The content outline for Quarterly Questions® lists the topics you can expect to see on the assessment and the approximate distribution of questions that will come from each topic area. The latest outlines were developed in 2022 and were used to build the 2023 version of Quarterly Questions. Best practices in test development call for the creation of new content outlines every 3-5 years. These outlines may be revised sooner if significant changes to the field warrant re-review.
The Quarterly Questions program is designed to assess everyday clinical knowledge and should not require advance study. However, these outlines may help you get acquainted with the format, structure, and content of the assessment. This document is intended to serve as a study tool, not a study guide.
Content Outlines for Quarterly Questions
The outlines linked above pertain only to the knowledge-based portion of the Quarterly Questions program. The article-based section is developed and scored separately. Designed to facilitate the acquisition and application of new information, the article-based section features “must-read” articles from the previous 18 months along with seminal articles published in peer-reviewed medical and ophthalmic journals. Articles are reviewed and selected for inclusion by subspecialty liaisons and subject matter experts based on factors such as clinical relevance and impact.
Acknowledgements
Development of the Quarterly Questions content outline adhered to psychometric guidelines for exam development and relied primarily on existing evidence-based literature and expert consensus. Expert consensus was provided by volunteer practicing ophthalmologists representing the following subspecialties: Cataract/Anterior, Cornea/External Disease, Glaucoma, Neuro-Orbital, Oculoplastics, Pediatrics/Strabismus Segment, Refraction and Optics, Retina-Vitreous, and Uveitis. These volunteers included representatives of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and other ophthalmology subspecialty societies. The volunteers also represented a great diversity in gender, age, practice type, and geography.
Cataract
Cameron, J. Douglas, MD - Minneapolis, MN, ABO Board of Directors
Cioffi, George A., MD - New York, NY
Jackson, Mitchell A., MD - Lake Villa, IL
Khalifa, Yousuf M., MD - Smyrna, GA
Olsakovsky, Leslie A., MD - Charlottesville, VA
Comprehensive
Albanis, Chris V., MD - Merrionette Park, IL
Bailey, Jane A., MD - Iowa City, IA, ABO Board of Directors
Breit, Sean M., MD - Richmond Heights, MO
Shaw, Harold E., MD - Greenville, SC, ABO Board of Directors
Soni, Chetan R., MD - Springfield, MO
Core
Ayres, Brandon D., MD - Bala Cynwyd, PA
Chung, Sophia M., MD - St. Louis, MO, ABO Board of Directors
Collins, Megan E., MD - Madison, WI
Esmaili, Neda, MD - Mequon, WI
Gombos, Dan S., MD - Houston, TX
Heuer, Dale K., MD - Milwaukee, WI, ABO Board of Directors
Jonisch, Jonathan, MD - Great Neck, NY
Kikkawa, Don O., MD - La Jolla, CA, ABO Board of Directors
La Rosa, Francis A., MD - Richmond, VA
Lin, Amy, MD - Salt Lake City, UT
Salim, Sarwat, MD - Boston, MA
Scott, Adrienne W., MD - Baltimore, MD
Sen, H. Nida, MD - Bethesda, MD
Shetlar, Debra J., MD - Houston, TX, ABO Board of Directors
Ta, Christopher N., MD - Palo Alto, CA
Cornea
Baratz, Keith H., MD - Rochester, MN, ABO Board of Directors
Cortina, M. Soledad, MD - Chicago, IL
Goyal, Raj K., MD - Burr Ridge, IL
Huang, Andrew J.W., MD - St. Louis, MO
Johnson, Daniel A., MD - San Antonio, TX
Newton, Catherine, MD - Louisville, KY
Ta, Christopher N., MD - Palo Alto, CA
Glaucoma
Giangiacomo, Annette L., MD - Atlanta, GA
Heuer, Dale K., MD - Milwaukee, WI, ABO Board of Directors
Khandelwal, Sumitra, MD - Houston, TX
Mansberger, Steven L., MD - Portland, OR
Pasquale, Louis R., MD - Boston, MA
Neuro-Ophthalmology
Banik, Rudrani, MD - New York, NY
Chung, Sophia M., MD - St. Louis, MO, ABO Board of Directors
Kline, Lanning B., MD - Birmingham, AL, ABO Board of Directors
Lam, Byron L., MD - Miami, FL
Lee, Andrew G., MD - Houston, TX
Quiros, Peter A., MD - Venice, CA
Subramanian, Prem S., MD - Aurora, CO
Whittaker, Thomas J., MD - Prairie Village, KS
Oculoplastics
Chang, Holly, MD - Seattle, WA
Custer, Philip L., MD - St. Louis, MO, ABO Board of Directors
Kikkawa, Don O., MD - LaJolla, CA, ABO Board of Directors
Shetlar, Debra J., MD - Houston, TX, ABO Board of Directors
Pediatrics
Epley, David, MD - Woodinville, WA, ABO Board of Directors
Fredrick, Douglas R., MD - New York, NY
Johnson, Anthony P., MD - Greenville, SC
Paysse, Evelyn A., MD - Houston, TX
Rychwalski, Paul J., MD - Farmington, CT
Stevens, Julia L., MD - Lexington, KY, ABO Board of Directors
Yanovitch, Tammy L., MD - Oklahoma City, OK
Refractive Intervention
Bishop, Frank M., MD - San Diego, CA
Hausheer, Jean R., MD - Lawton, OK
Lin, Amy, MD - Salt Lake City, UT
McLeod, Stephen D., MD - San Francisco, CA, ABO Board of Directors
Munden, Paul M., MD - Prairie Village, KS
Shields, Steven M., MD - Chesterfield, MO
Thall, Edmond H., MD - Highland Heights, OH
Retina
Barr, Charles C., MD - Louisville, KY
Boldt, H. Culver, MD - Iowa City, IA, ABO Board of Directors
Chomsky, Amy S., MD - Nashville, TN
Clarkson, John G., MD - Miami, FL, ABO Executive Director
Kovach, Jaclyn L., MD - Naples, FL
Kurz, Daryl E., MD - Harrisonburg, VA
Sohn, Elliott H., MD - Iowa City, IA
Stout, J. Timothy, MD - Houston, TX
Uveitis
Cowan, Claude L., MD - Washington, DC, ABO Board of Directors
Dieckert, J. Paul, MD - Belton, TX
Lobo, Ann-Marie, MD - Chicago, IL
Rao, P. Kumar, MD - St. Louis, MO
Tabbara, Khalid F., MD - San Francisco, CA
Providing Feedback
The American Board of Ophthalmology is committed to the continuous improvement of its assessment tools and processes for certification and Continuing Certification in the practice of ophthalmology. Suggested updates for the next iteration of these test blueprints may be sent to ContentOutline@abop.org. Comments must reference the specific section of the outline to which you are referring and provide a source/documentation for the content you are recommending. All comments will be directed to the appropriate review committee. General questions about the recertification process and examinations should be sent to moc@abop.org.