ABOS Case-List Preparation: How to Turn Your Own Cases into Oral Board Practice
A candidate-centered workflow for knowing the entire case list, preparing selected cases, and using de-identified Personal Case Uploads without crossing official ABOS or PHI boundaries.
Key takeaways
- ABOS requires all consecutive primary-surgeon cases from the collection period, and candidates are responsible for accuracy and completeness.
- For 2027 candidates, ABOS identifies January 1 through June 30, 2026 as the six-month collection period and at least 35 surgical cases as the eligibility minimum.
- Twelve selected cases require notes, images, and relevant files for presentation at the oral examination.
- SurgiTest Personal Case Uploads are for de-identified educational rehearsal only and do not replace ABOS Scribe, the Candidate Dashboard, or official case submission.
Know the official boundary before using any study tool
ABOS case-list submission is an official process. SurgiTest helps candidates practice oral defense from de-identified material. It does not submit cases, complete Scribe entries, verify hospital records, pay fees, or communicate with ABOS.
| Need | Official ABOS process | SurgiTest preparation role |
|---|---|---|
| Case collection | Candidate collects all consecutive primary-surgeon cases during the defined period | Candidate builds a private study index and practices cases aloud. |
| Case-list accuracy | Candidate is responsible for complete and accurate case-list data | SurgiTest can help reveal missing clinical facts but cannot certify completeness. |
| Selected cases | ABOS selects 12 cases and requires supporting materials for those cases | Candidate rehearses selected-case defense with de-identified educational uploads. |
| Protected information | Official systems handle required candidate materials under ABOS instructions | SurgiTest practice material must be fully de-identified and contain no PHI. |
De-identify before upload
- Remove patient name, full initials if identifying in context, medical-record number, accession number, phone number, address, email, date of birth, exact surgery date, exact admission date, and exact follow-up date.
- Remove facial photographs, tattoos, jewelry, hospital labels, metadata, barcodes, DICOM identifiers, and institution-specific identifiers.
- Use relative timing such as postoperative day 3 or six-week follow-up instead of exact calendar dates.
- Summarize imaging findings or upload only stripped educational images when the workflow supports safe de-identified material.
- Do not upload official ABOS portal exports if they contain identifiers or data-use restrictions.
Prepare every selected case as a complete defense
A selected case is not just a procedure. It is a chain of decisions: presentation, evaluation, imaging, diagnosis, indication, consent, operation, postoperative care, complications, outcome, and what you would do if challenged.
For every selected case, write the difficult questions in advance. Why did you operate? Why this operation? What were the alternatives? What imaging finding mattered? What complication occurred or could have occurred? What did the patient know? What would you do now if the outcome was poor?
The one-sentence indication
A concise sentence linking symptoms, diagnosis, functional limitation, imaging, failed nonoperative care, and patient-specific risk.
The image-to-plan bridge
The exact radiographic, CT, MRI, fluoroscopic, arthroscopic, or intraoperative finding that made your operation reasonable.
The technical decision point
The implant, approach, fixation, graft, reconstruction, reduction, debridement, or staging choice most likely to be challenged.
The outcome and complication answer
What happened after surgery, what went well, what did not, how you managed it, and how you counsel similar patients now.
Put the framework under pressure
Rehearse the exact decisions in your own cases.
Voice-first cases, adaptive examiner follow-up, imaging, complications, and structured educational feedback for orthopedic surgery.
Questions candidates ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the current ABOS Part II Oral Examination format?
ABOS describes the Part II Oral Examination as four 30-minute periods with two examiners in each period and a 5-minute break between periods. Case selectors choose 12 cases from the candidate case list for presentation.
Does the ABOS Part II examination use my own cases?
Yes. ABOS requires candidates to submit a case list, and 12 selected cases are used at the oral examination. SurgiTest Personal Case Uploads are educational rehearsal tools for fully de-identified material and do not submit anything to ABOS.
What must 2027 candidates submit for the case list?
ABOS states that 2027 candidates must collect and submit all consecutive primary-surgeon cases from January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026, and at least 35 surgical cases are required for eligibility.
How is the ABOS Part II examination scored?
ABOS states that oral examiners use nine scoring facets with a 0–3 score for each selected case and that 216 total scores are accumulated before adjustment for examiner severity, case difficulty, and skill difficulty.
Does SurgiTest reproduce official or recalled ABOS questions?
No. SurgiTest uses original educational cases and de-identified user practice material aligned to public ABOS format information. It does not solicit or reproduce secure examination content.
Can SurgiTest predict whether I will pass ABOS Part II?
No. SurgiTest provides educational practice, timing trends, and structured feedback. It does not calculate an official ABOS score, replace the ABOS rubric, or guarantee certification.
Source transparency
Official references
Board requirements, dates, and candidate instructions can change. Confirm current details directly with ABOS and the Board’s candidate portal.
Continue preparing