Lably
Skip to content

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Medical specialty encompassing two subspecialties

  • 5 min read
  • 4 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Pregnancy, Female reproductive system and Women's health

Lab · Class 12Reproductive HealthLab · Class 10–12Human ReproductionLab · Class 12Humanrepro Film Grade12Lab · Class 9–11Cell Cycle & Division

Postgraduate training programs for both fields are usually combined, preparing the practising obstetrician-gynecologist to be adept at the care of female reproductive organs' health and at the management of pregnancy, although many doctors go on to develop subspecialty interests in one field or the other.

Scope

United States

According to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), which is responsible for issuing OB-GYN certifications in the United States, the first step to OB-GYN certification is completing medical school to receive an MD or DO degree. From there doctors must complete a four-year OB-GYN residency program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). For the 2021 Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) match, there were 277 OB-GYN residency programs accepting applicants.

In their fourth year of residency, with an affidavit from their director to confirm program completion, OB-GYN residents can choose whether to begin the board certification process by applying to take the ABOG Qualifying Exam, which is a written test. If residents pass the Qualifying Exam, demonstrating they possess the knowledge and skills to potentially become certified OB-GYNs, they are then eligible to sit for the oral Certification Exam. Before the Certification Exam, residents must also gather a list of patient cases they've worked on throughout their residency to demonstrate their competence and experience in OB-GYN patient care.

Residents then sit for the three-hour oral exam at ABOG's test center, and if they pass the exam, they become "board-certified" OB-GYNs. Since 2013, at least 82% of all Certifying Exam examinees have passed.

This adds up to 11–14 years of education and practical experience. The first 7–9 years are general medical training.

Experienced OB-GYN professionals can seek certifications in sub-specialty areas, including maternal and fetal medicine. See Fellowship (medicine).

United Kingdom

All doctors must first complete medical school and obtain a MBBS or equivalent certification. This portion typically takes five years. Following this, they are eligible for provisional registration with the General Medical Council. They then must complete two years of foundation training. After the first year of training is complete, trainees are eligible for full registration with the General Medical Council. After the foundation training is complete applicants take the Part 1 MRCOG examination administered by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. There are an additional seven years of training after this, and two more exams (Part 2 and Part 3 MRCOG exams), which adds up to nine years total minimum in training, although some trainees may take longer.

Sign in to keep reading

3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Health, medicine and disease

CancerGroup of diseases involving cell growthTuberculosisInfectious diseaseMental disorderMedical conditionMedicineDiagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illnessDiabetesGroup of endocrine diseases characterized by high blood sugar levelsInfectionInvasion of an organism's body by pathogenic agents