Essentials of General Surgery
Residency training in general surgery requires experience in all of the listed content areas, with additional expected knowledge and experience as outlined.
Intro
General surgeons do it all
General surgery is a discipline that requires knowledge of and responsibility for the preoperative, operative, and postoperative management of patients with a broad spectrum of diseases, including those which may require nonoperative, elective, or emergency surgical treatment. The breadth and depth of this knowledge may vary by disease category. Surgical management requires skill in complex decision making; general surgeons should be competent in diagnosis as well as treatment and management, including operative intervention.
Content Areas
Residency training in general surgery requires experience in all of the following content areas:
- Alimentary tract (including bariatric surgery)
- Abdomen and its contents
- Breast, skin and soft tissue
- Endocrine system
- Solid organ transplantation
- Pediatric surgery
- Surgical critical care
- Surgical oncology (including head and neck surgery)
- Trauma and emergency surgery
- Vascular surgery
Additional Information
Additional expected knowledge and experience in the above areas includes:
- Technical proficiency in the performance of core operations/procedures in the above areas, plus knowledge, familiarity and in some cases technical proficiency with more uncommon and complex operations in each of the above areas.
- Clinical knowledge, including epidemiology, anatomy, physiology, clinical presentation, and pathology (including neoplasia) of surgical conditions.
- Knowledge of anesthesia; biostatistics and evaluation of evidence; principles of minimally invasive surgery; and transfusion and disorders of coagulation.
- Knowledge of wound healing; infection; fluid management; shock and resuscitation; immunology; antibiotic usage; metabolism; management of postoperative pain; and use of enteral and parenteral nutrition.
- Experience and skill in the following areas: clinical evaluation and management, or stabilization and referral, of patients with surgical diseases; management of preoperative, operative and postoperative care; management of comorbidities and complications; and knowledge of appropriate use and interpretation of radiologic and other diagnostic imaging.
Booklet of Information
All current policies, procedures and relevant information related to certification in general surgery.
The ABS Booklet of Information for General Surgery is published annually to outline the expectations and requirements for board certification in general surgery. Potential applicants are encouraged to review it.