RULES OF RECERTIFICATION

• The certificate that is issued by the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery (ABPNS) has a ten year expiration date.
  
  
• Diplomates will have two full years to complete the recertification process, which can be initiated no later than the calendar year prior to the expiration of the certificate.
  
  
• Diplomates, who are not recertified in the time frame, will be listed as "not certified".

REQUIREMENTS FOR RECERTIFICATION

1. Be currently certified by the ABPNS.
   
   
2. Demonstrate an unencumbered certification by the American Board of Neurological Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
   
   
3. Submission of a complete surgical case log for the 12 months preceding application which demonstrates the following:
   • A minimum of 85 operative cases, and
   • That seventy-five percent of all operative cases were in patients age 21 and under or carried out on older patients with congenital disorders, as judged by the credentials committee, or
   • That 125 operative cases were in patients ages 12 and under. 
   • The case log submitted must represent all locations of the practice of the applicant at the time certification is requested.
     
     
4. Provide evidence of continuing medical learning by the acquisition of at least 90 hours of CME in the 36 months immediately prior to application for recertification.
   
   
5. Provide evidence of an unencumbered state or provincial license to practice medicine.
   
   
6. Provide evidence that the candidate has unencumbered staff privileges in each hospital at which the candidate practices at the time of recertification.
   
   
7. Pay an application fee deemed appropriate by the ABPNS.
   
   
8. Attain a passing grade on a written examination given by the APBNS.  No individual will be permitted to take this written examination without having complied with all standards for certification as noted above.  If unsuccessful in passing the written examination, the applicant must re-take the examination at the next scheduled test date.  If the reexamination is failed, the candidate will be offered an oral examination given by three directors of the ABPNS appointed by the Chairman.  The candidate must complete the reexamination process within one year of the initial failure.  If the candidate is unable to complete this reexamination process successfully, he or she must reapply for certification, and submit a current operative case log and evidence of current professional standing, as outlined above

 

RECERTIFICATION PROCESS

Submission of Application

1. Deadlines for submission of application documents are: October 1st for the written examination in June, and April 1st for the written examination at the Pediatric Section Meetings. Your application will be processed and presented to the Board at its meeting in November/December and June respectively. You will be notified by the Board’s Secretary shortly thereafter as to your eligibility to sit for the exam.
   
   
2. Download and Complete an ABPNS Request for Recertification (protected MS Word) revision March2008.
   
   
3. Using the "Save As" or "Rename" function, please add your last name first initial in front of the file name.
   
   
4. Download and Complete an ABPNS Recertification Case Log (MS Excel Spreadsheet) March2008.
   • Please follow the Instructions for Completing ABPNS Case Log (MS Word Document) revision March 2008.
   • Using the "Save As" or "Rename" function, please add your last name first initial in front of the file name.
     
     
5. E-mail the completed Word.doc Request for Recertification file and Excel Case Log spreadsheet file to the ABPNS Secretary.
• Dr. T.S. Park is the current Secretary.
  His email address is park@nsurg.wustl.edu
  
  No Paper/Hard Copies or Original Documents will be accepted.
  
  
6. Mail your Recertification Fee of $750 to the ABPNS Secretary:
• TS Park, MD.
  Department of Neurosurgery
  St. Louis Children's Hospital
  One Children's Place
  St. Louis, MO 63110.

 

After Submission of Application

1. Applications will be reviewed initially by the Credentials Committee and subsequently by the Board of Directors at the Board meetings in June and the winter meeting of the AANS/CNS Joint Section for Pediatric Neurosurgery.
   
   
2. After the Board meetings candidates will be notified by the Board Secretary of their eligibility for the written examination.
   
   
3. The written examination is held twice a year, in June and at the annual meeting of the AANS/CNS Joint Section for Pediatric Neurosurgery.
   
   
4. The Board Secretary will mail new certificates to candidates who pass the written examination.