically to meet this need.

BCFMO board certification is comparable and equivalent with other nationally recognized certification bodies. In fact, the development of the BCFMO was undertaken by dedicated family medicine physicians from the United States and Canada, some of whom are dual-boarded through the ABPS, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), or the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (AOABOS).

Eligibility Requirements of the BCFMO

The BCFMO has two distinct tracks for board certification—clinical practice and fellowship.

Eligibility requirements for the clinical practice track include completing an accredited ACGME, AOA, or CFPC residency or an AOA internship, plus an AOA general medicine residency and at least two years full-time experience in family medicine and 300 hours of CME acceptable to the BCFMO.

Requirements for the fellowship track include satisfactorily completing within the last five years a 12-month, full-time fellowship recognized by the BCFMO and having performed at least 100 vaginal deliveries and 70 cesarean sections.

After applicants are deemed eligible, they must pass both a written and oral examination to earn board certification with the BCFMO. These rigorous exams ensure that only dedicated physicians who are skilled at performing all of the delivery and post-delivery responsibilities associated with the OB/GYN specialty become BCFMO certified.

Once granted, BCFMO certification is good for eight years, expiring on December 31 of the eighth year.

The BCFMO Mission: A Dedication to Exceptional Maternity Care

The mission of the BCFMO is to provide qualified physicians practicing family medicine obstetrics who have completed advanced training in maternity care (including operative obstetrics) the opportunity to demonstrate the highest degree of quality and a core body of knowledge that is conveyed by certification in family medicine alone. The BCFMO is completely dedicated to women’s health, and facilitates continual learning among family medicine physicians caring for pregnant patients.

For information about BCFMO certification and recertification requirements, contact the ABPS today.

Save the Date
House of Delegates & Annual Scientific Meeting
Innovation & Overcoming Challenges
June 10-15, 2022
Plan Your Visit. Meeting Information
Patient Care Is Our Priority

Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Meet Our Staff Read All Reviews
Boards
Careers
Login
Contact