My big manila envelope arrived. I must admit I don’t really get that excited about it. It is one of those things that is not necessarily fun, but is good for you in retrospect. I am talking about my Maintenance of Certification Part II REI ABC examination packet. I am a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist (Ob/Gyn) with subspecialty certification in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI).

What all that means is that in addition to going to medical school, residency and fellowship training, I had to take a written test, collect cases for two years and take an oral test to become an Ob/Gyn, and then do that all over again to become an REI. Once that was done, I now get to “Maintain” that certification by doing several things each year including reviewing specific scientific publications selected by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and taking a test (open book!).

The good news is that most of the articles they select for us to review are actually very good and important for us to know. The bad news is that it is not always easy to find the time to do it. I usually review the articles at 6 am while I am exercising on a recumbent bike at the gym. I do it then because I don’t really like riding the recumbent bike…. Okay, it’s complicated.