Your Surgeon is Certified by the American Board of Surgery
The surgeon who has attained Certification by the American Board of Surgery (ABS) has specialized knowledge and skill relating to the diagnosis, preoperative, operative, and postoperative management of surgical problems in the following areas of primary responsibility:
Alimentary tract - esophagus, stomach, small bowel, large bowel
Abdomen and its contents - diaphragm, biliary tract, liver, pancreas, spleen
Breast, skin, and soft tissue - benign and malignant disease
Head and neck - including trauma, vascular, congenital and cancerous disorders
Vascular system - arteries and veins, excluding the vessels in the brain, heart, and lungs
Endocrine - thyroid and parathyroid glands, the pancreas and adrenal glands
Surgical Oncology - including coordinated management of the cancer patient
Comprehensive management of trauma - the responsibility for all phases of care of the injured patient
Complete care of critically ill patients - with underlying surgical conditions
The surgeon also has knowledge of pediatric, plastic, general thoracic and transplant surgery. The surgeon is also capable of employing various endoscopic techniques (viewing or performing operations through tubes with lighted ends).
What is the American Board of Surgery?
The American Board of Surgery was founded in 1937 for the purpose of certifying those found to be qualified after meeting specific requirements and completing an examination process. A major reason for establishing the specialty board was to identify the surgeon who has met a certain standard of excellence.
The ABS is an independent, non-profit organization with worldwide recognition. It is one of the twenty-four certifying boards that are members of the American Board of Medical Specialties. The Directors of the American Board of Surgery are distinguished surgeons in education, research, and practice in the United States.
The American Board of Surgery, Inc.
1617 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 860
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1847
What is Board Certification?
The Board Certification process included the following components:
1. Educational
- Must have graduated from an accredited medical school
- Must have satisfactorily completed five years of graduate surgical education in an accredited surgical residency program in the United States or Canada. During this period the surgeon must have experience in the management of a broad spectrum of patients with surgical problems including operative experience of such breadth and depth deemed adequate to the Board.
2. Review of Credentials
- Upon satisfactory completion of their graduate education, surgeons may apply for Certification if they wish. Uopn satisfying all of the Board's requirements they are admitted to examination.
3. Examinations
- Applicants for Certification must first pass a day-long written Qualifying examination as a means of assessing their knowledge base. After successful completion of the Qualifying examination, Candidates for Certification are admissible to the oral Certifying examination. During this examination Candidates are interviewed by three teams of prominent surgeons who evaluate the Candidates' capability to manage ordinary and complex surgical problems and determine if the Candidates should be granted certification.
What does it mean to be Board Certified by the ABS?
To be certified by the American Board of Surgery means that the surgeon has met a standard in surgery by fulfilling specified educational, evaluation, and examination requirements.
Since 1976, the American Board of Surgery has issued certificates that are valid for ten years. Once certified, the surgeon who wishes to maintain certified status upon expiration of the original certificate must complete a recertification process which includes a review of credentials to determine if the surgeon has continued surgical education, is respected by peers and is active in the practice of surgery. Successful completion of a written examination completes the recertification process. Upon satisfactory completion of the recertification process, the surgeon's certification is extended for another ten years.
The ABS also awards certification in subspecialty areas of surgery, i.e. Pediatric Surgery, Surgery of the Hand, Surgical Critical Care and Vascular Surgery. Subspecialization also requires at least one additional year of education, endorsement by the program director, peer review, and an examination process similar to initial certification. These certificates are also valid for ten years and require a recertification process.
Surgical Critical Care and Vascular Surgery are included in a surgeon's initial educational program and many surgeons have specialized in these areas without an additional year of education. These surgeons are considered by the ABS to be qualified surgeons in these areas.
