Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh, director, Penn State Institute of the Neurosciences and distinguished professor and chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, has been appointed to a six-year term as a director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS). The goal of the ABNS is to encourage the study, improve the practice, elevate the standards, and advance the science of neurological surgery and thereby to serve the cause of public health.
The primary purpose of the ABNS is to conduct examinations of candidates who voluntarily seek certification and to issue certificates to those who meet the requirements of the board and satisfactorily complete its examinations. Certification by the ABNS is based on review and evaluation of the applicant’s educational, training, and practice qualifications, as well as successful completion of written and oral examinations. In addition, the board, along with the Residency Review Committee for Neurological Surgery and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, works to improve the standards of training in neurosurgical residency programs throughout the United States.
The ABNS consists of 14 directors selected from practicing neurosurgeons throughout North America. Directors are elected after nominations are received from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Society of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, and the Neurological Surgery of America. Each director serves for a single six-year term. Appointments are staggered, and two to three new directors come on the board each year.