American Board of Neurological Surgery
Neurological Surgery
Neurological Surgery constitutes a medical discipline and surgical specialty that provides care for adult and pediatric patients in the treatment of pain or pathological processes that may modify the function or activity of the central nervous system (e.g., brain, hypophysis, and spinal cord), the peripheral nervous system (e.g., cranial, spinal, and peripheral nerves), the autonomic nervous system, the supporting structures of these systems (e.g., meninges, skull & skull base, and vertebral column), and their vascular supply (e.g., intracranial, extracranial, and spinal vasculature).
Treatment encompasses both non-operative management (e.g., prevention, diagnosis—including image interpretation—and treatments such as, but not limited to, neurocritical intensive care and rehabilitation) and operative management with its associated image use and interpretation (e.g., endovascular surgery, functional and restorative surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and spinal fusion—including its instrumentation).
Training required prior to initial board certification
Seven (7) years
Board eligible period (+practice requirement)
Six (6) to seven (7) years
Subspecialty
Certification in the following subspecialty requires additional training and assessment as specified by the board.
Neurocritical Care
The medical specialty of Neurocritical Care is devoted to the comprehensive multi-system care of the critically ill patient with neurological diseases and conditions.
Lifelong learning requirements
- Type 1 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ in neurosurgery related activities
- The following activities will be recorded automatically:
- Credits earned through the completion of the annual adaptive learning tool and/or modules.
- Participation in the ABNS oral exam as an examiner.
- Diplomates must self-report CME credits earned from any other activities.