Cheating MD Spurs Rule Change

Tried To Sell Test Answers On eBay; Surgery Board Clamps Down

(AP)  Amshel, who passed the 2003 test, has had his board certification revoked. The board sued him in federal court in Philadelphia last fall, alleging copyright infringement and civil theft. Amshel admitted to a copyright violation but not the accusation of civil theft.

He agreed to pay $36,000, the estimated cost of assembling teams of surgeons to go through the process of creating and testing new questions.

"This is a sad incident — first, because it's so bizarre, but also because it says so much about the person's disregard for the rules and ethics," said the board's lawyer, Gabriel L.I. Bevilacqua.

Amshel is now focused on restoring his certification through the board's appeals process, his attorney said.

"He didn't believe what he was doing was wrong," Dearden said. "He's a young surgeon just getting started, well-regarded, and just trying to put this behind him."

In addition to passing the all-day exam, a surgeon also must complete five years of training, get a recommendation from a mentor and complete an oral exam.