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To the Editor.—As a move forward in the quest of excellence in vascular surgery, it has been proposed that those who wish to practice this art should qualify for special certification under the auspices of the American Board of Surgery. This proposal was discussed in some detail at the recent meetings of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the International Cardiovascular Society.
What has prompted the move is the knowledge that the bulk of vascular surgery in this country is being done by surgeons without special vascular training coupled with the presumption that much of it is done badly.
At first glance it would appear that special certification would insure more extensive training with wider exposure and an opportunity to achieve technical excellence. This may be true but the discussion engendered by the recent seminar has revealed some problems.
To begin with the question has been raised as to