While the transition from recertificationevery 10 years to Maintenance of Certification(MOC), a continuous process, may soundintimidating, MOC draws on activities thatmany surgeons are already doing. The ABS haspurposely sought to create an MOC programthat gives diplomates enough flexibility to ful-fill the requirements in a way that best suitstheir practice environment. MOC also givessurgeons the opportunity to formally docu-ment the many activities they undertake to stay current and improve their practice.

MOC takes effect for diplomates upon cer-tification or recertification in any ABS specialtyafter July 1, 2005. Once enrolled in MOC,diplomates “check in” every three years bycompleting an online form about their pro-fessional status and professional developmentactivities. The board will contact diplomateswhen completion of the online form is due.The requirements of MOC are separated intofour parts to address the different aspects ofbeing a board-certified surgeon.

Part 1 – Part 1 of MOC covers the pro-fessional standing of a diplomate. It requiresthat a surgeon maintain a current full andunrestricted medical license in the U.S. orCanada and hospital admitting and operatingprivileges in the specialty. For this part ofMOC, diplomates will enter into the onlineform every three years their medical licenseregistration number and state; the institutionswhere they hold privileges; and contact infor-mation for the chief of surgery and chair ofcredentials at their primary institution.

Part 2 – Part 2 of MOC pertains to life-long learning and self-assessment. Diplomatesmust complete annually 30 hours of Category Icontinuing medical education (CME) and 50CME hours overall each year. Over threeyears, one-third of the Category I CME (30

hours) must include a self-assessment activity,i.e., a written question and answer exercisethat assesses the surgeon’s understanding of thematerial presented. Diplomates are free tocomplete their CME however they wish,though it is expected that most of the CMEwill be related to the specialty in which theyare practicing. For vascular surgeons, one-halfof the required CME and all 30 hours of self-assessment must be in vascular surgery.

For Part 2, diplomates will enter into theonline form the CME they have completedover the past three years, and indicate whichCategory I activities included self-assessment.No documentation is required at that time.Diplomates who use the American College ofSurgeons’ (ACS) member portal to track CMEmay transfer their CME data directly from theportal to the online form.

Part 3 – This part of MOC is perhaps themost familiar to diplomates. Part 3 evaluatescognitive expertise through the successfulcompletion of a secure examination in thespecialty at 10-year intervals. Diplomates mayfirst apply for the exam three years prior to

their certificate’s expiration; a 12-month oper-ative log is required as part of the application.For surgeons who hold more than one certifi-cate, this is the only requirement of MOC thatmust be repeated for each specialty.

Part 4 – Part 4 involves the evaluation ofperformance in practice and requires that adiplomate participate in a local, regional ornational outcomes database or quality assess-ment program. The ABS is purposely keepingthis requirement broad as new programs arecontinually being developed. (Continued on page 4)

ABS NEWS

Contents

The 4 Parts of MOCPages 1,4

Report from the ChairPage 2

Performance Assessment:Data your hospital mayalready be collectingPages 3, 4

Malangoni Hired asAssociate Exec. DirectorPage 5

News from the ComponentBoardsPage 5

SCORE UpdatePage 6

Bell to RetirePage 6

Cogbill Elected Vice ChairPage 6

ABS UpdatesPage 7

Thank You to OurExamination Consultants and ExaminersPage 8

Program Directors’ CornerPage 9

Scanlon Named PublicMemberPage 10

ABS NominatingOrganizationsPage 10

Meet Our New DirectorsPage 11

Examination StatisticsPage 12

The 4 Parts of MOCNEWSLETTER

of the AMERICAN

BOARD of

SURGERY

2010 Issue

The ABS MOC Program draws onactivities surgeons are already

doing, such as CME, and formallydocuments the efforts they make

to improve their practice

Dr. Richard

Thirlby, chair

of the ABS

Diplomates

Committee,

discusses

MOC at a

June 2010

meeting

American Boardof Surgery, Inc.

1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 860Philadelphia, PA 19103-1847

tel. (215) 568-4000 www.absurgery.org

OFFICERSE. CHRISTOPHER ELLISON, M.D.ChairSTANLEY W. ASHLEY, M.D.Vice ChairFRANK R. LEWIS JR., M.D.Secretary-TreasurerDIRECTORSStanley W. Ashley, M.D.Karen R. Borman, M.D.L.D. Britt, M.D.Jo Buyske, M.D.Joseph B. Cofer, M.D.Thomas H. Cogbill, M.D.John F. Eidt, M.D.E. Christopher Ellison, M.D.Stephen R. T. Evans, M.D.B. Mark Evers, M.D.John B. Hanks, M.D.Douglas W. Hanto, M.D.Ronald B. Hirschl, M.D.John G. Hunter, M.D.Lenworth M. Jacobs Jr., M.B.B.S.Nathalie M. Johnson, M.D.Gregory J. Jurkovich, M.D.V. Suzanne Klimberg, M.D.Frank R. Lewis Jr., M.D.David M. Mahvi, M.D.David W. Mercer, M.D.J. Wayne Meredith, M.D.Fabrizio Michelassi, M.D.Joseph L. Mills, M.D.Leigh A. Neumayer, M.D.John R. Potts III, M.D.Robert S. Rhodes, M.D.William J. Scanlon, Ph.D.Bruce D. Schirmer, M.D.Anthony J. Senagore, M.D.Kenneth W. Sharp, M.D.Richard C. Thirlby, M.D.Thomas F. Tracy Jr., M.D.Douglas S. Tyler, M.D.R. James Valentine, M.D.Nicholas B. Vedder, M.D.Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D.J. Patrick Walker, M.D.Cameron D. Wright, M.D.

EXECUTIVE STAFFFrank R. Lewis Jr., M.D.Executive DirectorJo Buyske, M.D.Associate Executive DirectorRobert S. Rhodes, M.D.Associate Executive Director forVascular SurgeryRichard H. Bell Jr., M.D.Assistant Executive DirectorGabriel L. I. Bevilacqua, Esq.General CounselThomas W. BiesterDirector of Psychometrics and DataAnalysisJessica A. SchreaderOperations ManagerJames F. FioreInformation Technology ManagerChristine D. ShifferCommunications Manager

MEMBER BOARD OF THE AMERICAN

BOARD OF MEDICAL SPECIALTIES

ABS News is published annually bythe American Board of Surgery, Inc.

© 2010 All rights reserved.2 ABS News – 2010 Issue

The American Board of Surgery has been busy this fall.We are pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas Cogbill of LaCrosse, Wisconsin as our new vice chair-elect. Dr. Cogbillwas elected to the ABS as an at-large member in 2006.

I would also like to welcome Dr. Mark Malangoni,who will join the board in February as an additional associ-ate executive director. Dr. Malangoni will oversee the con-tinued development of the ABS MOC Program as well asthe board’s participation in the Surgical Council forResident Education (SCORE).

In the past year, the ABS has considered ways torestructure general surgery residency to provide greaterflexibility in training while still maintaining a core curricu-lum. The board convened a committee, led by past ABSChair Dr. Steven Stain, of representatives from the ACS,

American Surgical Association (ASA), Association of Program Directors in Surgery(APDS) and Residency Review Committee for Surgery (RRC-Surgery) to gather theviewpoints of other organizations involved in surgical education. The recommendationsof this committee, approved by the ABS in June, were the following:

1. Incorporate individual milestones into residency that must be achieved for pro-motion, demonstrating acquisition of knowledge, types and numbers of opera-tions performed, and skills acquisition for basic bedside procedures and the sixcore competencies.

2. Incorporate the objective measurement of operative skills as a requirement forresidency training.

3. Permit flexibility in clinical rotations of individual programs so that the programdirector may individualize up to 12 months of a resident’s rotations in the last36 months of residency in order to customize rotations to a resident's futurespecialty interest, with no more than six months of flexible rotations allowed inany one year. This will be voluntary and not required on the part of individualresidencies and will not alter any other requirements currently in effect.

The third recommendation in particular was discussed at the October 2010 meetingof the RRC-Surgery and approved; however the approval of the Accreditation Councilfor Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Board of Directors is still pending. Moreinformation about this proposed new policy can be found on page 9 of this newsletter.

The SCORE project is progessing nicely. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard Belland Dr. Mary Klingensmith, the curriculum portal has been upgraded with many newadditions, including access to Evidence Based Reviews in Surgery and STATdx®, a radio-logic image website. Currently more than 200 general surgery programs are subscribedto the SCORE portal. If you are involved with a residency that is not currently partici-pating, check with your program director for more information.

Finally, a primary focus for this year will be MOC. The goal will be to build on thecurrent foundation to develop a value-added and more meaningful MOC program fordiplomates. The initial focus will be on Part 2, Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment. Inour upcoming meetings we will also re-address MOC Part 4, Evaluation of Performance inPractice. The ABS website, www.absurgery.org, has additional information on MOC, includ-ing a timeline where you can track your MOC participation. I encourage you to visit thewebsite and check it out.

E. CHRISTOPHERELLISON, M.D.

Chair of the ABS 2010-2011

Report from the Chair

Performance Assessment: Data your hospital may alreadybe collecting on you

Hospitals are increasinglyrequired to collect performancedata, presenting opportunities forpractice assessment and improve-ment.

Hospitals across the country arephasing in systems to evaluate physicianperformance in response to new pro-grams from The Joint Commission andCenters for Medicare and MedicaidServices (CMS). With the rapid growthof these initiatives, surgeons may notbe aware of the data being collectedabout their practice and whether thesemeasures are appropriate or accurate.By becoming more involved in theirhospital’s quality assessment efforts,surgeons can foster the development oftools that provide precise and meaning-ful assessment of their practice.

OPPEIn 2007, The Joint Commission ini-

tiated a new standard called OngoingProfessional Practice Evaluation(OPPE). The intent of OPPE is for hos-pitals to review physician performancedata on an ongoing basis rather than atthe two-year reappointment process, sodoctors can take steps to improve theirperformance prior to the two-yearreview. The goal of OPPE is to verifythat physicians are actually performingthe procedures in which they haveprivileges and performing them satis-factorily. OPPE is entirely hospital-spe-cific; each hospital may define itsprocess for meeting the OPPE stan-dard, including the metrics they willuse to assess performance.

According to The JointCommission, the type of data to becollected would be defined by a hospi-tal’s individual medical staff depart-ments and approved by the medicalstaff. The performance data collectedwould then be evaluated to determinewhether to continue a doctor’s existingprivileges. Some examples of the typeof data that could be collected are:operative or other clinical procedures

performedand theiroutcomes;infectionrates; mor-bidity andmortalitydata; patterns ofblood use;requests fortests andprocedures;length ofstay pat-terns; andthe use ofconsultants.

Hospitals mayalso establish who will be responsiblefor reviewing performance data, howoften the data will be reviewed, theprocess to determine whether to con-tinue privileges, and how data will beincorporated into credentials files.Given the degree of discretion allowedindividual hospitals, surgeons can play akey role in defining which performancemeasures are used, to ensure that theseare suitable for their practice and accu-rately portray their clinical activity.These measures could also potentiallybe used to fulfill Part 4 of the ABSMOC Program, Evaluation ofPerformance in Practice, which requiresparticipation in a surgical outcomesdatabase or quality assessment program.

SCIP and PQRICMS has also instituted several

quality assessment programs for whichhospitals may be collecting data on sur-geons. The Surgical Care ImprovementProject (SCIP) is a multi-year nationalcampaign aimed at reducing surgicalcomplications. SCIP sets specific guide-lines to reduce the incidence of postop-erative surgical site infections, periop-erative cardiac events, deep veinthrombosis, and postoperative ventila-tor-associated pneumonia. Hospitals

participating in SCIP can receive a 2%increase in Medicare reimbursement.

Data are submitted quarterly toCMS; the sampling methodology isbased on a hospital’s number of dis-charges per topic each quarter. Therequired quarterly sample size is 10%or more of the topic population, with aminimum of 16 cases. Since SCIP sam-ples only a fraction of cases for a selectgroup of operations, individual surgeondata are minimal. Results on nine SCIPmeasures are publicly reported onCMS’ Hospital Compare website,www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov. In 2009,96% of U.S. hospitals successfully par-ticipated in this reporting program.

CMS also operates the PhysicianQuality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), anindividual reporting program that pro-vides an incentive payment to physi-cians who report satisfactory data onquality measures. While both SCIP andPQRI focus only on process measures,it is still is important to learn if yourhospital is participating in these pro-grams and how the required data isbeing collected and used. Currentlyparticipation in SCIP and PQRI fulfillthe ABS’ MOC Part 4 requirement.

(Continued on page 4)

www.absurgery.org ABS News – 2010 Issue 3

Example of a hospital report that might be used to fulfill

The Joint Commission’s OPPE requirement

Hospital Data

The 4 Parts of MOC ABS MOC Requirements

Part 1 – Professional Standing

• Possession of a valid full and unrestricted

U.S. or Canadian medical license

• Maintenance of hospital admitting and

operating privileges in the specialty

• Hospital references—name and contact

information for the chief of surgery and

chair of credentials/privileges committee

at the institution where most work is

performed

Part 2 – Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment

• A minimum of 30 hours of Category I

CME and 50 hours overall to be complet-

ed annually

• Over a three-year cycle, one-third of the

Category I CME (30 hours) must include

a self-assessment activity (a written

question-and-answer exercise)

• For vascular surgeons, at least one-half of

the required CME and all 30 hours of self-

assessment must be in vascular surgery

Part 3 – Cognitive Expertise

• Successful completion of a secure exami-

nation in the specialty, which may first be

taken three years prior to certificate expi-

ration. An application and 12-month oper-

ative log are required

Part 4 – Evaluation of Performance inPractice

• Participation in a national, regional or

local surgical outcomes database or qual-

ity assessment program. Programs such

as NSQIP, PQRI, SCIP and the ACS

case log system meet this requirement

• Periodic communication skills assess-

ment based on patient feedback will also

be required, but this is not yet finalized

(Continued from page 3)

HCAHPSCMS has also introduced a

hospital patient survey called HospitalConsumer Assessment of HealthcareProviders and Systems (HCAHPS orCAHPS® Hospital Survey). Since July2007, hospitals subject to the InpatientProspective Payment System (IPPS)must collect and submit HCAHPS datato receive their full IPPS annual pay-ment update. The goal of HCAHPS is tocreate a national standard for the collec-tion and reporting of patient perspec-tives on hospital care, allowing compar-isons between hospitals to be made.Hospitals must continuously collect andsubmit HCAHPS survey data to CMS.

The survey asks discharged patients27 questions about their hospital stay,including communication with doctorsand nurses and responsiveness of hospi-tal staff. It is administered by mail orphone to a random sample of adultpatients between 48 hours and sixweeks following discharge. Results on10 measures are publicly reported onthe Hospital Compare website, www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

Hospitals must obtain at least 300completed surveys over the course ofthe 12-month reporting period.The

latest HCAHPS results, for July 2008 toJune 2009, reflect 2.4 million complet-ed surveys from 3,775 hospitals with anaverage response rate of 33%. Howeverdata are submitted by hospital “unit,” sothe link to individual physicians isimprecise. Many hospitals incorporateHCAHPS into patient satisfaction sur-veys sent to all discharges. Surgeons areencouraged to find out what data theirhospitals have collected on themthrough HCAHPS or similar surveys.

SCAHPSThe ACS has created a CAHPS sur-

vey specifically for surgeons, calledSurgical CAHPS or SCAHPS. Recentlyapproved as an official CAHPS survey, itassesses patients’ experiences with sur-gical care in both the inpatient and out-patient settings by asking patients abouttheir care before, during, and after sur-

gery. While the ABS anticipates thatsome sort of communication skillsassessment based on patient feedback,such as SCAHPS, will eventually berequired for MOC, it must first fullyinvestigate the feasibility and effective-ness of such a requirement.

With the emergence of thesereporting standards, ABS diplomateshave an opportunity to influence howtheir practice is assessed by regulatoryorganizations and have these programsfulfill ABS MOC requirements. The ABSexpects its MOC program to evolve asthese assessment tools develop, to allowdiplomates to participate in MOC inways most compatible with their prac-tice environment.Sources: The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services, U. S. Department of Health and HumanServices, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,American College of Surgeons

(Continued from page 1) The ABS componentboards and advisory councils are also work-ing with their respective specialty societiesto develop specialty-specific registries.

For Part 4, diplomates must indicate ordescribe on the online form what activitiesthey are undertaking for performance assess-ment. No practice data is required. It is antic-ipated that in coming years the ABS will askfor more information on how diplomates arereviewing and improving their performance.

The ABS website, www.absurgery.org, contains further information about MOC,including a personalized MOC timeline and lists of resources for Parts 2 and 4. Theselists, however, are not meant to be exhaus-tive—the ABS encourages diplomates to par-ticipate in the programs that best relate totheir current practice.

4 ABS News – 2010 Issue www.absurgery.org

Anotherexample of a

hospitalreport on a

surgeon’sperformance

Diplomates are enrolled in MOC upon certification or recertification in any ABS specialty after

July 1, 2005. MOC requirements begin the July 1 following certification or recertification.

Dr. Mark A. Malangoni has beenhired by the ABS to fill a newly createdassociate executive director position.He will begin work at the ABS officesin Philadelphia on February 1.

In his new position, Dr. Malangoniwill assume responsibility for the ABS’involvement in SCORE from Dr.Richard Bell, who is retiring (see page 6).Dr. Malangoni will also oversee thefurther growth of the ABS MOCProgram, in particular the creation ofgreater options for diplomates in ful-filling Parts 2 and 4. He will alsoaddress residency training by workingto identify assessment tools for theobjective measurement of residentprogress, in tandem with the ACGMEMilestones effort. In addition, Dr.Malangoni will manage the develop-ment of ABS oral examinations toensure they reflect the latest in currentclinical practice.

Dr. Malangoni comes to the ABSfrom MetroHealth Medical Center inCleveland, Ohio, where he has beenchairman of the department of surgeryand surgeon-in-chief for more than twodecades. He also serves as professor ofsurgery at Case Western ReserveUniversity. Dr. Malangoni began hiscareer as assistant professor of surgeryat the Medical College of Wisconsin in

Milwaukee. He was then chief of sur-gery at Humana Hospital – Universityof Louisville and associate professor ofsurgery at the University of Louisvillebefore moving to Cleveland. A nativeof East Chicago, Indiana, Dr. Malangoniattended medical school and completedhis general surgery residency at theIndiana University School of Medicine.He is board certified in surgery andsurgical critical care.

Dr. Malangoni is a former directorof the ABS, serving as chair in 2002-2003. During his time as a director, hewas an ABS representative to theAmerican Board of EmergencyMedicine and American Board ofMedical Specialties. He currentlyserves as vice chair of the RRC-Surgery and is a member of theSurgery Milestones Working Group. Hewill vacate his position on the RRC-Surgery once he joins the ABS.

Dr. Malangoni is also a member ofthe ACS Board of Regents and theexecutive committee of the ACSCommittee on Trauma. He is a formerchair of the ACS Advisory Council forGeneral Surgery and the ACS Board ofGovernors, as well as past president ofthe ACS Ohio Chapter. He is also a pastpresident of the Central SurgicalAssociation and the Surgical Infection

Society. Dr. Malangoni was also amember of the ASA’s Blue RibbonPanel on Resident Education. His clini-cal interests focus on surgery of theabdomen and gastrointestinal tract,surgical infection, and trauma.

“I am very excited about joiningthe ABS in this position,” said Dr.Malangoni. “It represents a uniqueopportunity to work with an outstand-ing board of directors and staff. Theprogress we make over the next fewyears will have a significant and lastingimpact on the future of surgical train-ing and surgical practice.”

Malangoni Hired as Associate Executive Director

Vascular Surgery (VSB-ABS)

RPVI Required in 2014 for CertificationAt its June meeting, the VSB-ABS

considered a number of mechanisms for

assessing the laboratory skills and

knowledge of applicants for certification.

It was decided that applicants to the

2014 Vascular Surgery Qualifying

Examination and thereafter will be

required to possess the Registered

Physician Vascular Interpretation (RPVI)

credential. For more information on

RPVI, see www.ardms.org/RPVI. The

VSB-ABS also discussed the relatively

low percentage of women who enter

vascular surgery and will pursue efforts

to educate women medical students

about vascular surgery careers.

Pediatric Surgery (PSB-ABS)

Modified Oral Exam Format, PALSRequired in 2012 for Certification

The 2011 Pediatric Surgery Certify-

ing Examination (CE) will consist of five

30-minute sessions, each dedicated to a

different area of pediatric surgery: can-

cer; trauma and critical care; GI, hepto-

biliary and abdomen; head/neck,

endocrine and GU; and thoracic, airway

and chest wall. The Pediatric Surgery

CE, as well as the Qualifying and

Recertification Examinations, will now be

offered on an annual basis. The PSB-

ABS also announced last spring a new

requirement for certification: Applicants

to the 2012 Pediatric Surgery Qualifying

Examination and thereafter will be

required to have completed the Pediatric

Advanced Life Support (PALS) program

offered through the American Heart

Association (www.americanheart.org).

Trauma, Burns and Critical Care

(TBCCB-ABS)

A New Component Board of the ABSThe ABS made the decision this

year to change the status of the Trauma,

Burns and Critical Care Advisory Council

to a component board, so that it would

be equivalent to those in vascular sur-

gery and pediatric surgery. The new

component board will oversee the certifi-

cation and recertification/MOC process-

es for surgical critical care (SCC). The

TBCCB-ABS is working with its related

societies on programs for Part 4 of MOC.

News from the Component Boards

www.absurgery.org ABS News – 2010 Issue 5

The past year has seen rapidprogress in the initiatives of the SurgicalCouncil on Resident Education. Thegoal of SCORE is the creation of anational curriculum for general surgeryresidency training along with a websitethat provides high-quality educationalmaterials to residency programs. Thiswebsite, the General Surgery ResidentCurriculum Portal, was launched togeneral surgery programs in August2009 and now features more than 300modules on patient care and medicalknowledge topics, each with learningobjectives, study questions, textbookchapters and video.

The modules are being created bymembers of the APDS and other faculty,who are volunteering their time to theSCORE effort. In addition, the websitenow links to a radiologic image librarycalled StatDx, modules on systems-based practice by MDContent, the ACSSurgery Weekly Curriculum andEvidence Based Review in Surgery.More materials and modules are contin-ually being added.

The overall development of the cur-riculum portal is being directed by Dr.

Mary E. Klingensmith, professor of sur-gery and general surgery program direc-tor at the Washington University Schoolof Medicine, along with a planning com-mittee of representatives from SCOREmember organizations. Feedback fromprogram directors, faculty and residentsis being solicited to guide improvementsto the website. More than 200 residencyprograms, representing 8,000 residents,are currently using the portal.

The latest edition of the SCORECurriculum Outline was published inSeptember and now covers the patientcare and medical knowledge competen-cies. Work on the remaining fourACGME competencies is planned. Theoutline is updated annually to reflectfeedback from specialty surgical organi-zations. A PDF version of the latest out-line can be viewed at SCORE’s website,www.surgicalcore.org.

SCORE is a nonprofit consortiumfunded by its seven member organiza-tions, which are defraying the cost of theportal so it remains affordable to resi-dency programs. The member organiza-tions are the ABS, ACS, APDS, ASA,Association for Surgical Education,RRC-Surgery, and Society of AmericanGastrointestinal and EndoscopicSurgeons (SAGES).

Bell to RetireDr. Richard H.

Bell Jr., assistant

executive director of

the ABS, will retire at

the end of January.

Dr. Bell was hired in

2006 to guide the

development of

SCORE and coordinate its activities among

its member organizations. One of SCORE’s

first products was the Patient CareCurriculum Outline, a list of all the patient

care topics to be covered in a five-year

general surgery training curriculum. Dr. Bell

worked with surgical groups to build the

outline, and created a classification system

to prioritize the more than 700 different top-

ics. The outline has since been expanded

to include the ACGME competency of med-

ical knowledge (see article on left). Dr. Bell also led the creation of the

SCORE General Surgery Resident

Curriculum Portal, a website where resi-

dents can access educational materials

aligned with the curriculum outline. He has

also participated in studies of residents’

operative experience and attrition from U.S.

general surgery residency programs. After

his departure from the ABS, Dr. Bell plans

on working with residency programs on

curriculum design and instruction. He will

also devote time to web-based instruction

and assessment in clinical decision mak-

ing. Dr. Bell also hopes to spend more time

traveling and pursuing his hobby of oil

painting. “I thank the ABS for giving me a

great opportunity to have a positive impact

on the education of surgeons,” said Dr.

Bell. “I believe the SCORE project has sub-

stantially raised awareness of the field of

surgical education and the challenges

before us to train the best possible sur-

geons.”

UPDATE

Cogbill Elected Vice Chair for 2011-2012The ABS has elected Dr.

Thomas H. Cogbill as vicechair for 2011-2012. He willserve as chair of the ABS in2012-2013.

Dr. Cogbill is a generalsurgeon at GundersenLutheran Health System, a400-physician multispecialtygroup practice in La Crosse,Wisconsin. He served as thecenter’s residency programdirector for general surgeryfrom 1990 to January 2010

and is also a clinical professor of surgery at the University ofWisconsin– Madison Medical School. Dr. Cogbill attendedDartmouth Medical School and the University of ColoradoSchool of Medicine and completed his residency at theUniversity of Colorado Medical Center.

Dr. Cogbill is the immediate past state chair of theWisconsin Committee on Trauma and a past president of theWisconsin Surgical Society and Western Trauma Association.He is a former executive committee member of the WesternSurgical Association, representing the organization on theACS Advisory Council for General Surgery, of which he wasvice chair from 2007 to 2009. His clinical and research inter-ests include rural surgery training, blunt trauma, surgicaloutcomes, and skill-based surgical training and evaluation.

Dr. Cogbill was named a director of the ABS in 2006,filling one of three newly created at-large director positions.During his time as director, he has served on the ABS’Credentials Committee, General Surgery ResidencyCommittee and In-Training Examination Committee. Healso serves as an ABS representative to the American Boardof Family Medicine and SCORE Planning Committee.

6 ABS News – 2010 Issue www.absurgery.org

Update: “American Board of General Surgery”Many surgeons were contacted in the past year by an

“American Board of General Surgery” offering member-ship for a payment of $500. The ABS has filed suit in fed-eral court seeking an injunction against any further activi-ty by this organization and the individual behind it, KeithA. Lasko. We sincerely thank all the surgeons whobrought this issue to our attention and sent us copies ofthe letter they had received to support our suit. We willkeep diplomates informed as the suit proceeds.

Buyske Named to ABMS Board of DirectorsDr. Jo Buyske, ABS associate

executive director, has beenappointed to the board of directorsof the American Board of MedicalSpecialties (ABMS). The ABMS isthe umbrella organization for the 24recognized medical specialty boardsand acts to establish common stan-dards for physician certification. Dr.Buyske will serve a three-year term.

New ABS Websiteand RSS Feed

Have you visitedwww.absurgery.orglately? Exam infor-mation is noworganized by specialty and userscan reach almostany page with justone click! Thank you to all who provided feedback beforeand after the redesign. You can also verify certificationon the website under “Is Your Surgeon Certified?” TheABS also now offers an RSS news feed with periodicupdates from the board; a link to subscribe can be foundin the top right of the website. Most search engines andweb browsers offer free RSS reader programs.

ABSITE Goes InternationalThe ABS In-Training Examination (ABSITE) was

administered this year for the first time to surgical resi-dents in Singapore and the Netherlands. In recent years,the ABS has received numerous inquiries from countriesinterested in using the ABSITE in their surgical trainingprograms. The transition of the ABSITE to an online for-mat now makes such collaboration possible.

The ACGME and ABMS are also working with theSingapore Ministry of Health to develop a national train-ing and certification system for their physicians.

Ricotta Appointed to RRC-SurgeryDr. John J. Ricotta has been

elected to the RRC-Surgery as a rep-resentative of the ABS. He will servea six-year term. A former ABS direc-tor and the immediate past chair ofthe VSB-ABS, Dr. Ricotta is chair ofthe department of surgery atWashington Hospital Center inWashington, D.C.

ABMS Outreach to State Medical BoardsIn 2011, the ABMS will be launching a formal state

medical board outreach program to educate board offi-cials and state legislators about the ABMS and its 24member boards. The program’s mission will be toincrease awareness and recognition of the rigorous stan-dards used by ABMS member boards, including the ABS,for the board certification of physicians, as well as todevelop stronger working relationships with the stateboards and the Federation of State Medical Boards.

ABS Is Going Green!The ABS is working on multiple levels to reduce the

amount of paper it uses. All ABS examinations are nowdeveloped and delivered via computer and most of theexam application process is completed online as well. Thepaper newsletter is now mailed on an annual basis and weare increasingly relying on e-mail to contact diplomates.Please make sure we have your current e-mailaddress—go to “My Records/My Account” on the ABSwebsite to update your information.

Applying for an Exam Next Year?The ABS posts its online application process each year

in mid-April. We encourage you to visit www.absurgery.orgnow to view the application requirements for your exam.Diplomates who are eligible to apply for recertification in2011 (certificate expiring in 2014 or earlier) will be noti-fied once the online application process is available.

Disclosure of Examination ContentOver the past few years the ABS has experienced

several cases where individuals have reproduced or oth-erwise disclosed content from ABS examinations. TheABS has pursued these cases and in many instancesrevoked the certification of the individuals involved. Theboard has also taken legal action seeking to recover mon-etary damages. The ABS Ethics and ProfessionalismPolicy specifically prohibits the reconstruction of exami-nation questions and answers by any means. Please helpus protect the value of your certificate by making othersaware of the importance of ABS exam confidentiality.

ABS Updates

www.absurgery.org ABS News – 2010 Issue 7

Thank You to Our Examination Consultants and ExaminersThe ABS gratefully recognizes the following individuals for their contributions to the ABS examination process

8 ABS News – 2010 Issue www.absurgery.org

EXAMINATIONCONSULTANTS

2010 GENERAL SURGERY

QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Peter Angelos, M.D.

Kevin E. Behrns, M.D.

Elisa H. Birnbaum, M.D.

Karen J. Brasel, M.D.

Kenneth W. Burchard, M.D.

Wendy J. Grant, M.D.

Richard A. Hodin, M.D.

A. Amy Mostafavi, M.D.

H. Leon Pachter, M.D.

Taine T. V. Pechet, M.D.

Nancy D. Perrier, M.D.

Patricia L. Turner, M.D.

2010 GENERAL SURGERY

RECERTIFICATION

EXAMINATION

Mark W. Asplund, M.D.

William A. Billups III, M.D.

Larry E. Bragg, M.D.

Juan B. Ochoa, M.D.

2010 PEDIATRIC SURGERY

EXAMINATIONS

Gary A. Birken, M.D.

Charles V. Coren, M.D.

Rebecka L. Meyers, M.D.

Michael A. Skinner, M.D.

Charles L. Snyder, M.D.

2010 SURGICAL CRITICAL

CARE EXAMINATIONS

William C. Chiu, M.D.

Marianne E. Cinat, M.D.

Jonathan F. Critchlow, M.D.

Elizabeth B. Dreesen, M.D.

David J. Dries, M.D.

Gene A. Grindlinger, M.D.

Patrick M. Reilly, M.D.

Samuel A. Tisherman, M.D.

2010 VASCULAR SURGERY

EXAMINATIONS

Cameron M. Akbari, M.D.

Robert E. Engles, Jr., M.D.

Eugene M. Langan III, M.D.

John S. Munn, M.D.

Caron R. Rockman, M.D.

Michael J. Rohrer, M.D.

Fred A. Weaver, M.D.

2011 ABSITE (Clinical Mgmt.

Section)

Lawrence L. Creswell, M.D.

Mary E. Klingensmith, M.D.

Rosemary A. Kozar, M.D.

John S. Lane, M.D.

Jeffrey A. Lowell, M.D.

Jeffrey M. Marks, M.D.

Attila Nakeeb, M.D.

Fiemu E. Nwariaku, M.D.

A. Scott Pearson, M.D.

David W. Tuggle, M.D.

2011 ABSITE (Surgical Basic

Science Section)

Saleem Islam, M.D.

Kimberley S. Kirkwood, M.D.

Tien C. Ko, M.D.

David W. Mercer, M.D.

Melanie L. Richards, M.D.

Robert G. Sawyer, M.D.

Gilbert R. Upchurch, M.D.

2011 PEDIATRIC SURGERY

IN-TRAINING EXAMINATION

Craig T. Albanese, M.D.

Kenneth S. Azarow, M.D.

Gail E. Besner, M.D.

Guy F. Brisseau, M.D.

Michael G. Caty, M.D.

Mike K. Chen, M.D.

Shirley Chou, M.D.

Paul M. Colombani, M.D.

Patrick A. Dillon, M.D.

Alan W. Flake, M.D.

Barbara A. Gaines, M.D.

Keith E. Georgeson, M.D.

J. Theodore Gerstle, M.D.

Philip C. Guzzetta, Jr., M.D.

George W. Holcomb III, M.D.

Andrew R. Hong, M.D.

Kevin P. Lally, M.D.

Scott E. Langenburg, M.D.

Max R. Langham, Jr., M.D.

Craig W. Lillehei, M.D.

Donald C. Liu, M.D.

Wallace W. Neblett III, M.D.

Jed G. Nuchtern, M.D.

Keith T. Oldham, M.D.

Pramod A. Puligandla, M.D.

Frederick J. Rescorla, M.D.

Marleta Reynolds, M.D.

Frederick C. Ryckman, M.D.

Marshall Z. Schwartz, M.D.

Mark L. Silen, M.D.

Erik D. Skarsgard, M.D.

Samuel D. Smith, M.D.

David L. Sigalet, M.D.

Dickens St-Vil, M.D.

David W. Tuggle, M.D.

John H. T. Waldhausen, M.D.

Mark L. Wulkan, M.D.

Moritz M. Ziegler, M.D.

2011 VASCULAR SURGERY

IN-TRAINING EXAMINATION

Ahmed M. Abou-Zamzam Jr.,

M.D.

Ruth L. Bush, M.D.

David C. Han, M.D.

Karl A. Illig, M.D.

Timothy J. Nypaver, M.D.

John E. Rectenwald III, M.D.

Amy B. Reed, M.D.

2009-2010 EXAMINERS

2010 PEDIATRIC SURGERY

CERTIFYING EXAMINATION

Edward M. Barksdale, M.D.

Gary A. Birken, M.D.

Mary L. Brandt, M.D.

Donna A. Caninao, M.D.

Clinton M. Cavett, M.D.

Peter W. Dillon, M.D.

Mary E. Fallat, M.D.*

Diana L. Farmer, M.D.

Philip C. Guzzetta, M.D.

Gary E. Hartman, M.D.

Ronald B. Hirschl, M.D.*

Thomas M. Krummel, M.D.

Arlet Kurkchubasche, M.D.

Max R. Langham Jr., M.D.

Donald C. Liu, M.D.

Dennis Lund, M.D.

Eugene D. McGahren, M.D.

R. Lawrence Moss, M.D.

Frederick J. Rescorla, M.D.

Marleta Reynolds, M.D.

Richard R. Ricketts, M.D.

Robert S. Sawin, M.D.

David J. Schmeling, M.D.*

Michael A. Skinner, M.D.

Samuel D. Smith, M.D.

Charles J.H. Stolar, M.D.*

Thomas F. Tracy, M.D.*

David W. Tuggle, M.D.

Charles D. Vinocur, M.D.

Brad W. Warner, M.D.

2010 VASCULAR SURGERY

CERTIFYING EXAMINATION

Ahmed M. Abou-Zamzam Jr.,

M.D.

Cameron M. Akbari, M.D.

Enrico Ascher, M.D.

Robert G. Atnip, M.D.

Jeffrey L. Ballard, M.D.

Hisham S. Bassiouny, M.D.

O. William Brown, M.D.

Jeffrey P. Carpenter, M.D.

Kenneth J. Cherry, M.D.

Ronald L. Dalman, M.D.

Michael C. Dalsing, M.D.*

Ralph C. Darling, M.D.

John F. Eidt, M.D.*

Eric D. Endean, M.D.

Mark K. Eskandari, M.D.

Mark F. Fillinger, M.D.

Dennis Gable, M.D.

Vivian Gahtan, M.D.*

Spencer W. Galt, M.D.

David L. Gillespie, M.D.

Michael A. Golden, M.D.

Kim J. Hodgson, M.D.

Thomas S. Huber, M.D.

Mark D. Iafrati, M.D.

William D. Jordan, M.D.

K. Craig Kent, M.D.*

Christopher J. Kwolek, M.D.

Eugene M. Langan, M.D.

Alan B. Lumsden, M.D.

William C. Mackey, M.D.

Michel S. Makaroun, M.D.

Joseph L. Mills, M.D.*

John G. Modrall, M.D.

Gregory L. Moneta, M.D.

Mark D. Morasch, M.D.

Gregory J. Pearl, M.D.

Daniel J. Reddy, M.D.

Linda M. Reilly, M.D.

John J. Ricotta, M.D.

Caron R. Rockman, M.D.

Darren B. Schneider, M.D.

Murray L. Shames, M.D.

Alexander D. Shepard, M.D.

Anton N. Sidawy, M.D.

William L. Smead, M.D.

R. James Valentine, M.D.*

Michael T. Watkins, M.D.

Rodney A. White, M.D.

Gerald B. Zelenock, M.D.

GENERAL SURGERY

CERTIFYING ASSOCIATE

EXAMINERS

Reid B. Adams, M.D.

Niren Angle, M.D.

John H. Armstrong, M.D.

Marc Basson, M.D.

Kevin E. Behrns, M.D.

Jeffrey J. Berger, M.D.

Ernest F. Block, M.D.

Loretta A. Boyd, M.D.

Lisa M. Boyle, M.D.

Karen Brasel, M.D.

Rebecca C. Britt, M.D.

Miriam Kelley Bullard, M.D.

Mark P. Callery, M.D.

Juan C. Cendan, M.D.

Kevin P. Charpentier, M.D.

Michael L. Cheatham, M.D.

Maureen A. Chung, M.D.

Michael J. Clar, M.D.

J. Craig Collins, M.D.

Edward E. Cornwell, M.D.

Richard A. Crass, M.D.

Clifford S. Crawford, M.D.

G. Paul Dabrowski, M.D.

Kimberly A. Davis, M.D.

Lillian Dawes, M.D.

Tina R. Desai, M.D.

Therese M. Duane, M.D.

Richard C. Earnhardt, M.D.

David W. Easter, M.D.

Mary E. Fallat, M.D.*

Alireza Farpour, M.D.

Charles M. Ferguson, M.D.

Alessandro Fichera, M.D.

Debra Ford, M.D.

Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D.

Mark L. Friedell, M.D.

Jonathan P. Fryer, M.D.

Eric R. Frykberg, M.D.

George Fuhrman, M.D.

Terrence Fullum, M.D.

Joseph T. Gallagher, M.D.

Jessica Gosnell, M.D.

Randolph J. Gould, M.D.

Jon Gould, M.D.

Theresa A. Graves, M.D.

Richard J. Gray, M.D.

Amelia Grover, M.D.

Kristene K. Gugliuzza, M.D.

Amy Halverson, M.D.

Nora M. Hansen, M.D.

Jonathan R. Hiatt, M.D.

Arthur C. Hill, M.D.

Darryl T. Hiyama, M.D.

Richard A. Hodin, M.D.

George Wilkes Hubbard II, M.D.

Neil H. Hyman, M.D.

Rao R. Ivatury, M.D.

Charles E. Ives, M.D.

Nora Jaskowiak, M.D.

Lynt B. Johnson, M.D.

Robert G. Johnson, M.D.

Michael P. Kahky, M.D.

David W. Kays, M.D.

Andrew J. Kerwin, M.D.

John W. Kilkenny, M.D.

Jon A. King, M.D.

Orlando C. Kirton, M.D.

Clifford Y. Ko, M.D.

Edward C. Lee, M.D.

Terrence H. Liu, M.D.

Walter A. Longo, M.D.

Lawrence Lottenberg, M.D.

Matthew W. Lube, M.D.

Fred A. Luchette, M.D.

Dennis P. Lund, M.D.

Richard Lynn, M.D.

Larry C. Martin, M.D.

Laurence McCahill, M.D.

Keith W. Millikan, M.D.

Thomas J. Miner, M.D.

Anita Minghini, M.D.

David W. Mozingo, M.D.

James P. Neifeld, M.D.

Guy R. Nicastri, M.D.

Eric Owens, M.D.

Charles N. Paidas, M.D.

Marco G. Patti, M.D.

Roger R. Perry, M.D.

Edward H. Phillips, M.D.

Mitchell C. Posner, M.D.

Vivek N. Prachand, M.D.

Madhu Prasad, M.D.

Victor E. Pricolo, M.D.

John T. Promes, M.D.

Carla M. Pugh, M.D.

Howard David Reines, M.D.

Kevin K. Roggin, M.D.

G. Dean Roye, M.D.

Terry Sarantou, M.D.

George A. Sarosi, M.D.

Jeannie Savas, M.D.

Robert G. Sawyer, M.D.

Worthington Schenk, M.D.

Miren A. Schinco, M.D.

Steven R. Shackford, M.D.

Michael Shapiro, M.D.

Michael J. Sise, M.D.

Danny Sleeman, M.D.

C. Daniel Smith, M.D.

James G. Snyder, M.D.

Peter W. Soballe, M.D.

Lewis B. Somberg, M.D.

David I. Soybel, M.D.

Matthias G. Stelzner, M.D.

Charles J.H. Stolar, M.D.*

Mark A. Talamini, M.D.

Mark S. Talamonti, M.D.

Joseph J. Tepas, M.D.

Sivamainthan Vithiananthan,

M.D.

Carmine M. Volpe, M.D.

Richard Wait, M.D.

Alonzo P. Walker, M.D.

Barry F. Walter, M.D.

Leonard J. Weireter, M.D.

David J. Winchester, M.D.

* VSB/PSB-ABS member

Associate examiners at a November 2010 General Surgery Certifying Examination

held in Philadelphia

12 Months of Flexibility Approved by ABSThe ABS approved at its June 2010 meeting a pro-

posal to permit greater flexibility in the clinical rota-tions completed by general surgery residents. Thisproposal was also approved by the RRC-Surgery inOctober and must now be reviewed by the ACGMEBoard of Directors. If approved, the new policy wouldgo into effect for the ABS as of July 2011.

The proposal would allow general surgery pro-gram directors, if they so choose, to customize up to12 months of a resident’s rotations in the last 36months of residency to reflect a resident’s future spe-cialty interests, with no more than six months of flex-ible rotations allowed in any one year. This would be avoluntary option for program directors and notrequired on the part of individual residencies. Thenew policy would also not alter any other ABSrequirements currently in effect. The ABS will keepprogram directors informed of the ACGME’s decision.

Online ABSITE for 2011The 2011 ABSITE will be administered in an

online format to all general surgery residency pro-grams. By moving to an online exam, the ABS expectsto improve examination security and increase consis-tency in the exam’s administration. The format of theABSITE—a junior version for clinical levels 1 and 2and a senior version for levels 3 through 5—remainsunchanged. Assigned seating and a seating chart willstill be required. Additional details will be sent to pro-grams in the weeks before the exam.

New Leave Policy — Six-Year OptionThe ABS introduced in 2009 a new leave policy

pertaining to applicants for general surgery certifica-tion. The policy gives residency programs the optionof permitting the five years of general surgery trainingto be completed over a six-year period. The six-yearoption is intended to provide programs with greaterflexibility in allowing residents time away from train-ing for family issues, outside interests, etc.

Use of the six-year option is solely at the pro-gram’s discretion, and contingent on advance approvalfrom the ABS. All training must be completed at a sin-gle program. Forty-eight weeks of training are stillrequired in each clinical year and all individual rota-tions must be full-time. The first 12 months of clinicaltraining would be counted as PGY-1, the second 12months as PGY-2, and so forth. No block of clinicaltraining may be shorter than one month.

Under this option, a resident may take up to 12months off during training, excluding the chief year.The option may be used for any purpose sanctionedby the residency program, including but not limitedto medical problems, visa issues, maternity leave, edu-cational opportunities, etc.

The ABS’ requirements regarding medical leaveduring a standard five-year residency remainunchanged. See www.absurgery.org for the completeleave policy.

Completion of PGY-3 MandatoryThe ABS also approved at its June meeting the use

of more specific language in its general surgery certi-fication requirements to make clear that three years atthe PGY-1 and -2 levels cannot replace completion ofa categorical PGY-3 year. Residents may not completethree years in PGY-1 and -2 and then be promoted toPGY-4. Though not a new requirement per se, theboard felt it was important that this be specificallystated. This language is now posted on the ABS web-site and will be included in the next Booklet ofInformation– Surgery.

Collection of Oral Exam Cases ProhibitedThe ABS has become increasingly concerned

about the collection of past scenarios from itsCertifying (oral) Examinations. The solicitation andcollection of CE cases is a direct violation of the ABSEthics and Professionalism Policy and also mayinfringe on the copyright the board holds regarding itsoral exams. The exam scenarios reflect long hours ofwork by many surgeons dedicated to upholding thehigh standards of board certification. Please help us byadhering to the ABS policy and educating others on itssignificance.

A new section just for program directors!

Upcoming Exam Dates

ABSITE: Jan. 28 –Feb. 1, 2011

PSITE: Feb. 19, 2011

VSITE: Feb. 26, 2011

www.absurgery.org ABS News – 2010 Issue 9

PROGRAM DIRECTORS’ CORNER

The ABS announced in Julythe appointment of William J.Scanlon, Ph.D. as its first publicboard member. He will serve asix-year term.

A highly regarded healthcare policy expert, Dr. Scanloncurrently serves as consultant tothe National Health PolicyForum and as an affiliated facul-ty member of the Institute forPolicy Studies at The Johns

Hopkins University. He is also a current member of theNational Committee on Vital and Health Statistics and theVisiting Nurse Service of New York Board of Directors. Thispast May he completed a term as member of the MedicarePayment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

Dr. Scanlon was managing director of health care issuesat the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) until 2004.Before joining the GAO in 1993, he was co-director of theCenter for Health Policy Studies and associate professor inthe department of family medicine at GeorgetownUniversity. He was also a principal research associate inhealth policy at the Urban Institute.

“Dr. Scanlon brings years of public policy experienceand an important outside perspective to the ABS,” said Dr.Frank R. Lewis Jr., ABS executive director. “As we work tocoordinate our MOC program with the requirements ofinsurers and regulatory organizations, we look forward tothe expertise and insights that he will contribute.”

Dr. Scanlon’s research has focused on Medicare andMedicaid, insurance regulation, public health and health careworkforce issues. He has published extensively and served asa frequent consultant to federal agencies, state Medicaidprograms and private foundations. Dr. Scanlon holds a Ph.D.in economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.A Chicago native, he currently resides in Virginia.

“I was pleased to accept the invitation to join the ABS asa public member,” said Dr. Scanlon. “The medical professionand policy community are both endeavoring to improvehealth care for all Americans, yet opportunities for sharingperspectives that could assist their individual efforts are toolimited. I anticipate learning much from the board and hopemy participation proves useful to the ABS as well.”

See the next page to meet our other new directors

Scanlon Named ABS’ First Public Board Member

10 ABS News – 2010 Issue www.absurgery.org

Did you know the ABS has repre-sentation from 37 organizations?

In recent years, the ABS has takensteps to ensure that all areas of surgeryhave a voice in the board’s activities.Currently 37 organizations have repre-sentatives on the ABS or an ABS com-ponent board or advisory council. Thefollowing organizations have one ormore representatives on the board.American Association for the Surgery of TraumaAmerican Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery American Board of Plastic SurgeryAmerican Board of Thoracic SurgeryAmerican College of SurgeonsAmerican Medical AssociationAmerican Pediatric Surgical AssociationAmerican Society of Transplant Surgeons American Surgical AssociationAssociation for Academic SurgeryAssociation of Pediatric Surgery Training Program DirectorsAssociation of Program Directors in Surgery Association of Program Directors in VascularSurgeryCentral Surgical AssociationNew England Surgical SocietyPacific Coast Surgical AssociationSociety of American Gastrointestinal and

Endoscopic SurgeonsSociety for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract Society of Surgical OncologySociety for Vascular SurgerySociety of University SurgeonsSoutheastern Surgical CongressSouthern Surgical AssociationSouthwestern Surgical CongressWestern Surgical Association

In addition, the following organiza-tions have representatives on the ABS’component boards and advisory coun-cils. The ABS relies on the expertise ofthese groups to address specialty-spe-cific issues related to board certificationand define the certification and exami-nation processes in that area.

VSB-ABSAssociation of Program Directors in VascularSurgeryPeripheral Vascular Surgery SocietySociety for Clinical Vascular Surgery Society for Vascular Surgery

PSB-ABSACS Advisory Council for Pediatric SurgeryAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Surgical SectionAmerican Pediatric Surgical AssociationAssociation of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors

TBCCB-ABSACS Committee on TraumaAmerican Association for the Surgery of TraumaAmerican Burn AssociationAssociation of SCC Program DirectorsSociety of Critical Care Medicine, Surgical Section

Gastrointestinal Surgery Advisory CouncilAmerican Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary AssociationAmerican Society for Metabolic and BariatricSurgeryFellowship CouncilSociety of American Gastrointestinal andEndoscopic SurgeonsSociety for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

Surgical Oncology Advisory CouncilAmerican Association of Endocrine SurgeonsAmerican Society of Breast SurgeonsSociety of Surgical Oncology

Transplantation Advisory CouncilAmerican Society of Transplant Surgeons

Current representatives are listed onthe ABS website, www.absurgery.org, under“About the ABS.”

In MemoryIt is with deep regret we report the deaths

of the following past ABS directors:

J. Bradley Aust, M.D. 3/17/10

Harris B. Shumacker Jr., M.D. 11/14/09

ABS Nominating Organizations

Gregory J. (Jerry)Jurkovich, M.D.Birthplace: Minneapolis,MinnesotaHobbies: Fly fishing, ski-ing, golfCollege: NorthwesternUniversityMedical School:University of MinnesotaResidency: University of ColoradoResearch/Clinical Interests: Trauma systems,trauma outcomes, PTSD and psychiatric dis-orders in trauma patients, hypothermia andinjury, inflammatory response to injury, nutri-tional support of the injured patientCurrent Practice: Acute care surgery, trauma,surgical critical care and emergency generalsurgeryAcademic Appointments: Professor ofSurgery, University of WashingtonAdministrative Titles: Chief of TraumaSurgery, Harborview Medical Center –Seattle, Wash.Other Activities: Secretary, Western SurgicalAssociation; Past President, AmericanAssociation for the Surgery of Trauma andWestern Trauma Association; Past ViceChairman and Chief of Regions, ACSCommittee on Trauma; Past Treasurer,Society of University Surgeons

Meet Our New Directors

The ABS would like to thank the following outgoing

directors for their years ofservice to the board

Jeffrey B. Matthews, M.D.John J. Ricotta, M.D.

William P. Schecter, M.D.Steven C. Stain, M.D.

Ronald J. Weigel, M.D.

John. F. Eidt, M.D. Birthplace: Dallas,Texas Hobbies: Cycling, travel-ingCollege: University ofNotre Dame Medical School:University of TexasSouthwestern Medical School – DallasResidency: Brigham and Women’s Hospital(Harvard Medical School), University Hospitalof South Manchester (England) Clinical Fellowships: Vascular surgery,University of Texas Southwestern MedicalSchool Current Practice: Vascular and endovascularsurgery Academic Appointments: Professor ofSurgery and Radiology and Vascular SurgeryProgram Director, University of Arkansas forMedical Sciences Administrative Titles: Chief of Vascular andEndovascular Surgery and Medical Directorof Non-invasive Vascular Laboratory,University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences –Little Rock, Ark.

Other Activities: Society of Vascular SurgeryBoard of Directors; Electronic ResidencyApplication System (ERAS) Advisory Board;Editorial Board, Journal of Vascular Surgery

David W. Mercer, M.D.

Birthplace: SanFrancisco, California

Hobbies: Golf, running,sailing

College: University ofWisconsin – Madison

Medical School:University of Wisconsin Medical School –Madison

Residency: Temple University Hospital

Research/Clinical Interests: Role of gut inmultiple organ failure, peptic ulcer disease

Current Practice: GI, colorectal, general sur-gery

Academic Appointments: McLaughlinProfessor of Surgery, University of NebraskaMedical Center

Administrative Titles: Chairman, Departmentof Surgery, University of Nebraska MedicalCenter – Omaha, Neb.

Other Activities: Past President, Society ofUniversity Surgeons

John G. Hunter, M.D.Birthplace: Hanover,New HampshireHobbies: Running, ski-ing, tennis, golf, reading,movies and foodCollege: Harvard CollegeMedical School:University ofPennsylvaniaResidency: University of UtahClinical Fellowships: Endoscopy,Massachusetts General Hospital; pancreati-cobiliary endoscopy, University of WesternOntarioResearch/Clinical Interests: Management ofdiseases of the esophagus and stomach,minimally invasive surgeryCurrent Practice: Esophageal and gastric sur-geryAcademic Appointments: MackenzieProfessor and Chair, Department of Surgery,Oregon Health and Science UniversityAdministrative Titles: Chief of Surgery and Co-Director of Digestive Health Center, OregonHealth and Science University – Portland, Ore.Other Activities: President-elect, Society forSurgery of the Alimentary Tract; PastPresident, SAGES; Honorary FellowsCommittee, ASA; Editor-in-Chief, WorldJournal of Surgery

Douglas S. Tyler, M.D.Birthplace: Boston,MassachusettsHobbies: Running, horseback riding, golfCollege: DartmouthCollegeMedical School:Dartmouth MedicalSchoolResidency: Duke University Medical CenterClinical Fellowships: Surgical oncology, M.D.Anderson Cancer Center Research/Clinical Interests: Developing novelstrategies to overcome melanoma chemore-sistance, regional therapy clinical trials inmelanomaCurrent Practice: Melanoma, gastrointestinalmalignancy (gastric, pancreas, colorectal),sarcomaAcademic Appointments: Professor ofSurgery, Duke University Medical CenterAdministrative Titles: Vice Chairman,Department of Surgery and AssociateMedical Director, Oncology Services, DukeUniversity Health System; Chief, SurgicalServices, Durham VA Medical Center –Durham, N.C.

www.absurgery.org ABS News – 2010 Issue 11

The ABS welcomes your feedback! Send your ideas and comments about this newsletter to cshiffer@absurgery.org.

Examination Examinees Pass Rate Diplomates (to date)

GS Qualifying 1,362 75% N/A

GS Certifying 1,146 77% 56,591

GS Recertification 2,068 94% 19,131

ABSITE 7,659 N/A N/A

VS Qualifying 143 88% N/A

VS Certifying 145 88% 2,996

VS Recertification 180 96% 1,783

VSITE 284 N/A N/A

Examination Examinees Pass Rate Diplomates (to date)

PS Qualifying 74 93% N/A

PS Certifying 74 96% 1,130

PS Recertification 94 97% 709

PSITE 91 N/A N/A

SCC Certifying 160 89% 2,721

SCC Recertification 145 88% 1,276

HS Certifying 16 81% 253

HS Recertification 9 78% 146

Key: GS = General Surgery, ITE = In-Training Examination, VS = Vascular Surgery, PS = Pediatric Surgery, SCC = Surgery Critical Care, HS = Surgery of the Hand

ABS NEWS2010 IssueThe American Board of Surgery, Inc.1617 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 860Philadelphia, PA 19103-1847www.absurgery.org

PRSRT STANDARDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 215

WEST CHESTER, PA

Your Surgeon Is CertifiedThe ABS offers the Your Surgeon Is Certifiedbrochure to diplomates to educate patients

about the significance of board certification.

An order form and PDF preview are available

at www.absurgery.org under “Publications.”

Copies can be ordered in quantities of 100,

200 or 500.

ABS NEWS

2009-2010 ABS Examination Statistics