General Surgery Board Review

Surgery Board Review Exam Questions and Answers

General surgery aims to treat gastrointestinal tract problems, including the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, bile ducts, and frequently the thyroid gland.

Surgical residencies must last a minimum of five years and can extend anywhere between three and seven years.

A general surgeon can perform a wide range of surgical treatments on soft tissues, including the excision of tiny skin lesions and cysts and more sophisticated hernia repairs and colectomies (the removal of part or all of the colon).

General surgery is a very competitive speciality.

For a senior in the United States, the general competitiveness level of general surgery is medium to high—a Step 1 score of 200 results in a 34% chance of matching. The likelihood is 91%, with a Step 1 score greater than 240.

As of February 27, 2026, the average Chief of Surgery pay in the US was $494,892.

Most patients can have cataract surgery without requiring general anesthesia.

The patient should arrive 30 to 60 minutes sooner at the registration counter. Six hours before the surgery, you shouldn’t eat or drink anything. The patient must be in good health if general anaesthesia is used for the surgery (without fever, rhinitis or cough).

While general surgeons are able to offer primary care, they usually concentrate on surgery and related services.

The surgical speciality known as general surgery has a core body of knowledge encompassing anatomy, physiology, metabolism, immunology, nutrition, pathology, wound healing, shock and resuscitation, intensive care, and neoplasia, all shared by all surgical disciplines.

Yes, a general surgeon can perform brain surgery in certain circumstances. A general surgeon is qualified to operate on many body parts, including those connected to the central nervous system, such as the skull and spine. In some cases, such as removing tumors or aneurysms, a general surgeon could be certified to do a particular type of brain surgery with specialized training and experience.

Numerous general surgeons continue their education by completing two- to three-year fellowships in surgical subspecialties like cardiovascular (heart, lungs, esophagus and chest)

Yes, a neurosurgeon can perform general surgery — although it is not the primary focus of this type of specialist. Neurosurgeons specialize in matters related to the nervous system, like the brain and spinal cord, so there will be times when they have to complete standard surgical procedures related to organ systems outside of their speciality.

General anaesthesia might make patients feel more anxious because they believe they will lose control and be at the mercy of the medical team during the procedure.

Today, cosmetic surgery can be lawfully performed by any certified doctor. Consequently, a cosmetic surgeon could also be a general surgeon, dermatologist, etc.

After completing their surgical residency, a general surgeon may only require two or three years of speciality training to become a neurosurgeon, and specific programs may be willing to accept you.

Local anaesthetic, which merely makes your knee numb, regional anaesthesia, or general anaesthesia, can all be used during knee arthroscopy.

Injections of nerve blocks into your neck or shoulder are frequently used during shoulder arthroscopy surgery. Your shoulder and arm are numb from these nerve blocks. They also aid in the post-operative alleviation of pain. You might occasionally get general anaesthesia, putting you to sleep throughout the procedure.

General, regional, intravenous regional, or local anesthesia are all acceptable forms of anesthesia for carpal tunnel release.

Since you will be under general anaesthetic, you will be sleepy and pain-free during the gallbladder removal procedure.

Surgery on the hand and wrist is often carried out under general anaesthesia, regional anaesthesia, and intravenous sedation in most hospitals.

Local anaesthetic, spinal block, or general anesthesia are all options for hemorrhoid surgery.

A local or regional anaesthetic can be used to treat the majority of inguinal, femoral, and umbilical hernias.

Typically, spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia is used during hip replacement surgery. An epidural, which functions similarly to a spinal anaesthetic, is occasionally possible.

A general anaesthetic is used during a laparoscopy, so you won’t remember it because you won’t be conscious.

For this kind of operation, a general anesthesia is typically used.

Local anaesthetic is frequently used to numb the site of the incisions during pacemaker implantations. However, the level of sedation required for the treatment will vary depending on your unique medical issues. You might be mildly drugged or fully awake or need general anaesthesia.

Surgery is a skill that general practitioners have. However, they must possess the necessary education and skills to do so. Surgery performed by a general practitioner often involves modest outpatient surgery, such as removing wisdom teeth, joint injections, or sewing up minor scrapes or wounds. They might also take biopsies of suspicious-looking bodily parts or remove foreign items impaled in the skin, including thorns.

An ankle block anaesthetic is used for the majority of bunion surgeries. Even though your foot feels numb, you are awake. The use of general or spinal anaesthesia is occasionally made.

General surgery residency can be incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally. As a resident, you will be expected to work long hours with intense intensity. You’ll often have to deal with stressful situations, such as caring for critically ill or injured patients during trauma cases. You’ll also have to juggle multiple clinical tasks and administrative responsibilities while continuing your learning process in general surgery.

It’s important to know that the broad scope of general surgery involves different specialities, such as vascular or thoracic surgery. Still, they all involve invasive operations on various parts of the body. This makes it a challenging field because of its complexity and the attention needed during procedures. In addition, residents must possess strong interpersonal skills because communication between different medical team members is a key factor in successful patient care outcomes.

Anesthesia-related medications might linger in your body for up to 24 hours.

The duration of a general surgery procedure varies greatly depending on the type of operation being performed.

Surgical residencies must last at least five years and can extend anywhere between three and seven years. The American College of Surgeons is committed to enhancing surgical patient care and defending industry standards of care in a prime and moral practice setting.

It is advised to be more selective while applying and to submit at most 30-35 applications. Although it’s crucial to remember that there is no “optimal” number of residency programs to apply to, the “perfect” range could be between 15 and 35.

According to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, 858 general surgery residency programs are currently in the United States. This number includes 488 categorical/advanced positions, 158 preliminary positions, and 212 combined preliminary/categorical positions.

Surgery-general offers 3145 first-year medical residency places, according to FREIDA data.

398 operations were performed on average per surgeon each year.

Residents in general surgery are paid $61,000 annually.

Typically, regional and general anesthesia costs between $500 and $3500.

• The key to success starts with research. Ensure you read up on common questions asked of applicants during interviews to know what to expect. Additionally, thoroughly review any materials related to the role, including job descriptions, requirements, and responsibilities. Learn about the organization’s values, mission statement, and current news or events relevant to its operations. This knowledge should inform your answers during the interview process.
• Communication is another important factor when acing a general surgery interview. Be prepared to answer questions articulately and precisely while maintaining a confident attitude throughout the discussion. It’s also important to keep active listening skills by paying attention to what is said by both yourself and potential employers- doing so will show them that you value their input, in addition to demonstrating an ability to comprehend information quickly. Furthermore, use this opportunity to build rapport with others present at an interview- this furthers your chances of getting selected for one particular position within an organization.
• Finally, being able to showcase previous experiences through examples is especially useful when competing against other entrants for limited positions available given organization; it allows employers to make informed decisions based on real-life scenarios, thus ensuring they choose the most suitable candidate based on criteria set out initially on initial job description/requirements section. Evidence achievements made in the past help selectors gauge whether a hopeful applicant meets specific expectations before the formal interviewing stage, directly impacting the hiring decision.

• To get into a general surgery residency program, complete your undergraduate degree in pre-medical studies or a related field and take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). After completing medical school, you’ll choose elective clinical rotations that will help prepare you for your career in general surgery. You’ll need to gain experience in different areas of medicine, such as emergency room duties, trauma care, or even working with patients with chronic diseases and other conditions.
• Once your training is complete, it’s time to apply for residencies in the speciality of your choice. The application process typically involves submitting transcripts from medical schools attended and letters of recommendation from supervisors or teaching staff during medical school training. You should also include copies of any research papers completed during coursework or information about publications that may have been written while training at the institution where you trained.
• When applying for residency programs, most applicants are evaluated on their academic achievements and their performance on board exams like USMLE steps 1 & 2CK/CS and third-year clerkship evaluations (Dean’s letter) if available. During the interview process, many programs consider other factors like communication skills when selecting residents, so be sure to practice ahead of time how best to express yourself both verbally and on paper with an emphasis on professionalism throughout the entire selection process.
• Finally, upon completion of residency, all board exams result in conferring board certification, which will be necessary before practising independently as a licensed doctor within this speciality.

• The first step to matching into General Surgery is obtaining excellent grades during medical school training. This includes demonstrating strong clinical skills in settings such as clerkships, sub-internships/auditions, or research experiences.
• Besides obtaining good grades, you should also focus on developing positive relationships with faculty members who can provide references for residency applications and serve as mentors throughout the process. Gaining significant clinical experience through volunteer opportunities at free clinics or other healthcare settings is also essential. You should supplement this experience by pursuing leadership roles outside of clinical activities that show you are passionate about improving patient care standards in general surgery.
• Lastly, you must excel on standardized tests such as the USMLE Step 1 & 2 CK/CS exams to strengthen your application package for more competitive programs. Once you have completed all these steps, writing personal statements and securing letters of recommendation from faculty members or attending physicians, you are ready to make final preparations before submitting applications via ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service).

General anaesthesia is used for the majority of ACL repairs. So you won’t feel anything during the procedure because you’ll be asleep. 

General surgery is an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding career that is respected in the medical field. It offers many responsibilities, from diagnosing patients to performing complicated surgeries. Not only that, but general surgeons also get to care for their patients on a long-term basis, which can be deeply satisfying.

Breast, upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI), colorectal, endocrine, transplant (of kidney, liver, pancreas), and vascular surgery are a few of the many sub-specialities within the broad field of general surgery.

Yes, general surgery can certainly be worth it. The field of general surgery has seen tremendous growth over the past several decades and offers a wide range of exciting opportunities for those who choose to pursue it.

In an appointment, they will determine and assess whether surgery is the best course of action for you. They will walk you through the process and address any of your questions. And you’ll learn how to prepare for the procedure from your surgeon.

TEP stands for Totally Extraperitoneal.

A general surgery clinic is a healthcare facility that specializes in the surgical treatment of disorders, diseases, and injuries ranging from minor to more complex conditions. Many clinics offer both outpatient and inpatient care, depending on the type of procedure required. Commonly performed procedures within a general surgery clinic include appendectomies, hernia repairs, breast lump removals or biopsies, removal of masses or cysts from various areas of the body (including endoscopy), repair or reconstruction for specific traumatic injuries (such as burn victims), vascular surgeries (like aneurysm repair) and even laparoscopic surgeries like gallbladder removal.

Since you won’t spend the night in the hospital, you and your consultant surgeon will discuss the pros and drawbacks of your desired procedure. Typically, the appointment will last about 30 minutes.

The curriculum aims to show how crucial surgical training is for passing the American Board of Surgery’s qualifying and certifying exams.

Colorectal surgery is the area of medicine that deals with correcting damage brought on by colorectal illnesses. Numerous health issues in the rectum, anus, and colon that affect the gastrointestinal tract may require surgery. Injury or ischemia may also necessitate colorectal surgery.

The medical field of orthopaedics, commonly known as orthopaedic surgery, focuses on musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses. You can move, work, and be active because of this intricate system, which comprises your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.

Thoracic surgery aims to treat problems with the esophagus, lungs, mediastinum (the space between the lungs), trachea, and diaphragm in the thorax (chest) region of the body. The following conditions are treated by thoracic surgeons: tumors on the chest wall: pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and other advanced lung conditions.

Except for the brain and the heart, every part of the body has veins and arteries managed by vascular surgeons. Vascular surgeons, for instance, deal with neck carotid arteries that are occluded. After the aorta (a sizable main artery) exits the heart and enters the abdomen, it is treated for abnormalities.

Residents without a surgical speciality can choose from a wide range of surgical experiences in the nondesignated Preliminary Surgery Residency. Before you continue to the military, public health, or another area of professional interest, the program gives you a year of general surgery training.

With their own hands, surgeons treat the ill and save lives. Surgery is the best form of curative treatment for many patients, making it a crucial component of contemporary medicine. This line of work is characterised by continuous excitement, high energy, swift decision-making, and intellectual stimulation.

The study of clinical surgery, including emergency care, endoscopy, and intensive care, must take up at least 54 months (or 4.5 years) of a general surgery residency’s minimum five-year duration. The first three years must be spent learning the fundamentals of surgery.

In terms of disciplines that are most welcoming to IMGs, pathology, general surgery, and internal medicine came out on top in 2026.

Mohs surgery is an outpatient treatment while being given local anaesthetic, and it often takes several hours to complete. Reconstructive surgery, which is frequently done on the same day by your Mohs surgeon, may be required depending on the degree of the malignancy.

Military language students can prepare for English proficiency screening with our free ALCPT American Language Course Placement Test — covering listening comprehension and structure.

Our free TAPAS military personality assessment practice helps candidates understand the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System used by the Army for enlistment decisions.

Navy Officer Candidate School applicants can prepare with our free OAR Officer Aptitude Rating practice test — covering math skills, reading comprehension, and mechanical comprehension.

Military enlistment candidates can take our free ASVAB practice test — covering all ten subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, and more.

American Board of Surgery Review Courses

General surgery board review courses can help you pass your oral exam so you can become a board certified surgeon. These courses are designed to make learning easier by using audio, video, and a study guide. They also give you a chance to learn from experienced faculty and take notes.

These courses have a high success rate and will ensure you pass your oral exam. They provide a comprehensive approach to your exam preparation and will teach you the proper body language, focus, and confidence you need to pass the test.

The American Board of Surgery (ABS) certification exam is the most important step toward obtaining a surgical license. It is also a critical factor for residency programs when considering new candidates.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether participation in commercial board review courses affected the likelihood of passing the ABS general surgery certifying exam. This was done by surveying examinees in the 2012-2013 academic year about their participation in these courses on the ABS website immediately before receiving their examination results.