To the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology:
The Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health impacts the lives of our patients and our ability to deliver evidence-based care. We are grappling with the gravity of this landmark decision, and the blatant disregard for women’s rights, bodily autonomy, and access to comprehensive health care. These are core tenets of our professional, ethical and moral duties as obstetricians and gynecologists. Within this context, we write to you today as colleagues, many of whom intend to sit for the oral board exam this fall. We implore the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology to con2n. K8vert this year’s exam to a virtual format.
The state of Texas has severely restricted access to abortion and has allowed private citizens to take legal action against anyone suspected of assisting or performing terminations. Moreover the recent incidents of rising was violence in Texas, also poses a grave concern for us. Mandating travel to the state poses an unacceptable risk to our personal safety. The ACGME requires Ob/Gyn trainees to have experience with abortion and its complications. As such, many board-eligible Ob/Gyns have abortions on our case lists, particularly those that center family planning in their practice. Due to the “aid and abet'' clause included in SB8, we may be targeted for legal or political retribution. Second, travel to Texas directly jeopardizes the health and well-being of our pregnant colleagues. Should any pregnancy-related complications occur while in Texas, the full range of evidence-based management options are prohibited by law. This is an unconscionable risk. Moreover, complacency on this matter is incongruent with the tenets of our field, and directly conflicts with the stance of our societies including ACOG, SMFM, SFP, ASRM, and AUGS.
In addition to these fundamental reasons, it is also hard for us to bear the financial burden of traveling and boarding. Given the current state of inflation and economic challenges of being a medical trainee are further important reasons why we are advocating for virtual exams. Lastly, as we all know, virtual exams are least disruptive to clinical workflow at our respective institutions and to our personal lives as well.
In this vein, continuing to have in-person examinations in Texas is impractical and risks egregious and irreparable harm for both examinees and potentially board examiners.
Furthermore, since the COVID pandemic, ABOG has successfully certified candidates over the past three years without in-person examinations. The virtual format seems to have worked in the past, and it is more in line with how the society functions today.
We see no justifiable reason to mandate in-person oral board exams in a state that restricts basic health care of pregnant people and whose laws encourage vigilante targeting of physicians who perform abortions. Additionally, the risks of travel, financial burdens, gun violence and disruption of clinical workflow are not justified when a virtual alternative is sufficient. We look to you, as leaders in our field, to recognize the gravity of the Supreme Court decisions as it relates to certification requirements in our field. Abortion is essential healthcare, and a central aspect of the health and safety of our patients and examinees. We urge you to heed the call to convert to a virtual oral examination, and we thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Respectfully,
Samantha DeAndrade, MD, MPH
Daniel Lieberman, MD
Christopher Hong, MD
Julie Suyama, MD, PhD
Whitney Thomas, MD, MS
Susan Wherley, MD
Kathryn Coyne, MD
Divya Dethier, MD, Complex Family Planning fellow
Stephanie Alimena, MD
Anna Vanderhoff, MD
Ronan Sugrue, MD, MPH
Taylor Freret, MD
Rehan Feroz, DO
Hadi Ramadan, MD
Zachary Walker, MD
Anjali Mitra, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine fellow
Amy Schumer, MD
Adina Schwartz, MD
Leah Roberts, MD
Pranavi Vemuri, MD
Laura Carlton, MD
Elise Morocco, MD
Jennifer Sternberg, MD
Kimeshia Thomas, MD
Megan Antonetti, MD, Complex Family Planning Fellow
Shilpi Agrawala, MD
Danielle Vuncannon, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellow
Alyssa Nathan, MD
Pamela Peters, MD
Virginia-Arlene Go, MD
Shelley Dolitsky, MD
Karine Matevossian, DO
Nina Durchfort Metcalfe, MD, MS
Emily Spurlin, MD
Fatima Jibrel, MD
Molly Kornfield, MD
Angela Hui-Chia Liu, MD
Carleigh Nesbit, DO
Lee Ouyang, MD
Megan Sax, MD
Alexandra Szczupak, MD
Rachel Mandelbaum MD
Scott Hoffmann, MD, ScM
Jacqueline Sánchez, MD
Alexandra García, MD
Douglas Timmons MD, MPH
Janelle Santos MD
Erin Dressel MD, MPH
Katherine McDaniel MD
Ijeoma Iko, MD
Anna Dukhovich, MD
Tony Grandelis, MD
Meredith Wise, MD
Hannah Chapman,MD
Katherine Wang, MD
Kirsten Devin, MD
Paige Martin, MD
Bianca Falcone, MD
Meisje Burton, MD
Matthew A. Shear, MD
Madeline Eells, MD
Elizabeth Clain, MD
Jill Miller MD
Elena Pellicer, MD
Elizabeth Evans, MD
Susan Lang, MD
Abby Stork, MD
Hayley Miller, MD
Lisa Shandley, MD, MSc
Huma Farid, mD
Jill Hagey, MD, MPH
Vivienne Meljen, MD
Anthony Rizzo, MD, MS
Lauren Engler, MD
Shelun Tsai, MD
Taylor Norton, MD Minimally invasive surgery fellow
Addison Alley, MD Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellow
Natasha Makarova, MD
Tony Canestraro, MD
Pavan Gill, MD
Jessica DiSilvestro, MD
Mackenzy Radolec, MD
Jasmyn Johal, MD
Johanna Kelley, MD
Camila Cabrera, MD
Shaida Molloy, MD
Heather Madden, MD
Angie DeGrio, MD
Jared Sander, MD
Melanie Ma, MD
Lindsey Stoycheff, DO
Sruthi Sakamuri, MD
Kristine Miller, MD
Ashley Murillo, MD
Olivia Harris, MD
Carmel Bellacose, MD
Kacie Rounds, MD
Marie Boller, MD
Racquel Carranza-Chahal, MD
Alicia Hitch, MD
Adrienne Werth, MD
Nayla Kazzi, MD
Ipsita Ghose, DO
Sarah Bell, MD
Elena Siani, MD
Ghamar Bitar, MD
Christina Lam, MD
Alexandria Kragje, MD
Michael Strug, DO, PhD
Kelly Bogaert, MD
Claire Spellman, MD
Sarah Forrest, MD, MPH
Stephanie W. Zuo, MD
Michaela Heller, MD
Erica Carballo, MD
Rachel Wood, MD
Elyse Pertot, MD
Bijal Parikh, MD Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow
Bakkensen, MD
Jenny S. George, MD
Katherine Peng, MD
Tiffany Sia, MD
Sbaa Syeda, MD
Erin McCreary, MD
Laura J. Hampel, MD
Maren Shapiro, MD
Alisha T. Tolani, MD
Nipun Verma, MD
Eduardo Hariton, MD, MBA
Ange Wang, MD
Ashley Kim, MD
Megan Abrams, MD, MPH
Nicole M. Marchetto, MD, MPH
Prachi Godiwala, MD
Pamela Smith, MD
Seifeldin Sadek MD
Alexander A. Berger MD, MPH
Alice Abernathy, MD
Debra Aharon, MD
Molly Eckman, MD
Prerna Pandya, MD
Tanya Glenn, MD
Vi Duong, MD
Renita Kim, MD, MPH
Wolf, MD
Colleen Miller, MD
Jacqueline Bissonette, MD
Deborah Levy, MD
Alexa Morrison, MD
Abigail Liberty, MD, MSPH Family Planning Fellow
Roni Nitecki MD, MPH
Jay M. Littlefield II, MD
Himabindu Reddy, MD, MPH
Shweta Desai, MD
Caiyun Liao, MD, MPH
Emily Kintzer, MD
Catherine Gordon, MD
Katherine Ryken, MD
Joseph Ottolenghi, MD
Anita Bonsu Jones, MD
Jocelyn Fitzgerald, MD, FACOG, FPMRS
Arina Chesnokova, MD, MPH
Natasha Kumar, MD
Arthurine Zakama, MD
Aleksandra Polic, MD
Juliana Bakk, MD
Cate, MD
Jenny Mei, MD
Smita Carroll, MD, MBA
Ariel Trilling, MD
Misha Pangasa, MD, FACOG
M. Shea O’Brien, MD
Lauren Verrilli MD, MSCI
Lindsay Poston, MD
Constants Adams, MD
Aparna Ramaseshan, MD
Amanda Gittelman, DO
Caroline Cox, MD
Phillip Romanski, MD, MSc
Lauren Reschke, MD
Caitlin Martin, MD
Jaimin Shah, MD
Leilah Zahedi-Spung, MD, FACOG
Pietro Bortoletto, MD, MSc, FACOG
Jessica Sassani, MD, FACOG
Michal A. Elovitz, MD, FACOG
Sandy Huynh, MD
Tiffany Wang, MD
Meghan McMahon, MD
Ian C Fields, MD, MCR, FACOG
Ryan Shields, MD, FACOG
Esther S. Han, MD, MPH, FACOG
Cara Heuser, MD, FACOG
Nicole Roselli, MD, MBA, FACOG
Kathryn J. Gray, MD PhD, FACOG
Karissa C Hammer MD, FACOG
Joseph A DeMari, MD
Whitney Clearwater, MD, MPH, FACOG
Ramsey Larson, MD
Rafael Gonzalez, MD
Holly Mehr MD, MSEd, FACOG
Jaclyn M. Muñoz, MD
Jenna Kahn, MD
Nisha Garg, MD, MS, FACOG
Tiana Guillaume, MD
Nancy Ringel, MD, MS, FACOG
Eung-Mi Lee, MD
Christina Mitchell, MD, FACOG
Alexis Newmark, MD
Stephanie Chung, MD
Danielle Krause, MD
Aaron Praiss, MD
Katherine D Pocius, MD, MPH
Anne Erickson, MD
Haley Moss, MD, MBA, FACOG
Arielle Gire-Dumas, MD
Amy B. Lasky, MD, FACOG
Odessa Hamidi, MD, FACOG
Iris T. Lee, MD
Olga Corazón Irizarry, MD
Zoe LaPier, MD, MPH
Alec Szlachta-McGinn, MD
Arpit Davé, MD
Erin Tracy Bradley, MD, MPH
Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, FACOG
Beth Cronin, MD, FACOG
Iyanna Liles, MD, FACOG
Sarah Dolisca, MD, MPH
Melissa H. Lippitt, MD, MPH, FACOG
Erin Cleary, MD, FACOG
Carolina Bibbo, MD
Marielle E. Meurice, MD
Bianca Rivas, MB, MBA
Lauren Sutherland, MD
Amanda B. Rostkowski, MD, PhD, FACOG
Catherine Hennessey, MD
Adelheid U Brandenberger, MD
Jill McDonnell, MD
Kristin Cutler, MD
Caitlin Hamilton, MD
Haley Schroeder, MD
Noah Rindos, MD
Andrea Rincon, MD
Melissa Collard, MD
Allison Serra, MD, MPH
Jennifer Katz Eriksen, MD, MSc, FACOG
Mariam Diskina, MD
Shakeela Faulkner, MD
Bianca Stifani, MD, MPH, FACOG
Arame Thiam Diouf, MD
Tamika Martin, MD
Sarp Aksel, MD
Melissa Soltero, MD, MPH
Stewart Barlow, MD
Margaret R. Chou, MD, FACOG
Sara Ghayouri, MD
Anastasiya Holubyeva, MD
Arielle H. Bayer, MD, FACOG
Rachel High, DO, FACOG
Joan Tymon-Rosario, MD
Nicole Edison, MD, FACOG
Brian Gordon, MD
Matthew Givens, MD
Sarah Eckhardt, MD
Wendy Medina, MD, FACOG
Kimia Menhaji, MD, FACOG
Kerac Falk, MD, FACOG
Ashlee Schlesier, MD
Melissa Wong, MD, FACOG
Lesley Meister, MD, FACOG
Rebecca Adami, MD, FACOG
Serena Liu, MD
Hannah Palm, MD
Casey Sautter, MD, FACOG
Nina Vyas, MD
Daniel Ginn, DO, MPH, FACOG
Zoe Athens, MD
Tesia Kim, MD
Bridgette Wamakima, MD
Giuliana Rivera Casul, MD
Cory B. French, MD
Kerry Campbell, MD
Alisa B. Goldberg, MD, MPH, FACOG
Gretchen Makai, MD, FACOG
Eilean Attwood, MD, MPH, FACOG
Elizabeth Robison, MD
Lisa Dabney, MD, FACOG
Chelsea Manning, MD
Aletheia Millien, MD
Daniel Kuhr, MD
Anne Hardart, MD
K’ara Locke, MD
Tiffany Deihl, MD
Molly Levine, MD
Nakyda Dean, MD
Janice Tildon-Burton,MD, FACOG
Elizabeth Shy, MD
Christine Feigal, MD, FACOG
Siri Holton, MD
Kari P. Braaten, MD, MPH, FACOG
Mali Schneiter, DO
Jennifer Narvaez, MD
James Wang, MD, FACOG
Heather Link MD, MPH, FACOG
Michelle Schroeder, MD
Ashleigh Bouchelion MD PhD
Ijeoma Agu, MD
Eva Reina, MD
Amita Kulkarni, MD
Cecilia Zhang, DO
Marcus V. Ortega, MD, FACOG
Kristie Lou, MD
Danielle Prentice, DO, FACOG
Maureen French, MD
Jasmine Ebott, MD
Kirthika Vijayakumar, DO
Mary Louise Kiernan, MD
Alice Lee, MD
Jaimie Huntly MD, FACOG
Sudarshan Mohan, MD
Daniela Febres-Cordero, MD
Marissa Palmor, MD
Megan Yuen, MD
Sarah Martinez, MD
Bertille Gaigbe-Togbe, MD, FACOG
Tyler Lueck, MD
Tara Hood, DO
Angela Dao, MD
Inga Brown, MD
Kristie Sutton, MD
Kathryn Fay MD, MSCI, FACOG
Emily Barker, MD
Esther Kim, MD, MPH
Michelle R. de Vera, MD, FACOG
Niloufar Ahmad, MD, FACOG
David Toffey, MD
Sara Vrabec, MD
Kelsey White, MD
Amanda Morgan, MD
Nicholas Rockefeller, MD, FACOG
Elizabeth Mazzone, MD
Guillermina Lexie Morales, MD, FACOG
Emma Balfanz, MD
Lauren Scott, DO
Emily Lee, MD
Catherine Molly Platt, MD, MPH
Sarah Sears, MD
Laura Moylan, MD, FACOG
Matthew K. Hoffman, MD, FACOG
Pamela Fairchild, MD, FACOG
Sarah Lassey, MD
Lynsa Nguyen, MD
Eduardo Garcia, MD
Shivani Murarka, MD
Alex Rosenthal, MD, ScM
Geeta K. Swamy, MD
Samantha Truong, MD
Mary V. Baker, MD, MBA
Whitney K. Hendrickson, MD
Faina Gelman-Nisanov MD, FACOG
Audrey Merriam, MD, MS
Janeine Tiu Basconcillo MD
Vivian Emengo, MD
Sharon Kim, MD
Amanda King, MD
Alexa Calfee, MD, MPH
David Nelson, MD
James Nitti, MD, FACOG
Jia Jennifer Ding, MD
Natasha Irving, MD, MPH
Sarah Baumgarten MD, PhD
Glenn Markenson MD
Marissa Palmor, MD, MBE
Alexandra Belcher-Obejero-Paz, MD, MPH
Elisabeth Stark, MD
Anne Banfield, MD
Hattie Pearson, DO
Courtney Ritchie, MD
Kristen Waterbury, MD
Nivia Acosta, MD FACOG
Nischelle Kalakota, MD
Isabel Janmey, MD, MPH
Mallory Kremer, MD
Lisa Engel MD
Brock Polnaszek MD
Benjamin Pifer, MD
Miriam Estin, MD, PhD
Virginia Watkins MD
Abigail Burns, MD, FACOG
Elizabeth Hoffman, MD
Lauren Nicola-Ducey, MD
Alexis Bridges, DO
Rachel Budker, MD
Alison B. Dick, MD
Steffanie Wright, MD, MPH, MS
Rauvynne Sangara, MD
Anna Zdroik, DO
Christana Ajewole, MD
Luu Ireland, MD, MPH
Erica Holland, MD
Dana McKee, MD
Andrew Rivara, MD
Kelsey Pinson, MD
Jennie Choi, MD
Katherine Kurnit, MD MPH, FACOG
Jacqueline Nichols, MD
Marguerite L Bartholomew, MD, FACOG, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Danielle Carr, MD
Ashley Navarro, MD, MPH
Amanda Pham MD, FACOG
Catherine Albright, MD, MS, FACOG
Danielle Westenberg, MD
Setul Pardanani, MD, FACOG
Kiger Lau, MD
Shefali Pathy, MD, MPH, FACOG
Marieme Mbaye, MD
Melissa Counihan, MD, FACOG
Sarah Henkel, MD
Katherine Dorsett, MD
Kevin Saiki, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow
Caroline Hoke, MD
Mary Duarte Thibault, MD
Rona Ding, MD
Oyenmwen J. Inneh, MD
Alejandro Gómez-Viso, MD
Lindsay Robinson, MD
Meghan Yamasaki, DO, FACOG
Josephine Doo, MD
Trang X. Pham, MD
Radhika Patnam, MD, FACOG
Sarah J Vincent MD, MPH
India Pappas, MD
Michael Broyles, MD, MS
Jaime Michaelson, MD
Shannon M. Wentworth, MD, MS
Erin Swor, MD
Blake Zwerling, MD, MSc, Complex Family Planning fellow
Lynne Bartholomew Goltra, MD
Catherine Brooker, MD
Rahul D’Mello, MD, PhD
Ann Jun Song, MD
Karen Hsu, MD
Anne Tjaden, MD
Danielle Ogez, MD, MPP
Kimberley Chiu, MD
Emily Freeman DO, MA, MS
Christina Buchanan, MD
Ashley Goreshnik, MD
Katherine Garfield, MD
Leighann A. Black, MD
Meghana Limaye, MD
Caitlin MacGregor, MD
Jessica Meyer, MD
Jenna Silverstein, MD
Desmond Sutton, MD
Kimberly Kilfoyle, MD
Catherine Beatty, MD
Laurie Doyon, DO
Jessica Morgan, MD
Ann Borders, MD, MPH, MSc
Melissa M Ethier, MD
David Ouyang, MD
Romeo Lucas, DO
Marika Osterbur Badhey, MD, PhD
Abigail Otto, MD
Caitlin Baptiste, MD
Carl Otto, MD
Cristina Zottola, MD
Saba Berhie, MD
Alex Pizzutillo, MD
Samantha Hayes, MD
Kitsa Catherine Kondylis, MD
Ashley Molina, MD
Eric Brownhill, MD, PhD
Catherine Kirby Tanner Lurtz, MD
Andrea Victoria Faraci, MD
Tamarin McCartin, DO, MBA, FACOG
Shehzeen Kamil, MD
Giselle Zornberg, MD
Noelle Breslin, MD, FACOG
Timothy Wen, MD, MPH
Devin Smith, MD, FACOG
Charita L. Roque, MD, MPH
Beryl Manning-Geist, MD
Holly L. Olson, MD, MACM, FACOG
Ann Chang, MD, MPH, FACOG
Amythis Soltani, MD
Melanie Peters, MD, MPH
Michael Richley, MD
Riza Bueser, MD
Renae Shibata, MD
Andres Reig, MD - REI Fellow
Davina Franco, MD
Julia Youssef, MD
Michelle DenAdel, MD
March Thompson, MD
Pamela Estrada, MD
Gabrielle Alexander, MD
James R. Stewart, DO
Keri-Lee Garel, MD
Katherine F. Chaves, MD
Joseph Chen, MD
Y. Frances Fei, MD
Olga Fajardo, MD
Mark Hiraoka, MD, MSCR, FACOG
Elizabeth Morgan MD, MFM
Pameela Bisram, MD
Joan Tankou, MD
Audrey Jaeger, MS, DO
Susannah Koch, MD
Rachel Eliason, MD
Chaarushi Ahuja, MD
Annemieke Wilcox, MD
Sarah Nathan, MD
Kristine Strickland, MD, FACOG
Hannah Roseberry, MD
Jennifer Milosavljevic, MD
Jennifer LaBudde, MD
Sydney Thomson, MD, FASA
Jennifer Doorey, MD, MS, FACOG
Joyce Wang, MD
Gita Byraiah, MD, MHS
Leah Henke, MD
Elizabeth Zamore, DO
Allison Saiz, MD, MS
Kelly Yamasato, MD
Erin Bailey, MD, MS
Laura Hanks, MD
Grace Bundens, MD
Bliss Kaneshiro MD, MPH, FACOG
Erin inman, MD
Amy R Harrington, MD, FACOG
Erinma Ukoha, MD, MPH
Elizabeth Bard-Henke, MD, FACOG
Irina Cassimatis, MD, MSc, FACOG
Blair Dina, MD, MPH, FACOG
Anna Barbi, DO, FACOG
Jennifer Black, MD
Omar Mesina, MD
Alissa Carver, MD, FACOG
Kate Meriwether, MD, FACOG
Marla Scott, MD
Meagan Campol Haynes, MD, MPH, FACOG
Stephanie Peace, MD
Nicole Pebley, MD
Melissa Markowitz, MD
Anna Granat, MD, FACOG
Devi Rastogi, MD
Meghan Ozcan, MD, FACOG