Surgery Exam Description

An outline of the subject areas covered on the certification examination is included to help candidates prepare for the exam. Candidates should review this outline carefully and focus study on the areas listed. Candidates should be aware that the outline reflects the responses to practice-analysis questionnaires and enables codification of the examination for subsequent analysis of the results. Each question is linked to a specific area of the outline. No question is meant to be obscure or tricky. The percentage of questions in an area conveys the relative importance of each area of the examination. The information in the outline is meant to serve as a study aid only and not as a guarantee of success in taking the certification examination.

General Surgery Classification System

	Subject Area	Number of Questions on Exam
1	Amputation	5
2	Anesthesia	5
3	Biomaterials	3
4	Breast Surgery	11
5	Endocrine Surgery	6
6	Gynecology	3
7	Hernias of the Abdominal Wall	12
8	Laparoscopy	11
9	Laser, Cautery, & Harmonic Scalpel	8
10	Metabolic Care – Fluids & Electrolytes	11
11	Nervous System	4
12	Pediatric Surgery	4
13	Physiological Response to Injury & Surgery	9
14	Physiology of Burns	4
15	Physiology of Wound Healing	8
16	Shock & Circulatory Collapse	9
17	Surgery of Integument	9
18	Surgery of the Colon, Rectum, & Anus	10
19	Surgery of the Head and Neck	6
20	Surgery of the Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract	10
21	Surgery of the Spleen	9
22	Surgery of the Stomach and Small Intestines	9
23	Surgery of the Thorax	4
24	Surgical Infection, Abscess, & Fluid Collection	9
25	Surgical Oncology	9
26	Surgical Radiology	4
27	Transplantation	1
28	Urology	2
29	Vascular Surgery	5

Surgery Examination Study References

You may wish to use the study materials to prepare for the written certification or recertification examinations. The Examinations Committee uses these references to create questions for the examinations.

Download Study References

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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.

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Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP

Emergency Medicine

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Disaster Medicine

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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.

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Internal Medicine

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Emergency Medicine

When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

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Administrative Medicine

The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO

Internal Medicine

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