What Is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP)?

Medically reviewed by Kallie Pothier, FNP, MSCP • Dela Women's Health, Pleasant Grove, UT • Updated July 2026

If you have ever walked out of a doctor's appointment feeling dismissed, confused, or told your symptoms are just part of getting older, the credential your provider holds may be part of the reason why. Most clinicians receive very little training in menopause care. The MSCP exists to change that.

Here is what the certification actually means, why it matters for your care, and what questions to ask any provider before booking.

What the MSCP Actually Is

The Menopause Society Certified Practitioner credential is awarded by The Menopause Society, the leading professional organization in menopause medicine. To earn it, a clinician must pass a rigorous examination covering the full scope of menopause care, including hormone therapy, bone health, cardiovascular risk, genitourinary health, sexual health, and the latest evidence on treatment options.

The exam is not easy. It requires significant preparation, clinical experience, and a commitment to staying current on research that many generalists simply do not have time to pursue. And it does not stop at the exam. MSCP certified providers must maintain their certification through ongoing continuing education, which means their knowledge reflects what the research actually says today, not what was taught in medical school a decade ago.

The credential is open to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other licensed clinicians. What matters is not the degree. What matters is the training and the commitment to getting it right.

Why Most Providers Are Not Certified

This is not a criticism of individual providers. It is a systemic problem. Menopause has been historically undertaught in medical and nursing education. Many providers graduate with only a few hours of menopause-related training and enter practice expected to manage a complex, multi-system hormonal transition with very little preparation.

The result is that too many women are told their symptoms are normal, given antidepressants when their hormones have never been properly tested, or simply dismissed and sent home. A 2020 survey found that the majority of OB-GYN residents felt unprepared to counsel patients on menopause management. That is the gap the MSCP was designed to address.

Earning the MSCP requires a provider to actively seek out this training on their own. It is extra work, extra study, and a genuine commitment to this area of care. That is exactly why it means something.

What an MSCP Certified Provider Does Differently

The difference between seeing a general provider and seeing an MSCP certified practitioner often shows up in the specifics of how your care is approached:

Perhaps most importantly, an MSCP certified provider is up to date on the current evidence around hormone therapy safety. Much of the fear around hormone therapy stems from a 2002 study that has since been heavily reanalyzed and recontextualized. The Menopause Society's current guidance supports hormone therapy as safe and effective for most healthy women under 60. A certified provider knows this and can have an honest, informed conversation with you about your options.

Questions to Ask Your Provider

You deserve a provider with real expertise in menopause care. Here are specific questions to ask before booking with anyone, including at Dela:

Finding an MSCP Provider in Utah County

MSCP certified providers are not common. The credential requires a significant investment of time and dedication that goes well beyond what most continuing education programs require. In Utah County, finding one close to home has historically been difficult.

Dela Women's Health in Pleasant Grove is led by Kallie Pothier, FNP, MSCP, one of the few Menopause Society Certified Practitioners in the area. Kallie pursued the MSCP because she believes the women who come to Dela deserve care that reflects the best available evidence, not outdated assumptions or undertrained guesses.

If you have been told your symptoms are normal, that you are too young for menopause, or that hormone therapy is too risky without anyone actually reviewing your labs, a conversation with an MSCP certified provider is worth having. Ask any questions you have about Dela.