From the AOBS Chairman - AOBS and Management Changes

Change is everywhere, including the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS). After decades of partnering with an independent management team to staff the AOBS office, keeping files in order, maintaining financial records, answering the phone and planning for AOBS meetings and examinations, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) has recently mandated that all certifying boards come under the single management umbrella of the Certified Board Services (CBS) in Chicago. This will hopefully allow for better coordination of backroom functions like finances, the banking of exam questions, meeting planning and preparation, and eventually, result in overall cost reductions for the AOBS. As a result, the AOBS has already eliminated two (2) fees including the $200 annual Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC) fee and the annual Candidate Eligibility fee of $150.

The newly mandated management under the AOA-CBS will likely present some challenges in maintaining close and positive working relationships with our constituent candidates and diplomats, the continuity of meetings, test construction and administration, and the budgeting process. CBS itself is undergoing a series of its own major internal changes in personnel, including a change in the AOBS Certifying Director that oversees the team of CBS staff servicing the AOBS. Recently, we hired a new Certification Director, Daniel Mendelson, MS, CAE; and we will work diligently to maintain continuity and effective service to AOBS board certified members and candidates.

Given the potential risk for challenges resulting from these many changes, the AOBS is pleased to announce that the AOA-CBS has agreed to hire Executive Director Albert Yurvati, D.O., FACOS and Associate Executive Director Kenneth Lim, D.O., FACOS to help maintain the necessary continuity and level of service excellence associated with the AOBS and it surgeon member disciplines. Our mutual goal is to maintain the timing, administration, and smooth AOBS processes you have become accustomed to these past many years. As a volunteer board, the AOBS relies heavily on its management team and staff to work year-round to be accessible and organized to ensure that its meetings, exams, and customer service remain at its highest quality and accessible to all our constituents (you!). For more information, please visit www.aobs.org.

Timothy M. Burandt, D.O., FACOS
Chairman, American Osteopathic Board of Surgery