The American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) has approved a new re-certification process that will affect all neurosurgeons who become board certified after November of 1998. This new process will require neurosurgeons to be re-certified every ten years.
The ABNS is the last Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties to submit a plan for re-certification. All other Boards have mandatory or voluntary re-certification. In addition, individual states are moving toward a process of requiring re-licensure or re-certification every 10 years.
The desire of the ABNS is to produce a meaningful exam that will be a fair test of a neurosurgeon’s practice. It will not be an examination of minutia, basic science or arcane material. The ABNS wants to utilize the practice experience of physicians, as well as existing CME credits. Neurosurgeons will be allowed to take the re-certification exam multiple times, if necessary.
The requirements for re-certification for those certified after November of 1998 include:
- CME Requirement. All diplomats must provide evidence of successful completion of at least 90 hours of category I CME credits during the 3 years preceding the application to the ABNS for re-certification. These requirements may be documented by a certificate from the AANS, qualification for the Physician’s Recognition Award (APRA), Award of the American Medical Association or by completion of a list of CME Programs accredited by the ACCME.
- Written examination
- The diplomats must have successfully attained a passing grade on a written examination emphasizing neurosurgical practice and offered by the ABNS.
- Re-certification Interval: Beginning in November 1998, the ABNS will begin issuing time-limited certificates. The certificates may be renewed every 10 years through the process of re-certification. The diplomats may enter the re-certification process after 3 years prior to the expiration of their current certificate. The first re-certification process will begin in the year 2005.
- Repeating the examination: There will be no limit in the number of times diplomats may attempt to complete the re-certification process. A diplomat who has entered the re-certification process will be maintained on a list of certified diplomats for two years after his/her time limit and certificate have expired.
- General Requirements. The re-certification of the ABNS will be open only to individuals who have been certified in the past by the ABNS. These individuals will need to have a valid medical license, which is full and unrestricted. They will need to supply verification of satisfactory performance, such as letters from Chiefs of Staff.
Any questions regarding this process can be directed to Ms. Mary Louise Sanderson, Administrator, American Board of Neurological Surgery, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, Texas, 77030