PART I: Written Examination
The examination consists of a written examination designed primarily to assess cognitive skills. The content of the questions on this examination represents uniform coverage of all aspects of the thoracic surgery specialty.
PART II: Oral Examination
Successful completion of the Part I (written) examination is a requirement for admission to the Part II (oral) examination. The oral examination is designed to test the candidate's knowledge, judgment, and ability to correlate information in the management of clinical problems in general thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Candidates are expected to be proficient in both cardiac and general thoracic.
EXAMINATION SEQUENCE
Candidates should apply for the examination within five years of the satisfactory completion of their thoracic surgery residency. Any candidates applying for the examination five years or more after the satisfactory completion of residency will be considered individually. Additional training may be required of these individuals. To be eligible, the recommended additional training must be completed before an application can be submitted.
After a candidate is declared eligible for the written examination (Part I), the candidate must pass Part I within four years. The candidate who successfully completes Part I of the examination then must pass Part II within the succeeding four years.
Candidates who fail an examination (Part I or Part II) are eligible to repeat the examination the following year.
Candidates who fail either Part I or Part II of the examination three times, or do not pass either part of the examination within the allotted time period of four years, will be required to complete an additional thoracic surgical educational program which must be approved in advance by the Board before they will be permitted to retake the examination. The required additional training must be completed within the succeeding 2-year period after failing either the written or the oral examination. Candidates who complete the required additional training must have their eligibility for examination reviewed by the Credentials Committee. They will be given two more opportunities to take the examination (Part I or Part II) within the succeeding two years.
Candidates who fail either Part I or Part II a fifth time will be required to complete another approved thoracic surgery residency before they will be eligible to re-apply for examination by the Board.