There are many different specialties and many have an approved board of accreditation. These boards are responsible to assure that a physician is actually qualified to practice a particular specialty. There are very strict standards that an individual must pass before being conferred as “board certified.” Many neurosurgeons are certified by The American Board of Neurological Surgery which is a member of The American Board of Medical Specialties.
1. Graduate from an approved medical school.
2. Graduate from a Neurosurgical training program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
3. Successfully pass a written exam in Neurosurgery, which also examines an applicant’s knowledge of appropriate ancillary specialties. Many programs require the applicant to pass the exam before graduating from residency.
4. After the applicant has satisfied the above, he/she usually enters private practice or obtains an academic position. During this time the applicant is known as board eligible and is able to practice neurosurgery.
5. Usually 2 or more years after graduating from an accredited program and after the applicant has successfully passed the written exam, he/she may begin to apply to sit for an oral examination by the board.
6. The application process includes that the applicant must submit, to the American Board of Neurological surgery (ABNS) for their review, one year of consecutive surgical cases with surgical outcomes and patient follow up. These cases are reviewed by numerous experts in neurosurgery and applicants are often asked to submit responses to specific questions about these cases. The impression of inappropriate surgical decisions or high complication rates is unacceptable.
7. Pass a background check, including references.
8. Successfully pass oral examinations by the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) covering all aspects of neurosurgery including both medical and surgical approaches to patient management. An applicant's knowledge and judgment are evaluated.
Insist that your neurosurgeon is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. You can look up diplomats of the American Board of Neurological Surgery here.
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