| We are board certified general surgeons
and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. People often wonder
exactly what those terms mean.
A general surgeon is a physician who has completed an internship
and residency at a Residency Review Committee approved program.
Most of these are University based and offer rotations at busy private
and county or VA hospitals. The residency is a minimum of five years.
The last year is spent as Chief Resident where one is in charge
of a team of junior residents and medical students and performs
between 250 and 350 major cases. There are strict criteria for the
number and variety of cases that one is exposed to. The residency
is considered to be one of the most demanding, both mentally and
physically, of all the medical specialties.
A general surgeon is well trained in the diagnosis and management
of a wide variety of congenital, infectious, malignant and benign
diseases. In addition, he or she has extensive knowledge of postoperative
and critical care of patients.
The focus is on the abdominal organs, breast, neck, peripheral
arteries and veins, and skin and soft tissue. Separate training
is given for those who specialize in the bones (orthopedist), genitourinary
system (urologist), brain and spine (neurosurgeon), and ears, nose,
and throat (otolaryngologist).
A Board Certified General Surgeon is one who has completed the standard
surgical residency with experience in a broad spectrum of surgical
diseases and a minimum number of cases as set by the board.
He or she has passed a day-long written examination verifying an
extensive knowledge base, and passed an oral examination. During
the oral exam, candidates are interviewed by three teams of prominent
surgeons who evaluate the candidates' ability to manage ordinary
and complex surgical problems.
For more information about board certification, see the American
Board of Medical Specialties and the American
Board of Surgery.
The initials F.A.C.S. indicate that the physician is a Fellow of
the American College of Surgeons. To achieve this status, the surgeon's
education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence,
and ethical conduct have passed a rigorous evaluation and have been
found to be consistent with the high standards established and demanded
by the college.
To apply, the surgeon must be in the same practice for more than
two years and accumulated a certain number of cases. The application
process takes another year. For more information, see the American
College of Surgeons.
A surgeon who has attained certification by the American Board of
Surgery has specialized knowledge and skill relating to the diagnosis,
preoperative, operative, and postoperative management of surgical
problems in the following areas of primary responsibility:
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