The process of certification is designed to assess training, practice, and cognitive knowledge. ABPS has been involved with evaluating and assessing the surgical work performed in one's practice through its Credential Committee. Cognitive knowledge is assessed by the examination process, which includes both an oral and written component.
Resident progress is assessed by using in-training examinations.
When an individual graduates from an accredited program, one can be relatively assured that the physician has been judged competent in those procedures required in his or her specialty. Additionally, cognitive knowledge has been assessed through the in-training examination. The product of this type of training program, although not necessarily standardized, has met the minimum standards to practice in that specialty. The indirect proof of the success of this system is the very high pass rate seen on the certification examinations of most allopathic specialty boards. One of the frequently fielded complaints directed against the ABPS is the relatively low pass rate on our examinations.