Oral Exam

Eligibility

To be eligible for subspecialty certification in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, candidates must meet the criteria below:

• Be a graduate of a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine or an LCME accredited medical school in the U.S. or Canada.
  • Physicians who graduated from a medical school outside of the U.S. or Canada are also eligible if they hold a valid certificate, without expired examination dates, from the ECFMG.
• Satisfactorily complete an AOA-approved or an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
• Hold primary certification from the AOBOG in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
• Have been the primary author of a research paper that meets professional and publishable standards as determined by a review committee of peers appointed by the AOBOG. The candidate must have had significant input in planning and executing the research. The paper must be an original project (case review is not acceptable) and add to the existing body of medical knowledge of the subspecialty.
• Hold an active license to practice in one of the 50 states or Canada.
• Adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.

Requirements

You must submit the following to the AOBOG by the final application deadline:

• Proof of your fellowship’s program-complete status.
• A copy of your research paper.

Exam Fees

An exam fee of $3,525 must accompany your completed application. No application will be considered complete until all fees have been paid. Applications submitted after the first deadline will be charged a 30% late fee.

Exam Dates and Deadlines

The Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Oral Exam is offered once per year, in the spring, via remote proctoring. The application period opens six months and closes three months prior to the exam date. All required documentation must be uploaded by the late application deadline. For a list of currently scheduled exam dates, please visit our Important Dates page. Exams are typically given on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday. Candidates will be assigned one exam session, morning or afternoon, on any one of those three days.

Exam Content Outline

The Reproductive Endocrinology Exam is a 4-hour oral exam based upon clinical case scenarios. Candidates will be examined as to their knowledge of reproductive endocrinology- and fertility-related issues based on clinical case scenarios presented by the examiners.  The exam will consist of nine clinical case scenarios, selected from the list of topics below:

• Amenorrhea
• Androgen Disorders
• Assisted Reproductive Technology
• Ectopic Pregnancy
• Endometriosis
• Fertility Evaluation: Male/Female
• Menstrual Disorders
• Obesity and Metabolic Disorders Related to Reproductive Disorders
• Ovulation Induction
• Recurrent Early Pregnancy Loss
• REI-related Surgery
• Thyroid Disease and Reproduction

Candidates should be familiar with each of these topics as scenarios will derived from this pool.  Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practices will be included into the cases. The AOBOG does not endorse, recommend, or provide any information about review or preparation courses for this examination.

Exam Day Process

• Candidates will be assigned to a morning or afternoon session on either of the posted examination dates. Assignments can be expected approximately two months prior to the exam date.
• The exam is conducted virtually. Candidates will need a computer with webcam, mobile phone and internet connection. Personal devices and network are highly recommended, as work devices and networks may have firewalls that will not allow the platform to function properly.
• Candidates will receive information regarding technical requirements and pre-checks in advance of the examination. Candidates must read all information and perform any requested actions in a timely fashion or their examination may be cancelled.
• Candidates will be requested to log in to the virtual platform 30-45 minutes in advance of their scheduled exam time. During check-in, candidates must present a current, valid government-issued photo identification during registration (e.g. driver’s license or passport).
• Failure to arrive in time to complete all required security and identity checks may result in automatic cancellation of the exam.
• Candidates should have a clean copy of their research paper available during the exam. “Clean” means free of any writing, notes or additional information not submitted during the application process.

Research Paper

Candidates will be required to submit a research paper as part of their application to sit for the examination.  Forty-five minutes of the exam will be devoted to discussion and evaluation of the submitted research paper. The oral exam is administered by two certified physicians selected from the AOBOG Board of Examiners. Monitors, also members of the Board of Examiners, may be present during the exam to assure that it is administered according to AOBOG standards; they are not involved in the grading. Candidates are required to attend a Registration/Orientation session that begins 45 minutes prior to the scheduled examination time. The examination will be canceled if the candidate is not present by the close of Registration.

Research Paper Submission Guidelines

NEW FOR APPLICATIONS BEGINNING MARCH 1, 2021: Applicants must submit their research paper electronically by uploading all files to the application platform following the guidelines below:

• Use this structure to name your file: “Last Name First Name_Subspecialty_Research Paper”
  • Example: “Smith Jane_REI_Research Paper”

Candidates should have a clean (no writing inside) paper copy of the research paper for themselves on exam day.

Exam Scoring

The exam is scored as follows for both first-time and retake candidates. Candidates must achieve a score of 75% to pass:

• 80% – clinical case scenarios
• 20% – candidate’s defense of the thesis (research paper)

Every effort will be made to release results within eight weeks of the exam window. Results are posted to the secure portal used to apply for the exam. Candidates will be notified by email of the results posting.