ABCRS

ABCRS, Rick Nelson

The American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery was established to promote the health and welfare of the American people through the development and maintenance of high standards for certification in the specialty of colon and rectal surgery.

To achieve certification by The American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, a candidate must pass a Written Examination (Part I) and an Oral Examination (Part II). The Written Examination is offered in the spring of the year and a candidate is required to pass this examination before being permitted to take the Oral Examination which is given in the fall of the year.

Examinations are conducted at times and places determined by the Board and this information may be obtained from the Board office. It is also published in DISEASES OF THE COLON AND RECTUM and in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Examinations are held in one designated city in the United States.

Part I - Written Examination

The Written Examination is an assessment of a candidate’s knowledge of the theory and practice of colon and rectal surgery with separate exams in Pathology and Radiology. The written portion of the examination is a four hour test of multiple choice questions covering the spectrum of colon and rectal surgery and the body of basic science pertinent to it. The Pathology and Radiology portions of the examination each are one hour in length and consist of questions and slide presentations.

Part II - Oral Examination

The Oral Examination is conducted by members of the Board or its designated examiners. Its objective is to evaluate the candidates' clinical experience, problem-solving ability and surgical judgment, and to ascertain the candidate’s knowledge of the current literature on colon and rectal diseases and surgery. Each candidate will undergo at least three 30-minute oral examinations by three two-member examining teams.

Examination Results

The Board makes every effort to be as prompt as possible in notifying candidates of their examination results and letters of notification may be expected from four to six weeks following the examination.