TIME LIMITED DIPLOMATES
All ABCRS diplomates certified in 1990 or later are required to participate in the Continuing Certification process. This includes paying the mandatory $500 annual fee by December 31.
unlimited diplomates
Participation for diplomates certified prior to 1990 is voluntary. If you choose to participate, this includes paying a mandatory $200 annual fee by December 31.
Diplomates are subject to a $100 late fee if the continuing certification annual fee is not paid by December 31 of each year. Any payment received after December 31 will be considered late and the $100 late fee will apply.
Diplomates who have let their certification lapse and wish to reenter the process will be charged a $500 reinstatement fee, plus back fees for each year that diplomate is in arrears.
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.
