Perceived value of the American Board of Surgery certificate: a survey of 2,000 Fellows of the American College of Surgeons.

Background: This study was undertaken to identify perceptions of surgeons of the value of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) certificate.

Study Design: Two-thousand Fellows of the American College of Surgeons received a 30-item survey designed to identify their demographics and their assessments of the functional and financial value of the certificate. Functional value was assessed using a 5-point scale in the areas of professional recognition, personal satisfaction, court proceedings, job security, mobility, and advancement, whether the certificate was necessary to obtain an academic or a clinical position, and whether it served as an indicator of depth or breadth of surgical knowledge or of clinical competence. Perceived professional lifetime financial value of the certificate was also assessed.

Results: Return response rate was 37.2%. The ABS certificate was perceived to be most valuable in obtaining an academic or a clinical position and playing a significant role in court proceedings. It was perceived as least valuable in indicating breadth of knowledge and clinical competence. Sixty-seven percent responded that certified surgeons should earn more, and 49% estimated the certificate's lifetime financial value as more than $500,000. Sixty-two percent of surgeons approved of continuing the recertification process every 10 years.

Conclusions: The ABS certificate is perceived as an objective credentialing instrument that affords diplomates power, status, an opportunity to obtain an academic or clinical position, job mobility, protection in court proceedings, and greater income. Although it is perceived as an instrument that could aid a career, it is not viewed as an indicator of a person's clinical competence.