Certification by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ABCRS) carries an obligation for the highest standard of ethical behavior and professionalism. ABCRS maintains that all patients are entitled to quality surgical care delivered in a professional and ethical manner.
General Expectations
The ABCRS Code of Ethics and Professionalism requires that all ABCRS-certified surgeons and those seeking certification by the organization adhere to the following construct at all times:
Medical License Requirement
Possession of a currently valid, full and unrestricted state medical license is an absolute requirement for certification. Each license held by the surgeon must be unencumbered irrespective of the state in which the surgeon practices.
If a state medical license after final decision by the state medical board is probated, restricted, suspended, or revoked, the diplomate is required to report this change in status to the ABCRS within three (3) months, for review by the ABCRS Standards and Credentials Committee. The committee will determine if any action is required regarding the diplomate’s certificate in surgery. The Standards and Credentials Committee will decide, at its sole discretion, the appropriate status of the certificate and make recommendations as to any related requirements. The committee may or may not take into consideration any related state medical board actions or recommendations.
Reporting Requirements
ABCRS diplomates are required to report any of the following actions to the ABCRS within three (3) months of said action:
ABCRS-certified surgeons who engage in any of these actions will be subject to review under the ABCRS disciplinary action process. Reporting any of the above actions to ABCRS does not necessarily imply board action. Conduct that is prohibited by this Code shall be reviewed by the ABCRS Standards and Credentials Committee, which will make a determination as to the appropriate action needed, if any. Actions may include suspension, or revocation of certification. All diplomates must cooperate fully in any ABCRS investigation.
ABCRS-certified surgeons who fail to report within the designated time frame may be subject to immediate action on their certificate pending further review.
Diplomates are required to contact the Board to report any violations either via e-mail (abcrsadmin@abcrs.org) or by certified mail.
ABCRS Examinations
Unethical behavior is specifically defined by the ABCRS to include lying, cheating, disclosing examination content or in any other way failing to abide by examination policies as stipulated by the ABCRS.
This would include the disclosure, publication, reproduction or transmission of ABCRS examinations, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purposes, including in any examination review course. This also extends to sharing examination information or discussing an exam while still in progress or at any time thereafter.
Unethical behavior also includes the possession, reproduction, or disclosure of materials or information, including exam questions or answers or specific information regarding the content of the examination, before, during or after the examination. This definition specifically includes the recall and reconstruction of examination questions by any means and such efforts may violate federal copyright law.
Individuals exhibiting such behaviors may:
All such determinations shall be at the sole discretion of ABCRS.
All applicants, examinees, and diplomates must fully cooperate in any ABCRS investigation into the validity, integrity, or security of ABCRS examinations.
Appropriate Use of ABCRS Credentials and Logo
A diplomate must only represent their ABCRS certification as qualification of knowledge and/or skills that are directly related to the diplomate’s ABCRS certification.
ABCRS-certified surgeons may not:
The seal of the ABCRS is a registered trademark and may not be copied, reproduced, or used in any way without prior consent from the ABCRS. Use of the ABCRS seal or logo for promotional purposes on websites, brochures, letterhead, etc., by diplomates, institutions or others is not permitted under any circumstances.
Only use ABCRS certification in the context of certification that is under the purview of the ABCRS.
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Unethical and unprofessional behavior is denoted by any dishonest behavior, including: cheating; lying; falsifying information; misrepresenting one’s educational background, certification status and/or professional experience; and failure to report misconduct. The American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy toward these behaviors, and individuals caught exhibiting such behaviors risk being permanently barred from certification, reported to state medical boards, and/or legally prosecuted for copyright or other violations.
Unethical behavior is specifically defined by the ABCRS to include the disclosure, publication, reproduction or transmission of ABCRS examinations, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purposes. This also extends to sharing examination information or discussing an examination while still in progress. Unethical behavior also includes the possession, reproduction or disclosure of materials or information, including examination questions or answers or specific information regarding the content of the examination, before, during or after the examination. This definition specifically includes the recall and reconstruction of examination questions by any means and such efforts may violate federal copyright law. All ABCRS examinations are copyrighted and protected by law; the ABCRS will prosecute violations to the full extent provided by law and seek monetary damages for any loss of examination materials.