ABOS GME Chair Message
Over the last few years, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) has worked hard to make sure we hear from residents. Based on the results of focus groups that the ABOS conducted with orthopaedic residents in 2020, the ABOS Resident Advisory Panel was created. The first group of residents started serving in the Spring of 2021, and we are looking for several excellent orthopaedic surgery residents to join the second cohort.
Applications are now open to residents who are currently in PGY 1-3. Serving on the ABOS Resident Advisory Panel involves a two-year commitment. The new group will spend their first year serving with the current members. We plan to have one or two in-person meetings each year. We also have several Zoom meetings each year. Funding is provided for participating residents.
The Resident Advisory Panel provides the opportunity for interaction with other resident leaders as well as with Directors of the ABOS. We often have special guests during Advisory Panel meetings. The main purpose of the panel is to advise the ABOS Graduate Medical Education and Communications Committees. The current members are also developing a resident-specific proposal on which to focus.
Last year, we received more than 80 outstanding applications. I was part of the review committee, and it was not easy making the final selections. The four current Advisory Panel members are dedicated to helping improve the ABOS and are outstanding representatives for orthopaedic surgery residents across the country.
To learn more, go to www.abos.org/residents/resident-advisory-panel/. The application deadline is March 1st. If you have any questions about the program, please email residents@abos.org.
Lisa A. Taitsman, MD, MPH
Chair, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Graduate Medical Education Committee
Executive Medical Director Report
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) has made it a priority to respect the needs of orthopaedic surgeons who have many responsibilities – both in and out of the hospital. Residency education requires time and dedication. However, there are significant obligations outside of residency training as well.
The ABOS allows breastfeeding mothers who are taking the ABOS Part I Examination extra break time to pump. The nine-hour examination is spread over two days to allow for the extra time needed. We do ask that you submit this form by March 15. The ABOS also provides reasonable examination accommodations for individuals taking the Part I Examination who meet certain requirements. To learn more, go to www.abos.org/certification/part-i/accommodations/.
In addition, while the ABOS requires 46 weeks of residency education per year of training, residents may average that time over the 4 years of orthopaedic education. The requirement is an average of 46 weeks per year over the course of orthopaedic residency. This not only allows parents to spend time with newborns, but also allows a resident time to provide care for a sick family member and can also be utilized for other necessary family or personal issues. In addition, this plan allows for time to take vacation. Orthopaedic residency education can be very busy; time away is extremely important.
We continue to work with Residents, Program Directors, and Program Coordinators to make sure that orthopaedic education provides the opportunity for residents to become competent orthopaedic surgeons while also allowing the ability to find balance with life’s other requirements.
David F. Martin, MD
Executive Medical Director, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
What is ABOS KSB?
More than 40 orthopaedic surgery residency programs are participating in the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior (ABOS KSB) Program. As you can see below, the program benefits Residents, Program Directors, and Program Coordinators.
“The ABOS KSB has given me a good chance to reflect on my surgical performance and seek structured feedback from my attendings. By doing this regularly, I have been able to track my progress with certain cases and also gain insight into my strengths as well as ways to improve.”
-Dr. Erik Fritz, PGY4 Resident, University of Minnesota
“The ABOS program has been a great way to get immediate feedback on cases and how I can improve. It’s also a great way to track my progress over time throughout my rotations.”
-Dr. Joseph Sliepka, PGY2 Resident, University of Washington
To learn more about the ABOS, watch this brief overview video.
You can also learn more on our website.
ABOS Announces Its 2021-2022 Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) recently selected its 2021-2022 Officers and elected two new Directors-Elect.
Gregory A. Mencio, MD, Neil E. Green Professor of Orthopaedics and Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at Vanderbilt University, will serve as ABOS President. He, along with the President-Elect, Vice President, and Secretary, hold their offices for one one-year term.
Ann E. Van Heest, MD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Education, in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School, will serve as ABOS Vice President.
April D. Armstrong, MD, C. McCollister Evarts Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, will serve as ABOS President-Elect.
Frederick M. Azar, MD, Chief of Staff of Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics and Professor at the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, will serve as ABOS Secretary.
James D. Kang, MD, Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been re-elected as ABOS Treasurer for a one-year term.
The Board elected Martin I. Boyer, MD, the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, and Kyle J. Jeray, MD, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Prisma Health-Upstate, as Directors-Elect.
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 three-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/.
