Loading

How to Apply - General Surgery QE

    Application Access: U.S. chief residents must use the login information sent to their programs in mid-March; Canadian applicants should contact the exam coordinator for access.
  • The application process for the General Surgery Qualifying Exam is posted each year in early spring. Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process as soon as possible.
  • Exam accommodations: Candidates who need testing accommodations at the center due to learning disabilities must submit a request at the time of application, per our Examination of Persons with Disabilities policy.
  • 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. Accommodations might include additional break time during the exam or use of specialized medical equipment, among other things. You must submit 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 to submit the following items:
1) Application Form
  • This form covers information regarding your undergraduate and graduate medical education. You must list chronologically all rotations and activities from the beginning of residency. Each rotation must be listed separately by clinical activity, not grouped together as a yearly total.
  • You must also list all time away from training of two days or more outside your normally scheduled days off, including time taken for research, vacation, interviews, meetings, medical leave, visa issues, and early departures for fellowships.
2) Operative Experience Report

Applications may be submitted prior to fulfilling ABS case number requirements. However, your operative log meeting required ABS case numbers must be submitted or uploaded no later than June 7, 2024.

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.

Exam registration will be permitted pending the formal ABS review and approval of your electronically submitted application materials; if your operative experience report is not submitted by June 7, your registration may be revoked and your exam fee refunded. Application fees are non-refundable

Residents in U.S. programs: Upload a PDF of your ACGME General Surgery Defined Category and Minimum Report (preferred) or the ACGME Experience Report by Role via the ABS website.

For your application to be approved, you must meet all case requirements by June 7, 2024:

  • At least 850 total cases.
  • At least 200 chief cases.
  • At least 40 cases listed in surgical critical care (SCC), with at least 1 in each of the 7 categories. You also must have cases listed in nonoperative trauma.
  • At least 25 teaching assistant (TA) cases.

Note: The requirement for 40 SCC cases is effective for applicants graduating in the 2017-2018 academic year. Applicants who graduated before that time must have 25 SCC cases.

Residents in Canadian programs: Complete and submit the ABS operative experience report via the online form. See note above about requirement for SCC, nonoperative trauma and TA cases.

Please review our Training Requirements for full details.

3) Signature Form - signed electronically by you
  • Review, sign and date the Attestation online. Approval of your application is contingent upon approval by 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.
4) Nonrefundable Application Fee - paid by credit card via the ABS website
  • Submit the 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 the 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.
5) Documentation of ACLS, ATLS, FLS and FES - submitted via the ABS website
  • Upload PDF versions of certificates showing that certification in each of these programs was successfully achieved. Applicants do not need to be currently certified in these programs.
  • ACLS: When the course is in two parts, documentation of both online and hands-on portions must be uploaded as one document. If only one portion of the certificate is uploaded, this document will be deleted.
  • ATLS: A CME certificate, the history report, and/or a course participation certification do not demonstrate certification was achieved and are not acceptable. These documents will be deleted from your portal.
  • FLS and FES: Test vouchers and exam appointment confirmations uploaded in lieu of certificates are not acceptable and will be deleted from your portal.
  • When a document is deleted, a note regarding the deficiency will be posted in the portal.
  • Applicants are responsible for monitoring their own portal and uploading all documentation that meets ABS requirements.
  • Note: The FES requirement is effective with applicants graduating in the 2017-2018 academic year or thereafter. It is not required of applicants who graduated before that time.
Other Required Documentation
- Prior ABS letters of approval: If prior ABS approval has been received for credit for foreign medical education training, flexible rotations, an international rotation, an extension of training, etc., these letters must be uploaded via the ABS portal.
- PGY-4 chief rotations: The training program is responsible for obtaining prior AGCME approval for chief rotations completed in the PGY-4 year. Documentation of ACGME approval must be uploaded via the ABS portal for any chief rotation completed in the PGY-4 year.
- Residents who trained in multiple programs: Documentation of satisfactory completion for years in prior programs must be uploaded via the ABS portal (e.g., copies of certificates of residency year completion or letters from former program directors).
- International medical graduates: If the applicant is required to have an ECFMG certificate, a PDF of it must be uploaded to the ABS portal. The certificate must be valid indefinitely. For Canadian residents, the certificate must be valid through the date of application.

Application Approval

Once all items are submitted, you will be able to complete the second step and register for the exam while your application is undergoing review. After registering, you will also be able to schedule your test center with Pearson right away. Be advised that testing centers have limited capacity, are subject to social distancing requirements, and may fill up well before the exam date, particularly in urban areas. You should contact Pearson VUE as soon as your admission letter is posted to your portal page to reserve space at a testing center near you. If you delay, you will likely have to travel outside your geographical area in order to schedule the exam.

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 do not complete the application process, materials or fees submitted cannot be carried over to another year. Refer to the Booklet of Information - Surgery (pdf) for complete eligibility requirements.

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

C500-3925167061-690A