Appeal Policy

Individuals who receive an unfavorable ruling from a committee of the Board may appeal such determination by mailing a notice of appeal to the ABTS office within 30 days of the date such ruling was mailed. A copy of the appeals procedure will be mailed to the candidate.

Qualified applicants who have a history of chemical dependency that have been reported to the Board and who submit documentation suitable to the Board that their dependency has been under control for a period of at least two years will be admitted to the examination process.

For candidates who are already in the examination process and develop a chemical dependency as reported to the Board, the process will be suspended until the candidate can provide documentation suitable to the Board that the condition has been under control for a period of two years. At that time, the candidate will be readmitted to the examination process. The requirement to be accepted for examination within five years of completion of an approved thoracic surgery residency will not be waived.