After nearly 30 years—first as a volunteer, then as executive staff and nine years as president—Dr. Jo Buyske, president and chief executive director of the American Board of Surgery (ABS), announced her retirement effective June 30, 2027.
The ABS Board of Directors is working with DSG Global to search for Dr. Buyske’s successor, with ABS Director Dr. John Stewart guiding the process.
A prominent figure in surgery and surgical education, Dr. Buyske modernized the ABS into a flexible, inclusive, and forward-thinking organization. Under her leadership, the ABS launched a plethora of initiatives that have transformed the way surgeons train and interact with the ABS, including the Continuous Certification Program in 2017, the first ABS Focused Practice Designation in 2022, and Entrustable Professional Activities in 2023.
“I can say without reservation that the American Board of Surgery has undergone substantial change under Dr. Jo Buyske’s leadership, and that the organization is clearly better for it,” said Dr. Stewart. “She redesigned our governance structure to modernize the Board’s operations, resulting in a more responsive organization that now serves as a model for other member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Through disciplined financial stewardship and operational efficiencies, she strengthened the organization’s footing, and throughout it all, she has remained a strong proponent of inclusion and innovation in every aspect of the Board’s functions.”
Accelerated by COVID-19, Dr. Buyske spearheaded a rapid digital transformation that introduced online-only applications, virtual oral exams, and an overhauled website to improve the diplomate and candidate experience. Furthermore, she established data-sharing processes for outside researchers and transitioned the ABS to a remote-first workplace, one of many contributing factors which culminated in a Great Place to Work Certification® in 2026.
“The ABS that exists today is more modern, responsive, resilient, and financially sound, a transformation that is the direct result of [Dr. Buyske’s] vision and her consequential leadership,” said Dr. Stewart.
In announcing her retirement, Dr. Buyske shared the following:
It has been a privilege to serve as the CEO and President of the ABS for nearly a decade. In announcing my retirement, I feel mixed emotions. I feel proud of all the good work we’ve done in service of the ABS mission, and yet I will miss the company of my extraordinary colleagues and partners.
The ABS is a mission driven organization. It exists to protect the public and enhance the profession. That is as important to the ABS today as it was when the organization formed 89 years ago. I am incredibly proud of what our staff and nearly 1,000 surgeon volunteers have accomplished together.
Over the past 10 years, we have modernized residency training to focus on competency over days-in-training, humanized the transition from residency to fellowship, and created a continuous certification cycle that is both relevant and manageable for our diplomates. The ABS is financially stable, highly functional, and well-positioned for the future. I look forward to all that this organization will continue to achieve.
As part of the search process, DSG Global would welcome feedback from the surgical community regarding the next ABS leader; please contact them via e-mail at ABSCEO@dsgco.com. The firm anticipates that they will have identified the next ABS President and CEO by spring 2027.
About Jo Buyske, MD
Dr. Jo Buyske, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Board of Surgery, has focused her tenure on increasing the relevance of board certification and expanding training flexibility. She led a comprehensive redesign of both the governance structure and the organizational structure centered on making best use of the skills and time of the volunteers across the leadership spectrum. Major initiatives included moving towards a competency-based nominating process, establishing a fiduciary governing board, and creating the General Surgery Board as an individual entity aligned with the other pre-existing specialty boards of the ABS. This framework facilitated the integration of Entrustable Professional Activities, offering trainees more frequent and consistent feedback that allows them to advance and measure their skills, and shifted lifelong certification to a continuous assessment model with modular exams that reflects the rapid pace of medical change.
Locally and globally, Dr. Buyske champions equitable access to surgical care through her leadership and advisory roles with ABMS-International, ACGME-International (ACGME-I), the G6 Alliance, and COSECSA. Her international efforts include collaborating with Haiti’s Ministry of Health, Partners in Health, and Zanmi Lasante to develop a new surgical training paradigm and secure ACGME-I accreditation for Haiti’s main teaching hospital. A widely published author on surgical education and standards, she has also delivered more than 100 invited and named lectureships.
About the ABS
The American Board of Surgery is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1937 for the purpose of providing board certification to physicians who meet a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge in surgery. Board certification by the ABS is a voluntary process that demonstrates a surgeon’s commitment to professionalism, lifelong learning, and quality patient care. The ABS offers board certification in general surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical critical care, and complex general surgical oncology. It is one of the 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Individuals who work for the ABS in support of the organization’s mission include surgeons, researchers, educators, exam and assessment experts, communicators, and tech innovators.
July 14, 2026 | Media Contact: Alyson Maloney