The General Surgery Board (GSB) of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) is seeking director nominees to serve a six-year term beginning September 1, 2026. The GSB comprises approximately 13 members that represent the spectrum of general surgery. The board is responsible for defining the specific training requirements within the specialty and is primarily responsible for defining appropriate content and overseeing the development and administration of examinations in general surgery. This includes the General Surgery Qualifying Examination, the General Surgery Certifying Examination (GSCE), the ABS In-Training Examination, and the General Surgery Continuous Certification Assessment.
Directors will participate in developing the various examinations and administering oral examinations (GSCE), in addition to focusing on the GSB’s current priorities and initiatives.
Directors must be currently certified in general surgery. The time commitment is approximately 10 days per year including oral examinations, participation in exam committees, annual in-person and virtual board meetings, in addition to the various specialty board responsibilities.
The GSB utilizes a competency-based selection process to optimize its performance. Accordingly, individuals with one or more of the following competencies are sought:
- Active ABS certification in general surgery
- Active Focused Practice Designation (FPD) in Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (MBS)
- Previous experience serving as a volunteer to the ABS
- Experience with surgical education and training
- Experience with surgical assessment
Emphasis will be placed on varied experience across all dimensions, including practice type, practice focus, geographic location, professional experience, and time in practice, among others.
Nominees will be accepted from societies, peers, or self-nomination. All nominations will require completion of the Nominate/Support Form from an ABMS-certified physician. Both the nominator and nominee forms must be completed for each candidate by 4:00pm ET on Friday, April 3, 2026. Please use the links below to access the nominator and nominee forms.
- GSB Director Nomination (to be completed by individuals who are nominating a colleague)
- GSB Director Application (to be completed by individuals who are submitting a self-nomination)
If you have any questions, please contact our communications department.