How to Apply - SCC CE

• The online application process for the Surgical Critical Care Certifying Exam is posted each year by mid-May. A notice will be posted on the homepage at that time.
• Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible. If you do not complete the application process, any materials or fees submitted cannot be carried over to another year.
• Exam accommodations: Please notify the ABS office at the time of application to the QE if you will need testing accommodations at the center due to learning disabilities by formerly submitting your request per our Examination of Persons with Disabilities policy.
• In addition, if you are a nursing mother, or if you have a medical condition such as injury or diabetes, etc., please inform the ABS at the time of application if you will need accommodations, such as additional break time during the exam, by submitting your request per our Examination Accommodations policy. Requests should be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the applicant’s exam date. Pearson VUE has specific designated centers that are able to offer such accommodations, and these locations fill up on a first come, first served basis. ABS will work with Pearson VUE to make appropriate arrangements.

Items Required

• Once the online application process is available, applicants are required submit the following items. Diplomates must be meeting the requirements of the ABS Continuous Certification Program and hold a current full and unrestricted medical license to apply.

1) Application Form

This form covers information regarding your undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate medical education.

2) Report of Critical Care Experience

• If you are completing an ACGME-accredited SCC fellowship: Upload a PDF of your ACGME Surgical Critical Care Defined Category and Minimum report (preferred). ABS will also accept your ACGME Critical Care Patient Report if the report by category is not available (please allow for additional processing time). These are the ONLY reports that will be accepted. Other types of documentation, even if they contain similar information, will be rejected upon review.

  Operative logs uploaded prior to meeting the required cases numbers will be deleted and a note regarding its deficiencies will be posted to the applicant’s portal. Applicants are responsible for monitoring their portal and uploading the case log meeting all case requirements.

  The report must include a minimum of 200 total critical care patients managed and must meet the required minimums for each category. Please see the ACGME Case Minimum Requirements: Surgical Critical Care (pdf) for details on each category and number of cases required. Patients may fit into multiple categories and may be counted more than once. Patients who die and meet these criteria should be included; there is no limit on number of deaths reported.

• All other applicants: Complete and submit the ABS report of critical care experience via the ABS website. All case number requirements must be met.

  For each patient, you will provide the patient ID and select the applicable categories:

  • Categories: Advanced Mechanical Ventilation; Airway Management – Intubation; Airway Management – Bronchoscopy; Shock Management; Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy; Dysrhythmia Management; Neurologic Management; Hepatic Failure Management; Noninvasive Cardiac Output Monitoring; Nutrition; Gastrointestinal Disorders; Infection; Miscellaneous Procedures*; Injury; Endocrine Disorders; Organ Failure; End-of-Life Care
    
    * Miscellaneous Procedures includes central venous catheter placement, tube thoracostomy, thoracentesis, paracentesis, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, fasciotomy, escharotomy and proficiency in management of procedural complications.

3) Signature Form - signed electronically by you

• Review, sign and date the attestation online. Approval of your application is contingent upon approval from your program director, who will be contacted separately.
• Note: To avoid the late fee, the signature form must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. ET on the deadline date.
  Applicants Still in Residency: You must also provide a letter from your residency program director attesting that you have satisfactorily completed three progressive years of general surgery or integrated vascular surgery residency and that you have a guaranteed categorical residency position available to you upon completion of SCC training. Please email this letter from your residency program director to the exam coordinator.

4) Nonrefundable Application Fee - paid by credit card via the ABS website

• Submit your credit card payment (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) where indicated; a completed application form must be submitted first. A separate exam fee will also be required once your application is approved.
• Note: The total application fee due will be based on when the application fee is paid. To avoid the late fee, payment of the application bee must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. ET on the deadline date.

Application Approval

Once all materials are received, your application will be reviewed by ABS staff. You will be notified via email when your application has been approved. All applicants are responsible for monitoring their application status via their portal to see whether items are missing or incorrect. Please check the status of your application in the ABS portal periodically, and please keep your contact information current.

If you have questions, please refer to our FAQs section. For questions not covered in the FAQs, send an email to the exam coordinator.