Subspecialty certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPM-RS) began in 2013 for those urologists able to demonstrate a practice in FPM-RS of sufficient breadth and complexity expected of a subspecialist in this field. Applicants approved by the Board to enter the process of subspecialty certification must be engaged in the active practice of FPM-RS urology, and must hold a current unrestricted general certificate in urology issued by the American Board of Urology. The timing of the exams and the application deadlines allow for the possibility, if desired, to apply for both the Certifying (Part 2) Examination and the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Subspecialty Certification Examination within the same calendar year.

All subspecialty certificates are time limited and subject to Lifelong Learning. When a Diplomate becomes certified in a subspecialty, the expiration of the Diplomate’s general certificate will be extended to coincide with that of the subspecialty certificate. The Diplomate will enter the Lifelong Learning process after completing subspecialty certification.

Diplomates may apply for ABU subspecialty certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery after completing an ACGME-accredited FPM-RS fellowship program of at least 24 months in duration. During those 24 months, fellows must be involved in clinical training or scholarly work applicable to FPM-RS which includes the study of epidemiology, clinical trials, biostatistics, clinical outcomes, health services, and/or other forms of basic and clinical research in FPM-RS.

Applicants who entered a non-accredited fellowship program, of any length, after June 30, 2010, may not apply for ABU subspecialty certification in FPM-RS. Such Individuals desiring certification in FPM-RS must be accepted in and complete an ACGME-accredited fellowship program prior to beginning the application process. The term accredited fellowship is defined as one accredited throughout the candidate’s entire fellowship period.

Fellows who have completed ABOG sponsored residency programs should contact the ABOG for information regarding application for FPM-RS subspecialty certification.

The FPM-RS Subspecialty Certification examination is offered annually in June.

The 2023 FPRM-RS Subspecialty Certification Exam is scheduled for July 24, 2023.

Applications for the annual American Board of Urology FPM-RS Subspecialty Certification Examination will be available on August 31. Application requirements include a 12 month practice log, current medical licensure valid through the exam date, documentation of 90 CME credits (including 30 Category 1 FPM-RS focused) earned within last three years, and an application fee of $1845. Completed applications must be submitted to the Board office by October 15. Late applications will be accepted with a $750 late fee from October 15 - 31. No applications or practice logs will be accepted after October 31.

Candidates for subspecialty certification must be in the active practice of FPM-RS. To demonstrate, applicants will be required to provide the Board with an electronic 12 month practice log inclusive of all office visits, as well as all hospital, ambulatory care, and office procedures for each facility where they practice, for the same consecutive twelve-month period within two-years prior to the application deadline. The log must contain an adequate number of FPM-RS surgery cases within index case categories, as designated by the Board (please see the FPMRS Index Case List.) Additionally, each log will be reviewed by the FPM-RS Committee to ensure a demonstrated practice in FPM-RS of sufficient breadth and complexity as expected of a subspecialist in this field. Included is a list of the codes for index categories with applicable procedure numbers within each index category. Practice logs are due by the September 30 application deadline.

Handbook

Electronic Log Instructions

Practice Log Template

CME Requirements

The final component of FPM-RS subspecialty certification is the examination, which is taken after satisfactory completion of the other process requirements. The examination is scheduled annually on a single date in June. As a proctored, computerized examination, it is administered at over 200 Pearson VUE testing centers located throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The three hour and forty-five minute examination consists of approximately 180 multiple choice questions designed to assess knowledge in the field of FPM-RS. The exam will include all aspects of FPM-RS, including but not limited to those areas enumerated on page 12 of the handbook.

Candidates seeking subspecialty certification have 3 opportunities to pass the examination, and must do so within 6 years of fellowship completion. All applications are individually reviewed by the appropriate subspecialty certification committee. Candidates who have “timed out” or failed three attempts at certification are required to complete an additional year in an ACGME accredited fellowship in order to re-enter the process.

Exam Content

Pearson VUE Professional & Regulatory Candidate Rules

Pearson VUE ID Policy

The method used to determine a passing score on the FPM-RS Subspecialty Certification Examination is based on criterion reference testing. Criterion reference testing uses a benchmark examination to establish a performance which all candidates must meet. Examinations are compared to the benchmark standard and the passing score varies according to the difficulty. The probability of passing remains constant, and the examination process provides a uniform opportunity to pass from one year to the next. In theory, all who take the examination could pass; there is no mandatory failure rate.

Statistical results for the FPM-RS Subspecialty Exam can be found here.