ABOS GME Chair Message
Decisions made by American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Board of Directors are guided by the Board’s mission of protecting the public, including the implementation of the ABOS Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior (ABOS KSB) Program. Helping orthopaedic education programs produce residency graduates who are more knowledgeable, skilled, and professional fulfills this mission.
The ABOS KSB Program has been designed by orthopaedic surgeon educational leaders to provide a platform for collecting meaningful feedback that can help young surgeons develop their professional identities. We hope residents will look at the ABOS KSB Program not just as another task to complete, but as an opportunity to get formative feedback from your faculty that will help you grow.
As an orthopaedic surgeon, you should never stop learning. The core competency of practice-based learning and improvement means you should be reading journal articles, attending meetings, and earning continuing medical education (CME) throughout your career to provide the best possible care for your patients. During residency, the ABOS KSB Program can help you improve even after you have met the minimum participation requirements for surgical skills and professional behavior assessments. Based on our early data, many of you agree with that premise. Many PGY 5 residents have met the participation requirements, and some PGY 4s have as well but are continuing to request assessments to keep improving. Do not look at the required number of Surgical Skills and Professional Behavior assessments as a finish line, but rather as a minimum number of completed requests that you should obtain.
For Orthopaedic Surgery PGY 1s, welcome to our profession! We call this residency training (although I prefer education) since you are just beginning your learning journey on how to become a competent orthopaedic surgeon. As a novice, you should be seeking feedback at every opportunity from your faculty to know what your strengths and weaknesses are, and how you should focus your studying and practice to hone your surgical knowledge and skills. The feedback you receive over the course of residency education is critical to help you become a competent orthopaedic surgeon.
Being formative feedback, the ABOS KSB Surgical Skills Assessment provides a snapshot about a single case at one point in time. It is not indicative of you as a surgeon or the surgeon you will be once you graduate. The only other people who have access to your completed assessments are your Program Coordinator and Program Director. The ABOS is not using the program as a part of the ABOS Board Certification Program, apart from meeting the minimum number of completed assessments to be eligible to sit for the ABOS Part I Examination.
When designing the program, the ABOS spent a lot of time and money to minimize the burden that participation would place on residents, faculty, Program Directors, and Program Coordinators. Thanks to the early-adopting residency programs that tested the system, we do not believe that participation is overly burdensome. It should take you less than a minute to make each request and less than 2 minutes for the attending physician to complete the assessment.
At the ABOS, we believe in continuous improvement. When I recently met with the ABOS Resident Advisory Panel, I asked them what’s working—and what’s not—with the ABOS KSB Program. They provided extremely useful feedback, and we look forward to more feedback about how we can improve the program from them, and from you.
In September, the ABOS introduced the ABOS KSB Learning Module for faculty. This optional module includes videos and articles that will educate faculty about the KSB program and help them provide high-quality formative feedback for residents. Once faculty have completed at least 10 Surgical Skills Assessment requests, they can access the module, and the ABOS will provide ABOS Self-Assessment Examination (SAE) credit for faculty who complete the module. ABOS Diplomates need SAE credits as part of the ABOS Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program.
The ABOS KSB website has been updated recently, including a new page of frequently asked questions (FAQs). If you have any questions about the program, it will likely be answered there. If not, feel free to call the ABOS at 919-929-7103 or emailing ksb@abos.org. We believe this program provides faculty with an efficient way to provide formative feedback to residents and gives program directors data collected early and often to help residents develop into competent, ethical surgeons who will provide excellent orthopaedic care for the public.
Steven L. Frick, MD
Chair, ABOS Graduate Medical Education Committee
Executive Director Report
I can still remember seeing an American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Board Certification Certificate on the wall in one of my professor’s offices when I was a resident. As a young surgeon, I made it my goal to obtain ABOS Board Certification. Like many of you, I was not entirely certain how to earn that credential, but I knew that I wanted to work to get that certificate. While some of the details have changed, the overall process has not changed since my initial ABOS Board Certification in the 1980s.
First, you need to successfully complete an ACGME-accredited orthopedic surgery residency program. While the ABOS Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior (ABOS KSB) Program was not around when I was a resident, I wish it had been. Much of the feedback that I received was less helpful than it could have been, including phrases like “good job” or “read more.” The ABOS KSB participation requirement will be beneficial to you on your journey to become a competent orthopaedic surgeon, allowing you to receive actionable, timely, and formative feedback.
After completing residency, you will sit for the ABOS Part I Examination, which assesses the knowledge you acquired during your residency education. I took the examination with hundreds of other young orthopedic surgeons in the basement of a hotel in Chicago. Thankfully, the ABOS changed to computer examinations that are available at testing centers across the country. Once you pass the ABOS Part I Examination, you are ABOS Board Eligible for up to 5 years (not including time spent in fellowship).
Once you have entered the independent practice of orthopaedic surgery, having completed any fellowship education, you may be eligible for the ABOS Part II Examination. This is an examination of your surgical skills as well as your professional behavior. Just like you will, I took my examination at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago. I still remember some of the legendary orthopaedic surgeons who were my examiners. At that time, I had to bring all my x-rays and notes with me to Chicago. That has not been true for many years. You will upload all the necessary documents and images ahead of time, and they will be available to you at the examination.
After passing the ABOS Part II Examination, you become ABOS Board Certified for 10 years and will enter the ABOS Maintenance of Certification (or Continuing Certification) Program.
ABOS Board Certification is still very important to me and something I am proud to maintain. Every 10 years I make sure I get a new certificate and display it with pride.
David F. Martin, MD
Executive Director, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
ABOS Executive Director Will Step Down in 2027
David F. Martin, MD, Executive Director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) since 2016, recently announced that he will step down from that position effective December 31, 2027, when his current contract is completed. The Board has begun the search process for Dr. Martin’s successor.
Prior to being hired as the ABOS Executive Director, Dr. Martin was a long-time ABOS Volunteer. He served for 10 years on the ABOS Board of Directors, including 1 year as the Board’s President. Dr. Martin first became involved with the ABOS in 2001 as an Oral Examiner and continued to volunteer for the ABOS until he became Executive Director.
One of Dr. Martin’s primary goals during his time as the ABOS Executive Director has been to increase the value of the ABOS Initial Board Certification and the ABOS Maintenance of Certification programs to orthopaedic surgeons across the country while reducing the burden that those programs place on ABOS Candidates and Diplomates. During his tenure, the ABOS has initiated the highly successful ABOS Web-Based Longitudinal Assessment (ABOS WLA) Pathway and the ABOS Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior (ABOS KSB) Program. He has also led a dedicated staff in Chapel Hill, NC, streamlining all programs and activities.
Dr. Martin is ABOS Board Certified and holds ABOS Subspecialty Certification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. He has seen patients at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist throughout his tenure at the Board and will continue to do so after stepping down as ABOS Executive Director.
ABOS KSB Best Practices
To get the most out of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior (ABOS KSB) Program, the ABOS has created a list of tips/best practices.
- Make sure you understand the ABOS KSB Participation Requirement
- You can use the ABOS KSB+ web portal or app interchangeably.
- If you use the app, make sure that your phone is set to receive automatic app updates, or make sure that you regularly update the app to the most recent version.
- We collaborated with ACGME to allow you to enter all procedure logs and request ABOS KSB assessments all in the same place. If you use ABOS KSB, do not use ADS to enter cases.
- The goal is to make sure ACGME receives all your procedure logs and ABOS receives all assessments. The tool allows you to enter everything in one place, and you can continue to monitor ACGME programs in the ADS system.
- Tell the attending physician you want to be assessed before the case! It will improve your workflow and the likelihood of getting a completed assessment.
- You have a 48-hour limit to request a surgical skills assessment.
- Do not wait until you feel completely competent on a case to request. This is formative feedback meant to help you get stronger as you grow in experience and surgical ability.
- If you enter a case into the ABOS KSB system and that case is canceled, you can log in to your app and write over the case.
- End-of-Rotation Professional Behavior Assessments should be requested after spending close to the time of a rotation’s length with an attending physician.
New Members of the ABOS Resident Advisory Panel
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) has selected four outstanding orthopaedic surgery residents to participate as the fifth cohort of the ABOS Resident Advisory Panel. Many highly qualified orthopaedic residents from across the country applied for 2-year terms on the Panel.
The new members of the ABOS Resident Advisory Panel are:
- Ashlyn Fitch, MD, Boston Medical Center
- Michael Mastroianni, MD, MS, Columbia University Medical Center
- Mehdi Talle, DO, Community Memorial Health System
- Marisa Ulrich, MD, Mayo Clinic
This cohort will join the fourth group of Advisory Panel members who were selected last year:
- Hannah Gibbs, MD, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
- Noah Harrison, MD, MS, Washington University in St. Louis
- Kelly McFarlane, MD, MBA, Stanford University
- Eric Taleghani, MD, University of Cincinnati
The ABOS Resident Advisory Panel assists the ABOS by providing information that is used to support orthopaedic residents across the country. They work with the ABOS Graduate Medical Education Committee and the ABOS Communications Committee. One of the main goals of the Advisory Panel is to identify and work on a project each year that will benefit orthopaedic residents across the country.
All applicants submitted an application, curriculum vitae (CV), personal statement, and a letter of recommendation from their residency program director. These were reviewed by members of the ABOS Board of Directors, who serve on the ABOS GME Committee.
ABOS Announces Its 2025-2026 Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) recently selected its 2025-2026 Officers and elected two new Director-Elects.
Charles L. Nelson, MD, Chief of Adult Reconstruction Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, will serve as ABOS President. Dr. Nelson, along with the President-Elect, Vice President, and Secretary, hold their offices for a 1-year term.
Lisa A. Taitsman, MD, MPH, Professor of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, will serve as ABOS Vice President.
Gregory P. Guyton, MD, Director of the Foot and Ankle Division in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, will serve as ABOS President-Elect.
Gregory P. McComis, MD, President and Orthopaedic Surgeon at North Point Orthopaedics in Indiana, will serve as ABOS Secretary.
Kyle J. Jeray, MD, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Prisma Health-Upstate, has been re-elected as ABOS Treasurer for a 1-year term.
The Board elected Keith Kenter, MD, ScD (Hon), Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri, and Vishwas R. Talwalkar, MD, Chief of Staff, Shriners Children’s Lexington, and Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics, University of Kentucky Healthcare, as new Director-Elects of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
The ABOS Board of Directors consists of 21 members, which includes 12 Active Directors, six Senior Directors, two Directors-Elect, and one Public Member Director. ABOS Board Members serve one 10-year term while the Public Member Director serves a 3-year renewable term. Nominations to the ABOS Board of Directors come from the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Medical Association. Officers are current Board members elected by other Board members. For a full list of ABOS Board Members, go to www.abos.org/about/board-of-directors/.
ABOS 90th Anniversary in JBJS
To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), the Board of Directors chose to tell the story of orthopaedic surgery certification In a special supplement to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). In addition, JBJS included an editorial commemorating ABOS’ anniversary in the main edition of the journal.
