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Subspecialty Certification Bulletins (17)

Preparation of Case Lists

  1. Submit the case list electronically by the published deadline. 

  1. Use the electronic forms that can be found in your ABOG Portal. The use of any other form or format is not allowed. A paper case list is not acceptable. 

  1. For the 2026 Certifying Exam, collect cases between January 1 and December 31, 2025. If enough cases cannot be collected in a 1-year period of time, the collection of cases can be extended to 18 months or 2 years. However, it may not include cases collected during fellowship. 

  1. Not include any case previously used on a prior case list for a Specialty or Subspecialty Certifying Examination. 

  1. Have the case list certified by the appropriate personnel of the institution(s) in which the care was given. 

  1. De-identify the case list in accordance with the requirements of Section 164.514(a)(b) and (b)(2)(i)&(ii) of the Final Privacy Rule. See this tab titled: Case List De-Identification. 

  1. Use standard English language nomenclature. Common abbreviations are acceptable. See the list of Approved Abbreviations.

  1. List the patient only once. If the patient is admitted more than once, you should provide information regarding the additional admissions in the appropriate boxes. 

 

If you are in a group practice where responsibility for patients is shared, the decision of whether to list a particular patient should be based on which physician had primary responsibility for the inpatient care. However, when asked to perform a consult on an inpatient on another physician's service, that patient may be listed. 

 

The case lists must include sufficient numbers as well as sufficient breadth and depth of clinical difficulty to demonstrate that you are practicing the full spectrum of the subspecialty. 

 

All submitted case lists are subject to audit by ABOG to ensure completeness and accuracy. 

 

 

Case List Categories

A list of patients from the candidate’s practice in each of the sections must be submitted online. The minimum number of patients in each category is listed below. Each patient may be listed only once. 


Contraception – exactly 40 cases

  • Evaluate and manage complications of contraception devices – minimum of 2 cases 
  • Contraceptive for patients with complex anatomy – minimum of 2 cases
  • Patients with specialized contraceptive needs – minimum of 2 cases
  • Interactions between contraception and other medications – minimum of 2 cases
  • Contraceptive management for patients with medical comorbidities – minimum of 2 cases
  • Side effects related to contraception – minimum of 3 cases
  • Contraceptive counseling – minimum of 2 cases
  • Counseling regarding permanent surgical contraception – minimum of 5 cases 



Early Pregnancy Assessment/Pre-Abortion Evaluation/Medication Abortion – exactly 30 cases 

  • Early Pregnancy Assessment and Management – exactly 10 cases 
  • 1st Trimester medication abortion – exactly 10 cases
  • Lack of response to medication abortion – minimum of 2 cases
  • Other medication abortion cases
  • Pre-Abortion Evaluation and Management – exactly 10 cases; with a minimum of 2 cases in 4 of the 6 categories
  • Ultrasound evaluation (eg, to determine pregnancy location, determine gestational age, diagnose uterine anomalies, recognize signs of abnormal placentation)
  • Perioperative evaluation and management
  • Atypical anatomic location
  • Feticidal injections
  • Medical comorbidities
  • Periabortal anesthesia and pain management 

 


Complex Abortion Care and Risk Stratification: Prevention or Treatment

  • Perioperative complexities in abortion care – minimum of 5 cases, with no more than 2 per category
  • Hemorrhage
  • Retained products of conception
  • Hematometra
  • Inadequate cervical dilation
  • Inadequate pain management
  • Uterine perforation and initial management of resulting injuries (eg, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, vascular)
  • Cervical lacerations
  • Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE)
  • Thrombotic event
  • Anesthesia complications
  • Undiagnosed placenta site abnormalities
  • Infection
  • Vasovagal response
  • Continuing pregnancy after abortion
  • Unplanned delivery prior to scheduled procedure
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
  • Uterine rupture
  • Procedural abortions
  • 1st trimester abortions – minimum of 10 cases, maximum of 50
  • Abortions after the 1st trimester (D&E and/or medication abortion) - minimum of 30 cases, maximum of 100 cases
  • Abortion with medical comorbidities (eg, prior surgery, fibroids, vascular malformations, multi-gestation) - minimum of 2 cases
  • Abortion with cervical/uterine anomaly/prior surgery - minimum of 2 cases 

The listed patients must be only those for whom you have had personal responsibility for the management and care during the indicated period of hospitalization. 

  • The lists may not include those women seen only in consultation or for administrative reasons only. For example, if the patient had surgery or a radium application, you must have performed a major part of the procedure in order for the patient to be included in the case list. 


A preoperative diagnosis should be recorded for each surgical procedure. 

  • For patients having several hospital admissions during the time period of the report, the patient should be listed only once with each hospitalization listed in chronological sequence. 
  • For non-surgical conditions, the admission diagnosis should be recorded. 
  • In cases without tissue for histological diagnosis, the final clinical diagnosis should be listed. 


The case lists must have sufficient numbers as well as sufficient breadth and depth of clinical difficulty to demonstrate that you are practicing the full spectrum of gynecologic oncology. 

  • A minimum of 50 patients with invasive or borderline cancer must be listed. 
  • The lists must include patients having radical surgical procedures, insertions of radioactive isotopes, and chemotherapy. 
  • For patients with cancer, both grade and stage must be listed. 


Case lists will be separated into the following categories: 

  • Ovary, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancers [including borderline tumors] – minimum of 15 cases 
  • Uterine Cancers (Including Sarcoma) and Gestational Trophoblastic Diseases [including EIN, endometriosis, PAS/obstetric hemorrhage, leiomyoma] – minimum of 15 cases 
  • Cervical, Vulvar, and Vaginal Cancers [including Dysplasia, Radiation, and Misc. (e.g., intraoperative consultation)] – minimum of 15 cases 

A list of 30 patients (no more or fewer) from the candidate’s practice within each of the three sections must be submitted online. The required number of patients in each category is listed below. Do not list more than the required number of cases, and each patient may be listed only once. 


Non-Obstetrical Complications of Pregnancy – exactly 30 cases  

  • Critical care management - 1 case 
  • Cardiac, cardiovascular (chronic hypertension) and pulmonary (asthma, pneumonia) - 4 cases 
  • Endocrine disorders - 5 cases 
  • Gastrointestinal disease or bariatric surgery - 2 cases 
  • Hematologic or oncologic disorders - 4 cases 
  • Immunological, including autoimmune disorders or transplants - 3 cases 
  • Infectious disease - 4 cases 
  • Neurological or psychiatric, including substance use disorders - 2 cases 
  • Renal disease - 3 cases 
  • Surgical burns, trauma, or anesthetic complications - 2 cases  


Obstetrical Complications – exactly 30 cases 

  • Multiple gestations and complications including twin-twin transfusion syndrome - 5 cases 
  • Placental and cord abnormalities, excluding marginal and velamentous cord insertions - 4 cases 
  • Hypertension, preeclampsia, or eclampsia - 5 cases 
  • Preterm labor and preterm birth - 5 cases 
  • Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) - 3 cases 
  • Cervical insufficiency or cerclage - 2 cases 
  • Recurrent pregnancy loss or uterine malformations - 2 cases 
  • Fetal death - 1 case 
  • Antepartum and postpartum intensive care, including massive hemorrhage, obstetric coagulopathy, or sepsis - 3 cases 


Fetal Complications and Prenatal Diagnosis – exactly 30 cases 

  • Alloimmunization, immune, or non-immune hydrops - 3 cases 
  • Fetal anatomic/ultrasonographic anomalies - 8 cases 
  • Ultrasonography of complicated multiple gestation - 2 cases 
  • Fetal chromosomal or genetic abnormalities - 5 cases 
  • Fetal growth restriction - 5 cases 
  • Fetal infections - 2 cases 
  • Fetal arrythmia - 1 case 
  • Placental, umbilical cord, or amniotic fluid imaging abnormalities - 3 cases 
  • Invasive procedure - 1 case 

A list of at least 25 patients from the candidate’s practice in each section must be submitted online. The minimum number of patients in each category is listed below. Each patient may be listed only once. 


Foundations of Reproductive Medicine  

  • Medical management - minimum of 15 cases; within 8 of the 11 categories
  • Thyroid
  • Neuroendocrine (eg, hyperprolactinemia, hypogonadism)
  • PCOS and hyperandrogenism
  • Adrenal disorders
  • Amenorrhea
  • AUB, leiomyoma, and endometrial disorders
  • POI and menopause
  • Endometriosis and adenomyosis
  • Transgender care
  • Obesity
  • Disorders of puberty
  • Surgical management - minimum of 10 cases; within 6 of the 7 categories 
  • Endometriosis, pelvic adhesive disease, and adnexal disease
  • Leiomyoma
  • Polyps
  • Asherman syndrome
  • Congenital anomalies
  • Surgical complications
  • Preoperative management of the medically complex surgical patient 


Pregnancy and Genetics - minimum of 25 cases; within 6 of the 9 categories, with two required categories 

  • Preconception counseling (preexisting conditions, exposures) 
  • Preconception screening 
  • PGT 
  • Endocrinology in pregnancy 
  • Medical management of first-trimester pregnancy loss 
  • Medical management of ectopic pregnancy, PUL 
  • Recurrent pregnancy loss 
  • Surgical management of ectopic/heterotopic pregnancy, PUL [minimum of 2 cases required] 
  • Surgical management of first-trimester pregnancy loss [minimum of 2 cases required] 


Fertility and Infertility - minimum of 25 cases; within 6 of the 7 categories, with one required category 

  • Preconception screening and counselling 
  • Female infertility 
  • Male infertility 
  • ART and fertility preservation 
  • Managing infertility in medically complex patients 
  • Third party reproduction 
  • Complications of fertility treatment [minimum of 2 cases required] 

A list of patients from the candidate’s practice in each section must be submitted online. The minimum number of patients in each category is listed below. Each patient may be listed only once. 


Pelvic Organ Prolapse; Anorectal Disorders; Special Considerations  

  • Surgical Management – minimum of 25 cases; with one required category
  • Surgical treatment of prolapse – apical suspension – vaginal
  • Surgical treatment of prolapse – apical suspension – abdominal/laparoscopic/robotic
  • Surgical treatment of prolapse – obliterative procedures
  • Surgical treatment of prolapse – other pelvic organ prolapse
  • Surgical anorectal disorder – minimum of 1 case 
  • Other URPS procedures – Any prolapse and reconstructive surgical procedure not listed elsewhere
  • Office Management of pelvic organ prolapse and anorectal disorders – minimum of 10 cases
  • Special considerations – minimum of 5 patients; within 4 of 5 categories 
  • Congenital anomalies of the female urogenital system
  • Post-cancer care
  • Gender-affirming care
  • Augmentation surgical materials
  • Perioperative management 


Urinary Incontinence: Frequency, Urgency, and Nocturia; UTI and Hematuria – minimum of 25 cases; with 5 required categories 

  • Surgical treatment of urinary incontinence – sling
  • Surgical treatment of urinary incontinence – other urinary incontinence
  • Other URPS procedures – sacral nerve simulator
  • Other URPS procedures – intravesical injections (botulinum toxin)
  • Other URPS procedures – any urinary incontinence procedure not listed elsewhere 
  • Office management: Stress urinary incontinence – minimum of 3 cases
  • Office management: Overactive bladder - minimum of 3 cases
  • Office management: Nocturia - minimum of 3 cases
  • Office management: UTI - minimum of 3 cases
  • Office management: Hematuria - minimum of 3 cases 

 


Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction and Urinary Retention/Incomplete Emptying; Bladder and Myofacial Pelvic Pain; Urinary Tract Injury; Vaginal, Urethral and Periurethral Pain  

  • Surgical Management – list all surgical procedures
  • Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction and Urinary Retention/Incomplete Emptying
  • Bladder and Myofacial Pelvic Pain
  • Urinary Tract Injury
  • Vaginal, Urethral, and Periurethral Masses
  • Office Management – minimum of 15 cases; with at least 2 in each category
  • Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction and Urinary Retention/Incomplete Emptying
  • Bladder and Myofacial Pelvic Pain
  • Urinary Tract Injury
  • Vaginal, Urethral, and Periurethral Masses 

 

 

Case List De-Identification

Pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Secretary of the DHHS issued a Final Privacy Rule (HIPAA Privacy Rule) governing the terms and conditions by which health care providers can make available individually identifiable health information.

 

The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits the release of patient information if the information does not permit the patient to be individually identified. Therefore, you must exclude from the case lists submitted to ABOG such information as could permit the identification of an individual patient.

 

The HIPAA Privacy Rule specifically enumerates the categories of information which must be removed from patient case lists in order for such case lists to be de-identified and thereby become available for submission.

 

Section 164.514(b) of the Privacy Rule provides that you may determine that health information is not individually identifiable health information only if the following identifiers are removed:

 

  1. Names
  2. Geographic subdivisions smaller than a state
  3. Date of birth, admission date, discharge date, date of death, and all ages over 89 except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of age 90 or older
  4. Telephone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, social security numbers, medical record numbers, health plan beneficiary numbers, account numbers, certificate and/or license numbers
  5. Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
  6. Full face photographic images and any comparable images
  7. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or codes.

 

The de-identification of patient case lists does not allow the omission of any cases involving patients under your care that are otherwise required to be reported. Any effort to use the HIPAA rule to avoid listing patients will disqualify you from the examination and result in additional disciplinary action as appropriate. The completeness of your case list is subject to audit by ABOG.

 

 

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