ABPS General Surgery study guide
ABPS General Surgery · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) describes itself as a nationally recognized multi-specialty certifying body that offers certification to both allopathic and osteopathic physicians, and its published specialty list includes General Surgery. ABPS states that it certified its first physician in 1960 and that its Diplomates can be found across all 50 states, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. The ABPS General Surgery study guide has 8 sections and about 2,356 words.
01Alimentary Tract and Abdominal Surgery
Acute abdominal pain requires an organized history, focused examination, and selective laboratory and imaging studies. Understand appendicitis, biliary colic and cholecystitis, small- and large-bowel obstruction, hernia, perforated viscus, gastrointestinal bleeding, mesenteric ischemia, and inflammatory bowel disease.
290 words, about 1 min02Surgical Oncology including Breast and Endocrine
Breast and endocrine oncology questions test staging, biology, and treatment sequencing. For breast cancer, know clinical and pathologic staging, receptor status (ER, PR, HER2), grade, and margins.
313 words, about 2 min03Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Trauma care follows a primary survey (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure) with immediate treatment of life threats, then a secondary survey. Understand tension pneumothorax, hemothorax, pericardial tamponade, flail chest, massive hemothorax, and aortic injury.
247 words, about 1 min04Surgical Critical Care
Surgical critical care integrates shock physiology, sepsis, respiratory failure, renal replacement, nutrition, sedation, and prevention. Distinguish hypovolemic, cardiogenic, distributive, and obstructive shock using examination, lactate, central venous oxygen saturation when available, echocardiography, and response to fluids.
240 words, about 1 min05Vascular and Thoracic Surgery
Vascular surgery questions emphasize AAA, peripheral arterial disease, acute limb ischemia, carotid disease, venous thromboembolism, and dialysis access. Ruptured AAA is a surgical emergency with hypotension, back or abdominal pain, and a pulsatile mass; unstable patients need operative repair, often endovascular where anatomy and resources permit.
261 words, about 1 min06Perioperative Care, Anesthesia and Pain Management
Perioperative care covers risk assessment, optimization, fasting, prophylaxis, anesthesia choices, and pain management. Estimate cardiac and pulmonary risk using history, functional capacity, and surgery-specific risk; routine stress testing is not indicated for most stable patients.
253 words, about 1 min07Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Transplant Surgery
Hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease includes gallstones, choledocholithiasis, cholangitis, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, liver trauma, and transplant. Acute cholecystitis is usually managed with antibiotics and early laparoscopic cholecystectomy; choledocholithiasis requires biliary imaging and usually ERCP.
262 words, about 1 min08Pediatric, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Pediatric surgery questions test congenital and acquired conditions: pyloric stenosis, malrotation with volvulus, intussusception, Hirschsprung disease, appendicitis, inguinal hernia, and testicular torsion. Bilious vomiting in a neonate is malrotation until proven otherwise and requires urgent evaluation.
490 words, about 2 min