The first board examination in pediatric surgery

The inaugural certifying examination for special competence in pediatric surgery in North America was given by the American Board of Surgery (ABS) in April 1975, the day before the sixth meeting of the American Pediatric Surgical Association at a resort near San Juan, PR. The event came after failed applications before the ABS and the Advisory Board for Medical Specialties in 1957, 1961, and 1967. The specialty had matured with a scholarly publication devoted to the field (Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 1965), the establishment of standards for training and training programs (1966), and a society independent of pediatrics and devoted solely to pediatric surgery (American Pediatric Surgical Association, first meeting 1970). Harvey Beardmore had guided the successful campaign for a certificate for pediatric surgery under the aegis of the ABS that was approved in June 1972. Pediatric surgery had thus gained full recognition as a specialty of surgery. A group photograph of its participants became one of the iconic images in our specialty. Thanks to Jim and Nancy Hopkins of Windsor Heights, IA, and to their many friends and colleagues, nearly half (71 of 151) of the pediatric surgeons in the photo were identified, marking their places in the history of pediatric surgery.