The American Board of Surgery (ABS), the national certifying body for Doctor of Medicine (MD) general surgeons and related specialists, and the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS), the national certifying body for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) surgeons, have announced a collaborative initiative to establish a single pathway for recognition of specialization in metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Introduced by the ABS in 2022, the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) Focused Practice Designation (FPD) recognizes surgeons who dedicate a significant percentage of their practice to the comprehensive care of patients who seek treatment for obesity and metabolic diseases. This includes primary and revisional bariatric surgery, management of bariatric complications, and endoscopy.
Beginning with the 2025 MBS FPD Exam, surgeons certified by either the ABS or the AOBS meet the same eligibility requirements and take the same exam to achieve this designation.
AOBS diplomates who are successful on the exam will be recognized by the AOBS with a certificate of added qualification, while ABS diplomates who are successful on the exam will continue to be recognized by the ABS with a focused practice designation. Meeting the same standards and taking the same examination meets a high professional standard of transparency to the public and other stakeholders.
“We are very pleased to collaborate ‘across the aisle’ with our AOBS colleagues,” said ABS President and CEO Dr. Jo Buyske. “Many of them belong to the same societies and work at the same hospitals as our ABS diplomates. Having two separate pathways to the same end – that of demonstrating a commitment to special focus on bariatric surgery – would have been unnecessarily confusing and expensive. This is the ideal solution; it serves the public, and the profession.”
“At AOBS, we’re excited to participate in this groundbreaking collaboration between the ABS and AOBS regarding access to the MBS exam,” stated AOBS Chair David Dellinger, DO, FACOS. “Based on the feedback we’ve received, many of our Osteopathic Surgeons are looking forward to taking this exam and participating in future exam construction and administration.”
To be eligible for this exam, all applicants, regardless of board affiliation, must:
- have completed three years of clinical experience in MBS, which may include experience gained during fellowship training.
- attest to current privileges and clinical activity in MBS, including:
- 100 lifetime stapling cases (50 of which must be anastomotic or must include an anastomosis), and
- an average of 25 MBSAQIP approved stapling cases annually, averaged over the previous three years
- have a currently registered full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the U.S. or Canada.
- hold full surgical privileges at a Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) -accredited center and must be actively participating in the MBSAQIP registry.
- be capable of performing independently the entire scope of the MBS practice without accommodation or with reasonable accommodation.
Applications for the 2025 MBS FPD Exam are now available and must be submitted by Feb. 28, 2025. The 2025 MBS FPD Exam will be available from Mar. 24 – Apr. 14, 2025.
ABS diplomates can learn more by visit the ABS website or by contacting the ABS FPD manager.
AOBS diplomates can learn more by visiting the AOBS website or by contacting aobs@osteopathic.org.