To expedite and direct its activities, the American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology (hereinafter also referred to as “the Board” or AOBA) shall place into effect this set of Policies and Procedures.

This document is in addition to, and based upon, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Procedures of the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists and AOA Specialty Certifying Boards (“Policies and Procedures of the BOS”) and the Bylaws of the Board.
Board committees will be established and administered as denoted in the Bylaws of the Board.
SECTION 1. PROCESS

The AOBA will follow the board eligibility process and procedure as outlined in Article VIII of the Policies and Procedures of the BOS.

SECTION 2. RE-ENTRY

At the end of six years of board eligibility, if the candidate has not obtained final certification, the candidate may petition the Board to re-enter the certification process. On being granted the ability to re-enter the certification process, the candidate must begin at the beginning of the certification process and must participate in the first available administration of the exam. The candidate will have two attempts to pass each step of the examination process. If unsuccessful on a given administration, the candidate must participate in the next available examination administration.

Those candidates that are currently in the process of certification, after failure of a third attempt on any part of the certification, will re-enter the process according to Paragraph A.

In order for a candidate to be eligible to re-enter the certification process, upon approval from the Board of the candidate’s petition, the candidate must meet some or all of the following criteria prior to being granted re-entry into the process. The Board shall work closely with the Evaluation Committee of the AOCA to develop a program for each candidate. Approval by the SRC of the BOS is required.

  • Postgraduate study in anesthesiology or one of its subspecialties.
  • CME aimed at a review of the specialty of anesthesiology or one of its subspecialties.
  • Proctoring of candidate by a certified anesthesiologist or ABA equivalent for a specified period of time.
  • Additional training in anesthesiology or one of its subspecialties.
  • Any other requirements that the Board may require.

After exhausting the above process, the candidate is not eligible to continue the certification process.

Re-entry into to the certification process does not re-establish “board eligibility.”