Dr. Buyske
The American Board of Surgery (ABS) has announced that Jo Buyske, MD, FACS, will be the next executive director of the ABS. Dr. Buyske was elected at the ABS semiannual meeting after a national search for a successor to longtime executive director Frank R. Lewis, MD, FACS, who will retire later this year. Dr. Buyske assumed the executive director position September 1 and will work with Dr. Lewis up to his retirement to ensure a smooth transition of duties.
Dr. Buyske has served as associate executive director and director of evaluation for the ABS since 2008, overseeing the development and administration of all ABS examinations and ensuring their clinical relevance. She continues to be clinically active and serves as an adjunct professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Previously, she was chief of surgery and director of minimally invasive surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her clinical experience centers on applications of minimally invasive surgery to all areas of general and gastrointestinal surgery.
As executive director, Dr. Buyske will lead all organizational areas of the ABS and partner closely with its board of directors. In addition, she will serve as the ABS’ primary liaison to diplomates, surgical training programs, and the larger surgical community, including the full range of organizations involved in surgical education and board certification.
“It is a tremendous honor to be named executive director,” Dr. Buyske said. “I look forward to working with ABS directors, diplomates, and staff, as well as other surgical organizations, to continue our work to protect the public and enhance the profession.”
With the ABS recently announcing revised requirements for continuous certification (read about the new requirements online), she also spoke of the direction of the organization going forward. “The ABS is committed to changing its policies regarding lifelong learning and certification in the interests of better serving both our diplomates and the public. Our goal is to have the best combination of practice-pertinent, timely, and valuable assessment tools to assure our patients that board-certified surgeons are knowledgeable and up to date,” Dr. Buyske said.
Read more about Dr. Buyske in the ABS press release.
