Passing the General Surgery Oral Board Exam

Dr. Neff writes in the preface, "I thought about what I had done to prepare for the Exam: two review courses, flashcards, a variety of texts. I realized, however, there is no source of information that tells you what the "wrong" answers are…what are the curveballs likely to be thrown at you during the exam." After realizing that he had done all he could have as a student in preparation for the exam, it became apparent  to Dr. Neff that the real problem was that he was merely memorizing material for the exam and not preparing for what will appear. Passing the General Surgery Oral Board Exam offers this to students by not only covering the concepts frequently addressed on the test, but it also includes the "common curveballs and strikeouts" to look out for – the unexpected problem or seemingly benign action (or inaction) that could result in a missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis (and thus in failure to pass the exam).

• cancer
• general surgery
• surgery
• trauma

• Cherry Hill

  Marc Neff

After passing the General Surgery Oral Board Exam on his second attempt, Marc A. Neff, M.D. saw a need for a textbook that would assist students in preparing entirely for this exam. He realized that merely completing a few review classes, and memorizing text was not enough. Students needed a source that will enable them the caliber to become successful on the Oral Exam. To do this, a textbook would provide them with an outline of "what the wrong answers are," and an outline of the common curveballs. This book was written based on the experience of Dr. Neff and that of numerous colleagues interviewed for the project. This fact is what makes it such an incomparable resource. Dr. Neff is a general surgeon at the Crozer Regional Cancer Center, Upland, PA, USA and has written extensively on _________________.

Policies and ethics