Pathway I

Admission into the Subspecialty Certification in Congenital Cardiac Surgery for all congenital cardiac surgeons trained on or after July 1, 2008 and thereafter is based on the requirements listed below.

Completion of an ACGME Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

The factual knowledge and technical skills needed to treat patients with congenital cardiac conditions are developed in a Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship program that is approved by the Review Committee on Thoracic Surgery (RC-TS) and is accredited by the ACGME. The highest educational standards are best achieved in fellowship programs in which close supervision and instruction as well as progressive individual responsibility for operative and postoperative care are possible.

The ABTS realizes that a written examination primarily tests the acquired factual knowledge and the candidate’s ability to reason. However, the limitations of an examination as the only assessment of clinical competence are well recognized. Therefore, an important part of the responsibility for determining clinical competence rests upon the Program Director of each Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship. For this reason and others, only applicants who successfully complete an ACGME-accredited Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship program and who are recommended by their training Program Director are considered for examination for the ABTS Congenital Cardiac Surgery Subspecialty. It is during the period of the fellowship program that the trainee’s judgment, technical skills, ability to cope with a wide variety of clinical problems, and ethical and moral character can be most accurately assessed. Thus, the endorsement of the candidate by the Program Director is required to complete eligibility for certification by the ABTS.

A current, valid, and compliant primary thoracic certification from the ABTS is required for all applicants for the Congenital Cardiac Surgery subspecialty certificate.

The required route to subspecialty certification in Congenital Cardiac Surgery via Pathway I is as follows: successful completion of an ACGME-accredited thoracic surgery residency, followed by successful completion of Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship training in an ACGME-accredited program, primary thoracic surgery certification by the ABTS, and successful completion of ABTS Congenital Cardiac Surgery Written (Part I) and Oral (Part II) examinations. The Congenital Cardiac Surgery examination process must begin within 3 years of successful congenital fellowship program completion or meet the additional requirements noted below. The Congenital Cardiac Surgery written and oral examinations are constructed and administered by the Board with consultation and assistance in developing the examinations, and in analyzing the results, obtained from content experts, psychometricians, and others. The validity and reliability of the examination process and content are scrutinized continually.

Congenital Cardiac Surgery training during or before successful completion of the thoracic surgery residency program does not count toward meeting the requirements for admission to the subspecialty certification process.

To enter the examination process, a candidate must apply by submitting an online application to the ABTS that includes the specifics of the Congenital Cardiac Surgery operative experience during the Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship and the attestation by signature of the Program Director indicating satisfactory performance and satisfactory completion of the Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship training. Approved applicants must then achieve a passing score on both the Congenital written and oral examinations, acknowledging that the candidate possesses sufficient training, experience and judgment necessary for competence in Congenital Cardiac Surgery.

A physician who has successfully completed the ACGME requirements for thoracic surgery residency and Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship programs, but who has not achieved primary certification by the ABTS for more than three years after completion of Congenital Cardiac Surgery training must provide additional information regarding cases performed and CME obtained during the interval between completion of congenital training and the time of application for subspecialty certification before such application can be considered. Physicians who have not achieved primary thoracic surgery certification by the ABTS are not considered Board eligible for Congenital Cardiac Surgery certification.

The procedures for establishing a candidate’s qualifications will be reviewed by the Board periodically and revised, when appropriate, in a continuing effort to provide public assurance that congenital cardiac surgeons granted a subspecialty certificate by the ABTS have been adequately trained and educated in, and are competent to practice the specialty of Congenital Cardiac Surgery.