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Volunteer Opportunities

The American Osteopathic Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is recruiting certified OB/GYN physicians to participate in the important endeavor of examining physicians for certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Gynecologic Oncology, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility and Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the following roles:

• Board Members
• Subject Matter Experts
• Examiners

Board Members are charged with helping establish and maintain high standards for certification of osteopathic physicians in the practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology and other related subspecialties. They may be required to participate in writing exam items and in administering board exams. Participation on the board requires attendance at in-person meetings (travel expenses are reimbursed by the AOA) and conference calls as needed. Board members will receive CME for writing items, attending exam-related meetings and administering exams.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) work closely with board members and staff to develop exam items. Individuals who participate in exam writing will be required to complete AOA-provided item writing training. Physicians who participate in exam construction will earn CME.

Examiners assist the board in the administration of written, oral and clinical examinations. Examiners may need to attend an orientation prior to serving. Examiners will receive CME credits for administering exams.

To apply, you’ll need to complete a brief online application and submit required documents to [email protected]. If you’re interested in representing the osteopathic profession through one of these leadership roles, read on for more details.

Required Qualifications

• Maintain all AOA certification and if applicable, OCC requirements
• Participate as an item writer on one of the examination committees (exception: allopathic subspecialty examiners)
• Hold a valid, active license to practice medicine in one of the 50 states or Canada
• Hold unrestricted hospital privileges
• Have been recommended by either a current member of the AOBOG, the ACOOG, or by a current AOBOG examiner
• Have signed a non-disclosure/security agreement
• Be board-certified
• Be clinically active in both obstetrics and gynecology (exception: subspecialty examiners)
• Be in practice for a minimum of 3 years prior to becoming an examiner for the oral examinations (this does not apply to participation as an item writer)

Becoming an Item Writer

Item writers are required to:

• attend the Item Writer’s course
• complete the AOBOG’s Psychometrics 101 Webinar
• sign a non-disclosure/security agreement

A prospective examiner for oral examinations in obstetrics and gynecology will become an item writer for one of the AOBOG examinations: the Written Examination, Oral Examination, Formal Proctored Examination (formerly known as Re-Certification) or the Practice Performance Assessment (Osteopathic Continuous Certification). The committee chair will evaluate the item writer for question content, quality of question writing, and timeliness of task completion.

During the first year, the new item writer is expected to take the Item Writer’s course and complete the Psychometrics 101 Webinar, both of which will be provided by the AOBOG.

Item writers are not required to attend the AOBOG testing sessions (held in conjunction with the AOBOG biannual examinations), however, if needed, they may be asked to participate as an examination monitor.

Becoming an Exam Monitor

Monitors are required to:

• attend the orientation program prior to each examination session to which they are assigned
• sign a non-disclosure/security agreement

Monitors observe the conduct of oral examinations at all examination sessions. Specific information and instructions are reviewed at the orientation prior to the examination session. Monitors will be required to complete an assessment form on the oral examiners observed.

Becoming an Examiner

Examiners are required to:

• be certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology
• be in practice for a minimum of 3 years prior to becoming an examiner for the oral examinations
• continue to participate as an item writer and a monitor
• attend the orientation program prior to each examination session to which they are assigned
• have observed a complete oral examination session (generally 3-4 exams given over a 2-3 day period)
• administer the examinations according to the guidelines established for each examination session
• sign a non-disclosure/security agreement

An examiner will be trained by observing a complete oral examination session (generally 3-4 exams given over a 2-3 day period, with grading session) prior to participating as an examiner. All examiners and monitors will participate in the pre-examination orientation session, at which time instructions for the oral examination and examiner conduct will be detailed. (Examinations are conducted in the Spring and in the Fall, generally in April/May and September/October.)

Examiners must administer the examinations according to the guidelines established for each examination session. The team captain and exam monitor will evaluate the examiner on an ongoing basis. If the examiner consistently shows a need for improvement in his/her reviews, the examiner will be asked to meet with the Executive Committee to develop a correctional plan.

The examiner is asked to commit to being available as much as possible for the two AOBOG testing sessions each year. If an examiner must be absent for a testing session, he/she is asked to let the AOBOG office know as soon as possible. If too many outside issues interfere with an examiner’s ability to be present for testing, the examiner will be asked to review his/her commitment to AOBOG with the Executive Committee.

The examiner will be asked to complete and submit all reports referable to the examination session in a timely manner.

Application Process

If you are interested in becoming an examiner, please complete the online Examiner Application form and email the following items to [email protected]:

• Documentation from the primary hospital or department chair where you are on staff that verifies that you are active in the clinical practice of OB/GYN or a subspecialty
• A letter of recommendation from either a current member of the AOBOG or the ACOOG, or a current AOBOG examiner

If you have questions or would first like to discuss the commitment, please contact the AOBOG office at [email protected].

After all of the application documents have been received and reviewed you will be contacted to schedule a telephone interview. If your preliminary interview is satisfactory, an interview with the Executive Committee will follow during the next set of oral exams. The necessary training, time commitment, and confidentiality requirements will be reviewed during the interviews.