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BCFMO Diplomate Jonathan Sticca, MD, Explains Why He Became Board Certified in Family Medicine Obstetrics

The practice of obstetrics has been linked with the specialty of family medicine since the origin of the specialty. For decades in the modern healthcare era, we provided a large percentage of the prenatal care, deliveries, and postpartum care for mothers and their newborns. While obstetrical training is still a mandatory requirement for board certification in family medicine, programs in ...

Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics

Successful Fellows from Recognized Family Medicine Obstetrics Programs Are Eligible to Apply for BCFMO Certification

An experienced family medicine obstetrician can perform all of the delivery and post-delivery responsibilities associated with the OB/GYN specialty. This was a significant finding in a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Medicine. Healthcare organizations staffed with residency-trained family medicine obstetricians would certainly agree. But, in rural areas and underserved communities, the need for more of these ...

Why Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics?

In 2014, the American Journal of Clinical Medicine published a study that reaffirmed what we at the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) have asserted all along – that the care delivered by family medicine physicians is comparable to obstetrics care provided by OB/GYN specialists. In short, the study showed that an experienced family medicine obstetrician can competently perform all ...

Why My Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics is Important to Me

Fellowship programs in family medicine obstetrics were created to address the shortage of physicians who have completed residency training in the specialty, a shortage that impacts rural areas in particular. Fellowships are renowned for providing rigorous, hands-on training, yet fellowship-trained physicians continue to face barriers to their professional development based on a lack of recognition for their expertise. This situation ...

How BCFMO Certification Benefits Physicians

The American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) offers qualified physicians in family medicine obstetrics an opportunity to demonstrate that they have the skills and knowledge to practice their specialty at the highest level. The ABPS is a nationally recognized, multi-specialty board-certifying body with stringent eligibility requirements, and to achieve certification through our Member Board, the Board of Certification in Family ...

Approved Fellowships for BCFMO Eligibility

Candidates seeking board certification through the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics (BCFMO®) must meet several eligibility requirements developed by the BCFMO® in collaboration with the American Board of Physician Specialties®. Completing a BCFMO-approved fellowship is one way in which candidates are able to demonstrate that they possess both the education and practical training necessary to becoming board certified. ...

Family Medicine Obstetrics Plays a Major Role in Rural Medicine

Historically, earning board certification was entirely optional for highly motivated and qualified physicians. It was one final step that physicians could take to validate their expertise and experience in their chosen field. However, today the need for physicians to be board certified has never been greater. Increasingly, many healthcare organizations and insurance groups are mandating board certification for physicians, which ...

Family Medicine Obstetrics: Board Certification Exam Overview

The Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics® (BCFMO), which is governed by the American Board of Physician Specialties®, offers two options for certification—Family Medicine Obstetrics and Family Medicine Obstetrics With Surgical Qualification. Exams for the surgical option consist of a computer-based written test and an oral examination covering five case studies. The exam for the non-surgical option is the ...

Study Shows Family Medicine Obstetrics Practitioners Deliver Care Comparable to OB/GYNs

A recent study published in the Winter 2014 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Medicine concluded that the care delivered by family medicine physicians is comparable to obstetrics care provided by OB/GYN specialists. This conclusion is reinforced and demonstrated when a physician becomes board certified through the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics® (BCFMO), which is administered by the ...

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Patient Care Is Our Priority

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

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

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 I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD

Emergency Medicine

When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD

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.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO

Internal Medicine