Examination Sequence
Candidates beginning training July 1, 2013 and thereafter must apply for the subspecialty examination within one (1) year after the satisfactory completion of their congenital heart surgery residency. The Board considers “one year” to include two registration cycles. Any candidate applying for the examination more than one year after the satisfactory completion of the congenital heart surgery residency will be considered individually by the Credentials Committee. To be eligible for the subspecialty certification process, any recommended additional training must be completed before an application can be submitted.
After a candidate is declared eligible for the written examination (Part I) in congenital heart surgery, he or she must pass Part I within three (3) years. The candidate who successfully completes Part I of the examination then must pass Part II within the succeeding three (3) years. Candidates must become certified within a total of seven (7) years from the end of their congenital heart surgery residency.
Candidates who fail an examination (Part I or Part II) may be eligible to take the examination the following year, for a total of three (3) attempts in three (3) years for each exam.
Candidates who fail either Part I or Part II of the examination three (3) times, or do not pass either part of the examination within the allotted time period of three (3) years, will be required to complete an additional congenital heart surgical training program, which must be approved in advance of the additional training by the Board, before the candidate will be permitted to retake the examination. The required additional training must be completed within the succeeding two (2) year period after losing eligibility for either the Part I or Part II examination. Candidates who are participating in additional training will be considered “in training” and the Board’s eligibility rule will be “on hold” until that training has been completed. Candidates who complete the required additional training must have their eligibility for examination reviewed by the Executive Director of the ABTS and/or the CHS Credentials Committee prior to being permitted to retake the examination. Once readmitted to the examination process, candidates will be given two (2) more opportunities to pass the examination (Part I or Part II) within the succeeding two (2) years.
Candidates who fail either Part I or Part II a fifth time will be required to complete another full, approved congenital heart surgery residency before they will be eligible to re-apply for examination by the Board.