BCFMO Now Offers Non-Surgical Pathway to Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics

Jul 07, 2021

To better serve Family Physicians practicing Obstetrics in the United States, the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics® (BCFMO) now offers a non-surgical option for certification. BCFMO is a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS).

With the participation of subject matter experts in non-surgical and surgical obstetrics, the BCFMO has just completed the development of parallel pathways for eligibility and certification, incorporating the previously designed standards of “Comprehensive Maternity Care” (Family Medicine Obstetrics) and “Advanced Maternity Care” (Family Medicine Obstetrics with Surgical Qualifications).

The new non-surgical path to Family Medicine Obstetrics certification requires a log of vaginal deliveries and successful completion of the written certification exam. The surgical path to certification, which is now referred to as Family Medicine Obstetrics with Surgical Qualifications, requires an additional log of cesarean deliveries and successful completion of the written and oral exam.

Applications for the May 2022 written examination are now being accepted and are due by October 31, 2021. Full details regarding eligibility, exam content, exam schedule and fees, and the application process can be found at https://www.abpsus.org/specializations/family-medicine-obstetrics/.

ABPS affiliated Boards of Certification are committed to the certification of qualified physicians. Certification is based on education, practice, and experience-based requirements that suggest suitability for specialty qualification.

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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.

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Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP

Emergency Medicine

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Art Cooper, MD

Disaster Medicine

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Integrative Medicine

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Internal Medicine

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Emergency Medicine

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Administrative Medicine

The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

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Internal Medicine

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