Obstetricians/Gynecologists

Certification or Licensing

All states require that physicians be licensed. Although physicians licensed in one state usually can get a license to practice in another without further examination, some states limit reciprocity. To practice in the United States, physicians must also pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

Certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) is highly recommended. In the last months of your residency, you take the written examination given by the ABOG. Candidates for certification take the final oral examination after two or more years of practice. You must have successfully passed the written portion of the certifying exam before you are eligible to take the oral portion. The ABOG also offers certification in the following subspecialties: maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and gynecologic oncology.