POTSDAM -- Tatiana DiCoby, obstetrician and gynecologist with Canton-Potsdam Hospital, was awarded a certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Friday, Jan. 18.

The certification is awarded to doctors of osteopathy or doctors of medicine who pass a rigorous set of examinations in their chosen specialty.

Specialists in the field of obstetrics and gynecology train for four years beyond the medical degree in a residency program in which they study pregnancy, labor and childbirth, postpartum care, genetics, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis, as well as health issues surrounding conception.

Training in gynecology includes learning to screen for cancer, management of hormonal disorders, treatment of infections and training in surgery to correct or treat genitourinary tract problems, including cancer of the reproductive organs.

Preventive and routine care for women’s overall health is also a focus of residency training; some women choose an OB/GYN for their primary care needs.

Board certification may follow residency or a physician may practice before seeking certification. The examination involves written and oral assessments by a team of well-respected national experts in the field of specialization. Examiners also confidentially review charts of patients the physician has treated during the past year. Certification must be maintained through continuing medical education.

DiCoby joined Canton-Potsdam Hospital in 2009. She received her medical training at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury. Prior to becoming a physician, DiCoby completed a Master of Science in biochemical pharmacology and completed a thesis on genetics.

She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, and at Metropolitan Hospital Center, where she was also executive chief resident. She is also certified by the American Osteopathic Association.

DiCoby’s practice is located in the Lawrence Avenue Medical Campus in Potsdam. For more information about CPH practitioners, interested individuals should visit www.cphospital.org. To make an appointment with DiCoby call 261-5830.