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Family Medicine Obstetrics Certification: Expanding Your Scope of Practice

Doctor with stethoscope consults with female patientFamily medicine obstetrics is a unique specialty that blends the comprehensive care of family medicine with the specialized focus of obstetrics. Physicians in this field provide full-spectrum maternity care—ranging from prenatal and labor and delivery support to postpartum follow-up—while also managing the overall health of women and families. These practitioners are often the primary point of care for expectant mothers, particularly in rural or underserved communities where access to OB/GYN specialists may be limited.

As this dual-focused specialty continues to grow, so does the demand for a formalized certification process that reflects the depth of training and experience required. The American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) responded to that need by establishing the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics (BCFMO).

Why ABPS Offers Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics

The BCFMO recognizes that many family physicians provide complete obstetrical care, including deliveries, as an integral part of their family practice. However, traditional certification pathways often don’t account for the specialized knowledge and practical experience these physicians accumulate, particularly through formal fellowship training or years of hands-on clinical work.

That’s why the ABPS developed a certification process specifically for family medicine obstetrics. Certification through the BCFMO validates a physician’s skill in both nonsurgical and surgical obstetric care and provides a nationally recognized credential that reflects advanced training, proven clinical competency, and a strong commitment to patient-centered maternity care.

Two Distinct Certification Pathways

The BCFMO offers two certification options to meet the varying backgrounds of practicing physicians:

Family Medicine Obstetrics (Non-Surgical)

Physicians pursuing non-surgical certification must provide a detailed case log of non-surgical deliveries and pass a written examination.

Family Medicine Obstetrics With Surgical Qualification

This pathway requires either:

  • Completion of a 12-month, full-time BCFMO-recognized fellowship within the past five years, or
  • At least five years of full-time obstetrical clinical practice.

Additionally, candidates must provide logs documenting at least 60 vaginal deliveries and 70 cesarean sections, along with successful completion of both written and oral certification exams.

Physician Eligibility and Application Requirements

To apply for BCFMO certification, candidates must first meet the general ABPS requirements, which include:

  • Graduation from a recognized U.S., Canadian, or international allopathic or osteopathic medical school.
  • A valid, unrestricted medical license to practice in the U.S., its territories, or Canada.
  • Completion of an accredited family medicine residency (ACGME, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC).
  • Current board certification in family medicine from a recognized board such as ABPS, ABMS, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC.

Additional documentation includes a current CV, case logs, letters of recommendation (if required), and a completed self-query from the National Practitioner Data Bank.

How Certification Expands Your Scope of Practice

For physicians, earning certification in family medicine obstetrics does more than validate their skill—it formally expands the scope of their recognized clinical practice. Certification allows physicians to:

  • Demonstrate advanced competency in full-spectrum maternity care.
  • Increase employability by showing hospitals and employers they’re qualified for more specialized roles.
  • Strengthen professional credibility, particularly in areas with limited access to OB/GYN services.
  • Meet credentialing requirements for privileges in obstetrical units or delivery settings.
  • Take leadership roles in maternal health care initiatives or community health planning.

Whether you work in a rural health clinic or a larger hospital system, certification opens doors and reinforces your ability to offer comprehensive women’s health services.

A Win for Patients and Communities

Board certification benefits patients by ensuring they receive care from physicians who have met nationally recognized standards for knowledge, experience, and ethics. Patients can feel confident that their physician is qualified to manage normal and complex pregnancies alike.

For healthcare systems, certification supports quality improvement, enhances clinical consistency, and ensures that credentialing decisions are backed by objective standards. It also allows administrators to recognize and reward physicians who’ve gone the extra mile to expand their professional competencies.

In underserved areas where OB/GYNs are scarce, certified family medicine obstetrics physicians help bridge care gaps, reducing the risk of maternal and infant health disparities.

Validity and Recertification

Once earned, BCFMO certification remains valid for eight years, expiring on December 31 of the eighth year. Recertification requirements vary by specialty, but generally include:

  • A completed medical ethics course (a requirement for all ABPS recertifications)
  • Continued clinical practice in the certified specialty
  • Documented continuing medical education (CME)—typically 50 hours per year
  • Passing a recertification exam

This recertification process ensures that Diplomates stay current with evolving clinical guidelines and maintain the high standards expected by their peers and patients.

About the ABPS: A Distinct Pathway to Certification

Founded in 1952, the ABPS is one of the three nationally recognized multi-specialty certifying organizations in the U.S., alongside the ABMS and the AOA. The ABPS offers certification in 20 medical specialties, including Family Medicine Obstetrics, Disaster Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Internal Medicine—fields that are often underserved by traditional boards. This diverse selection of specialties allows physicians to pursue certification in areas that align with their training, experience, and the needs of the communities they serve.

Why Physicians Choose ABPS

Physicians seeking flexibility, inclusivity, and a non-political approach to board certification often turn to the ABPS. The organization recognizes both allopathic and osteopathic physicians and offers an ethical, rigorous certification process that’s designed to meet modern healthcare demands without imposing unnecessary burdens on candidates.

In fact, ABPS certification is recognized by many state medical boards and hospitals across the U.S., and the organization has a strong record of advocacy for credentialing equality in hiring practices. Physicians who certify with the ABPS benefit from:

  • Greater control over their professional development
  • Access to leadership opportunities within the ABPS
  • A collaborative, physician-driven certification environment

Ready to Get Started?

The Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics offers a clear, practical path for family physicians who want to expand their credentials and demonstrate advanced obstetric capabilities. Contact the ABPS to explore eligibility requirements, application deadlines, exam details, and additional resources. If you’re ready to broaden your scope of care and join a respected community of like-minded physicians, certification with the ABPS could be the next step in your career.

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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
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