Written and Oral Entrance Examinations
ASOPRS Oral and Written Entrance Examinations are designed to evaluate the breadth and depth of the basic science, technique, and clinical knowledge of candidates who have satisfactorily completed an accredited residency program in ophthalmology, with further training and experience in oculofacial plastic surgery (OPS).
Exam Schedule
Exams are held once per year, the day before the Fall Scientific Symposium.
Fees
A membership application must be submitted before registering for the exams. The membership application fee (required when submitting the application) includes the exam administration fee.
Eligibility
Internal pathway candidates may sit for the exams after graduating from their fellowship training. External pathway applicants may sit for the exams after thesis acceptance.
Registration
A registration link will be sent to eligible candidates in the spring. Candidates must register for the exam and complete the online membership application by the exam registration deadline.
Cancellation/No Show Policy
If cancellation occurs within 60 days of the exam, payment of a $250 administrative fee is required before the candidate is allowed to register for the next scheduled examination. If a registered candidate no shows, payment of a $250 administrative fee is required before the candidate is allowed to register for the next scheduled examination.
If ASOPRS is unable to administer the exams at the scheduled date, time, and/or location due to circumstances beyond control, the exams may be cancelled. ASOPRS is not responsible for expenses incurred, nor for any expenses incurred with a rescheduled examination.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
To accommodate individuals with disabilities, ASOPRS will make reasonable modifications to the exams that do not fundamentally alter the exam requirements or the measurement of skills or knowledge the exams test. A candidate who is disabled within the definition of the ADA may request an exam under nonstandard conditions by notifying the Executive Office of the disability and specific requests at least twelve (12) weeks prior to the exam.
Results
Results will be sent by email 8-10 weeks following the exam. Results are final and are not subject to appeal.
Retakes
If either exam is fail, the exam(s) must be retaken at the next scheduled exam. Payment of a $250 retake fee is required before the candidate is allowed to register for the exam. If either exam is failed a second time, both the oral and written exam must be repeated. If either exam is failed a third time, the applicant must reapply for membership.
Disclosure
After submission of a membership application, candidates have a continued obligation to disclose circumstances which affect their eligibility for membership, and/or to sit for the examinations (e.g. loss of medical license).
Disciplinary Sanctions
ASOPRS has the authority to impose disciplinary sanctions upon a candidate for the following reasons:
- Violation of ASOPRS Governing Documents and Policy.
- Substantial misstatement or omission of a material fact on application or other documentation submitted.
- Engaging in conduct that materially disrupts an exam or could reasonably be interpreted as threatening or abusive toward a candidate, examiner, proctor, or staff.
- Any attempt to subvert the security of the exam, including accessing external resources during the exams.
- Revealing exam questions or content.
WRITTEN EXAM
The written exam is a computer-based exam that consists of approximately 200 multiple-choice questions. Candidates have four hours to complete the written exam in a proctored setting. Candidates are required to bring a laptop that meets the system requirements provided via email.
Aspects of the candidate’s ability that are tested in the written exam include:
- Recall of Information
- Understanding and Application of Basic Knowledge
- Relation of Pathogenesis to Disease Process
- Evaluation of Clinical Data
- Utilization of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures
- Anticipation and Recognition of Complications
- Ethics of an Oculoplastic & Facial Surgery Practice
ORAL EXAM
The oral exam is administered over a four-hour period, following a lunch break after the written exam. There are two parts to the oral exam, each taking up to one hour. Each part is administered by a minimum of two examiners, who are volunteer ASOPRS members who have been vetted for conflicts of interest. Between examination portions, candidates will remain in proctored waiting rooms. Oral exams are conducted in hotel meeting rooms if space is available, or in examiner sleeping rooms.
The oral examination places emphasis on the following:
- DATA ACQUISITION: Recognition by the candidate of depicted abnormalities and diseases. Candidates will be asked for historical information, examination data, and ancillary testing that might be obtained on a patient with a particular condition depicted or described.
- DIAGNOSIS: The ability of candidates to synthesize historical and physical evaluation information, along with the appropriate laboratory and imaging data to arrive at correct diagnoses and differential diagnoses.
- TREATMENT: The candidate will be expected to provide a reasonable and appropriate plan for medical and/or surgical management of patients with the condition(s) depicted or described and be able to discuss the prognosis, potential disease-related complications, and treatment risks for the particular condition.
EXAMINATION TOPICS
The written and oral examinations are designed to test the wide breadth of knowledge in all aspects of OPS. Although various training programs may have limited exposure to some areas, candidates should expect the exam to cover all areas. These topics serve as a guideline. Questions may be derived from the Oculofacial Plastic Surgery Education Center, major textbooks in the field, and landmark articles in the peer-reviewed literature.
- Anatomy of the orbit and eyelids
- Congenital anomalies
- Entropion, ectropion, retraction, trichiasis, and lagophthalmos
- Blepharoptosis
- Anatomy/pathology/etiology, types of ptosis, surgical techniques/complications, miscellaneous
- Blepharoplasty
- Surgical techniques/complications, Asian blepharoplasty/lid crease revision, miscellaneous
- Eyelid tumors and disease, diagnosis and therapy
- Therapy/diagnosis of inflammatory diseases/infections, vascular lesions, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma, metastatic carcinoma, eyelid reconstruction/flaps
- Eyelid and canalicular trauma, reconstruction
- Thyroid eye disease
- Diagnostic techniques/pathophysiology/general reference, eyelid retraction, orbital decompression, radiation therapy, nonsurgical treatment, miscellaneous
- Orbital disorders
- Congenital defects, infections, inflammatory diseases, cysts, vascular disease, neural diseases, rhabdomyosarcoma, lacrimal gland disease, mesenchymal disease, lymphoproliferative diseases, osseous diseases or defects, secondary tumors or effects on orbit, metastatic tumors, diagnostic techniques, surgical techniques, management of complications, miscellaneous
- Enucleation, evisceration, exenteration
- Anophthalmic socket, socket and fornix reconstruction, implants/dermis fat grafts, enophthalmos/sulcus deformity, prostheses, intraocular tumors, conjunctival-corneal disorders, miscellaneous
- Fractures of the orbit
- Diagnostic techniques/pathophysiology/general reference, surgical techniques, complications, implants/grafts, medial wall/roof/zygoma fractures
- Lacrimal
- Pathophysiology/general reference, diagnostic techniques, congenital anomalies, punctal problems, intubation, dacryocystorhinostomy, conjuctivodacryocystorhinostomy, tumors
- Aesthetic surgery
- Facial anatomy, brow/forehead lift, midface/cheek lift, fat transfer, complications
- Nonsurgical aesthetic options
- Blepharopigmentation, chemodenervation, soft tissue augmentation, lasers (ablative and nonablative), patient selection, complications
- Miscellanous
- Essential blepharospasm/facial dyskinesia, tarsorrhaphy, anesthesia/patient care in OR, ethics of patient care
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