General Requirements

Subspecialty certification in congenital heart surgery by the ABTS may be achieved for surgeons who successfully completed thoracic surgery residency training and congenital heart surgery training prior to July 1, 2008, by fulfillment of these requirements. The candidate must: 

1.  apply become approved for written examination. 
   
   
2.  have achieved primary certification by the ABTS and be in current good standing with a valid certificate, be current with ABTS Maintenance of Certification requirements, and be current with all dues and fees.
   
   
3.  hold a currently registered, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine granted by a state or other United States jurisdiction. The license must be valid at the time of application for admission to examination and maintained throughout the certification period. A tem­porary and/or limited license such as an educa­tional, institutional, or house staff permit is not acceptable to the Board.  
   
   
4. hold full and unrestricted inpatient hospital admit­ting, inpatient care, and consultative privileges in congenital heart surgery at an institution accred­ited by the JCAHO or other organization judged acceptable by the ABTS. 
   
   
5. meet the operative case criteria volume and distri­bution described in the Booklet of Information during each of the 2 years preceding application, not including cases performed during residency training. 
   
   
6. provide evidence of continuing medical education (CME), including the accumulation of at least 30 hours of Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)-approved Category I CME during each of the 2 years immediately preceding the application. At least 15 of the 30 hours each year must be in the broad category of congenital heart surgery. 
   
   
7. provide evidence of significant contribution to the profession of congenital heart surgery, which may include affirmation from the community that the applicant is recognized as a specialist and con­sultant in a congenital heart surgery-related disci­pline, congenital heart surgical service in a med­ically underserved area, or service to a thoracic surgery-related association or society in an area of congen­ital heart surgery.  possess an ethical standing in the profession and a moral status in the community that are accept­able to the Board. 
   
   
8. pass a closed-book, secure, written examination.