American Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryEstablishing Education & Performance Standards for Orthopaedic Surgeons

Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA, FAOA, FACS

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery:A Purposeful Evolution

About the ABOS

About the ABOS

• Founded in 1934.

• Private, voluntary, non-profit, autonomous organization.

• There are currently about 29,000 Diplomates.

• Mission Statement:

To ensure safe, ethical, and effective practice of orthopaedic surgery, the ABOS maintains the highest standards for education, practice, and conduct through examination, certification, and maintenance of certification for the benefit of the public.

About the ABOS

• We deliver on our mission through:

– Innovation: Pursuing the most effective methods to assess Diplomate performance

– Education: Our role is to facilitate learning.

– Relevancy: Connecting to our public and our Diplomates in a way that makes the ABOS useful.

• 85-year history of working to do the right thing.

ABOS Composition: Leadership• 21 Directors:

– Practicing orthopaedic surgeons and one public director.

– Diplomates of the ABOS.

– Work in a variety of practice settings and subspecialties.

• Nominated by:– American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

– American Orthopaedic Association.

– American Medical Association.

• Driving diversity within our Board of Directors and our cadre of volunteers. – Race, gender, age, practice types, subspecialty, region

AMERICAN BOARD OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERYFall Meeting

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ABOS Board Certification

Pathway to Orthopaedic Board Certification

Subspecialty Certification

• Offered in Surgery of the Hand and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.• Applicants must have completed a 1-year fellowship and submit a

1-year case list. • 4-hour, 175 multiple-choice question, computer-based exam. • Administered at Prometric Testing Centers every August.• Ability to renew General Certificate and Subspecialty Certificates

at the same time with 1 assessment.

Maintaining Certification

• Supported by both the ABOS and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

• Peer-developed system encouraging continuous professional development.

• Recognizes Diplomates’ efforts to stay up-to-date across their career.

• Evidence of Professional Standing – Confirmation of licensure, and hospital credentials. • Evidence of Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment –

CME & SAE• Evidence of Cognitive Expertise – Recertification Assessment

Pathway.• Evidence of Performance in Practice – Peer review process

and the submission of case lists.

Maintaining Certification

Assessment Pathways

Assessment options:

1. Computer-Based Recertification Examinations.

2. Oral Recertification Examination.

3. Web-Based Longitudinal Assessment (ABOS WLA).

Assessment Pathways:Computer-Based Examination

• Diplomates have the choice to take a general clinical examination or a Practice-Profiled examination.

• 3 hours, 150 multiple-choice questions.

• Administered at Prometric Testing Centers every August and September.

• Blueprints available at ABOS.org.

Assessment Pathways:

• 10 Practice-Profiled Exam options:

1. Adult Reconstruction 2. Foot/Ankle Surgery 3. General Orthopaedic Surgery4. Musculoskeletal Oncology5. Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

6. Orthopaedic Trauma 7. Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery8. Shoulder/Elbow Surgery9. Surgery of the Hand10.Surgery of the Spine

Computer-Based Examination

Assessment Pathways:

• Administered in Chicago each July.

• 2-hour exam, divided into four 25-minute periods.

• Candidates submit a Case List and pertinent materials to the ABOS.

• Case selectors choose 12 cases for a Diplomate to present.

• Streamlined process for submitting Case List and materials.

• Oral Examiners have all recertified at least once.

Oral Examination

Introduction:• Allows Diplomates to customize their assessment. • Diplomates can take the assessment on their own computer, in a

location of their choosing. • Encourages continued learning:

– Allows Diplomates to stay up-to-date on orthopaedic literature.– Provides immediate correct/incorrect scores for each question.

Web-Based Longitudinal Assessment (ABOS WLA)

Assessment Pathways:

Assessment Pathways:

Exam Overview:• ABOS posts more than 150 Knowledge Sources to website.• Diplomates select 15 of these Knowledge Sources to study in-

depth. • These 15 Knowledge Sources become the sources for a

Diplomate’s 30 ABOS WLA questions. • Questions are delivered in open-book fashion with three

minutes allotted to answer each one.• Administration window a 5-week period.

ABOS WLA

Looking to the Future

Looking to the Future

• Continually looking at ways to improve our programs.– Leveraging technology to streamline processes.

• Increasing the value of ABOS Board Certification.• Transparency about where we’re going and why.• Seeking feedback and insights to improve our processes. • Implementing programs to encourage diversity.

Stay Up-to-Date

• Targeted emails.• The ABOS’ website: abos.org• Diplomate Dashboard.• The ABOS’ e-Newsletter, “The

Diplomate.”• Webinars.• Follow us on social media – Twitter,

Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

How to Contact the ABOS • Please do not hesitate to contact the ABOS with questions or input. • ABOS Certification Specialists:

Denise Frazier Part II Candidates and Diplomates with last

names beginning A-B.

Sonya Parker Part I Candidates, Residency

Programs, internationally trained physicians, and Part II Candidates and

Diplomates with last names beginning C-G.

Kim Grover Part II Candidates and Diplomates with last

names beginning H-O.

Morgen Graham Part II Candidates and Diplomates with last

names beginning P-Z.

Conclusion

• The ABOS' goal is to serve the best interest of the public and our profession.• Continuously working to do the right thing. • Streamlined ABOS Board Certification and Maintenance of

Certification processes. • Continuing to build the value of ABOS Board Certification.

Thank you