The NCCPA Board of Directors is pleased to announce their approval to develop a new Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN).

Leaders from the Association of PAs in OBGYN (APAOG) reached out to NCCPA to request consideration of a CAQ in this specialty area.

“There continues to be a misunderstanding of PAs’ training and utilization in OBGYN, and without a CAQ that provides a competitive edge for PAs, they will continue to be marginalized from practicing in this specialty,” said APAOG President Melissa Rodriguez, DMSc, PA-C.

“Statistics show that maternal mortality rates are increasingly yearly, and there are significant racial disparities, as well as in rural or underserved areas,” said NCCPA President and CEO Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D., PA-C, ICE-CCP.

She continued, “The Association of American Medical Colleges and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist report current and predicted increased shortages of OBGYN physicians. NCCPA’s data shows that as of December 31, 2021, 1,322 PAs were practicing in OBGYN and 357 were working in Gynecology. Developing a CAQ to support PAs who choose to work in the OBGYN specialty may help address this provider shortage and help PAs make a difference by becoming more competitive in this practice discipline.”

Work is underway to develop this new CAQ. NCCPA is collaborating with leaders of APAOG for the initial phases, and will soon recruit Certified PAs currently working in the specialty to assist with all of work required to launch this new CAQ.

NCCPA Vice President of Research and Exam Programs Josh Goodman, PhD, , stressed the importance of PA involvement.

“Certified PAs are involved in every step of the process, from developing the recommendations for the CAQ requirements, assisting with developing the exam blueprint, writing and reviewing test questions, reviewing exam forms, and eventually participating in standard setting studies for the exam. The CAQs—and all of our exams—would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of Certified PAs.”

NCCPA anticipates that PAs will be able to begin submitting the non-exam requirements for the new OBGYN CAQ in late 2023, and the exam will launch in 2024.

Certified PAs who are currently working in OBGYN, and are interested in participating in any of these activities are encouraged to contact us.