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Anesthesiology Oral Examination

The Anesthesiology Oral Certification Examination consists of four cases. The cases presented will be based upon real or hypothetical patients. Cases presented reflect typical cases seen by Anesthesiologists and are developed using the same reference materials and content domains as the written examination. Candidates are allowed two hours for the examination.

To begin the oral examination, candidates are presented a brief introductory statement regarding a patient’s general condition. The candidate is then asked how he or she would like to proceed. It is important to remember that the oral examination is designed to be a dialogue between the candidate and the presenter. Each case typically requires candidates to address details in each of the following categories:

  • History – The candidate should request information regarding any patient medical history relevant to the case, including (but not limited to) onset, location, allergies, medications, past medical history, and surgical history.
  • Physical Examination – The candidate should request information regarding the patient’s airway, neck, chest, heart, back, neurological, musculoskeletal, and any other areas applicable to the case.
  • Data – The candidate should order appropriate laboratory tests and diagnostic examinations; the Presenter will provide the candidate with the results.
  • Management – The candidate should indicate recommended treatment, including non-operative, operative, and post-operative management. The candidate may be asked to provide a rationale.
  • Disposition/Pathophysiology—The candidate may be presented with follow-up conditions of the patient, including complications—to which the candidate will be asked to recommend appropriate actions; or the candidate may be asked to describe possible complications/outcomes and appropriate corrective actions. Additionally, other related questions regarding the patient’s condition may be asked.

The cases presented will address a variety of situations. No case will address exactly the same topic. Topics presented to the candidate may include, but not limited to:

  • General Anesthetic Management
  • Obstetric Anesthesia
  • Cardiac Anesthesia
  • Pediatric Anesthesia
  • Orthopedics/Trauma
  • Neuro Anesthesia
  • Regional Anesthesia
  • MAC/Anesthesia Management Outside of Operating Room

A candidate’s score on any one case is completely independent of his or her score on any other case. To pass, the candidate must, at a minimum, obtain a total score that equals or exceeds the sum of the threshold scores for the studies. Therefore, it is possible that a candidate may score less than the threshold score for one case, but still pass the examination, provided he or she scores well enough on the remainder of the cases to offset the lower score. Each case contains approximately the same number of possible points. Therefore, the cases are approximately equally weighted in the overall calculation of candidate’s total score.

While there are no scorable actions that, if not performed, are an automatic “not pass” – there are potential dangerous Actions. These are actions or inactions that endanger the patient and may result in a deduction of points from the final score.

All ABPS examinations are administered only in English. Responses from candidates to examination questions must be in English for the candidate to be eligible to receive credit toward his or her examination score.

The results are mailed within 45 days of the examination. A careful review of the scoring and analyses of the results is conducted after the examination and before issuing reports, to verify the accuracy and validity of the results.

Retaking Oral Examinations

A candidate may take the oral examination as many as three times in order to pass. Candidates who are not successful in passing both the written and oral examinations within the number of allowable attempts may reapply for certification by completing a new application and meeting all the eligibility requirements in effect at the time the new application is submitted.

Accommodations for Religious Reasons and Disabilities

Click here to see the complete policy for accommodations.

 

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Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
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