Question 1

What is the MSCP credential?

Accepted Answer

MSCP (Menopause Society Certified Practitioner) is the only US clinician credential dedicated specifically to menopause care. It is issued by The Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society / NAMS) and is awarded after a proctored competency examination covering menopause physiology, hormone therapy, vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary syndrome, and management of cardiovascular and bone-density risk. Source: The Menopause Society, MSCP Program overview.

Question 2

Is MSCP the same as NAMS certification?

Accepted Answer

Yes — MSCP replaced the NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner (NAMS-CMP) credential when the North American Menopause Society rebranded to The Menopause Society in 2023. The certifying exam and competency requirements are unchanged; only the credential label and issuing-body name changed. Clinicians who were NAMS-CMP before 2023 keep their certification valid through the end of their current cycle and are listed under the new MSCP name as they recertify. Source: The Menopause Society, MSCP Program.

Question 3

How often must MSCP holders recertify?

Accepted Answer

MSCP holders must recertify every three years by completing continuing-education credits and passing a maintenance-of-certification competency assessment administered by The Menopause Society. Source: The Menopause Society, MSCP Program — Maintenance of Certification.

Question 4

Who is eligible to sit for the MSCP exam?

Accepted Answer

MSCP eligibility is restricted to clinicians who already hold an active medical license — MD, DO, NP, PA, CNM, or equivalent — in a qualifying clinical profession. MSCP is a competency credential layered on top of a license; it is not itself a license to practice. The Menopause Society also requires ongoing clinical practice in menopause care to maintain certification. Source: The Menopause Society, MSCP eligibility criteria.

Question 5

How many MSCP-certified clinicians are there in the United States?

Accepted Answer

As of 2024, The Menopause Society lists approximately 1,500 active MSCP-certified clinicians in the United States. This is a small fraction of the roughly 21,000 board-certified OB/GYNs in the US, which is why an MSCP credential is treated as a high-signal indicator of focused menopause expertise. Source: The Menopause Society, Find a Menopause Practitioner directory.

Question 6

Does MSCP certification mean a clinician follows current HRT guidelines?

Accepted Answer

Yes — MSCP exam content is built around the 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The Menopause Society, the same evidence base US menopause specialists are expected to follow. That position statement concludes the benefits of systemic hormone therapy outweigh the risks for most healthy women under age 60 or within 10 years of menopause onset for treatment of vasomotor symptoms and prevention of bone loss. Source: The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause 2022;29(7):767–794. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002028.

Question 7

How can I verify a clinician's MSCP status?

Accepted Answer

Every MSCP-certified clinician is listed in The Menopause Society's public practitioner directory, which is the primary source for credential verification. The directory shows name, credential type, location, and certification status. We verify every MSCP badge on this site against that roster on a rolling cadence and link out to the directory entry from each provider page. Source: The Menopause Society, Find a Menopause Practitioner.

Question 8

Is MSCP a medical license?

Accepted Answer

No — MSCP is a competency credential, not a medical license. Holding MSCP does not by itself authorize a clinician to practice medicine. The clinician must additionally hold an active, undisciplined state medical license in each state where they treat patients. We verify both — MSCP via The Menopause Society and state license via the relevant state medical board API. Source: Federation of State Medical Boards, DocInfo physician profile.

MSCP Certified Menopause Practitioner

What it means on a provider page

Why it’s a high-signal credential

Primary sources

MSCP Certified Menopause Practitioner

What it means on a provider page

Why it’s a high-signal credential

Primary sources

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