When it comes to finding a plastic surgeon for your upcoming procedure, the most common advice is to choose one that is “board certified.” Yet few patients know what this means. Board certification means that the physician has specialized in one of the 24 medical specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). For plastic surgeons, the applicable board is the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
A board-certified plastic surgeon must complete at least five years of surgical training after medical school. This includes going through a plastic surgery residency program to further develop their technical skill and aesthetic judgment. Finally, he or she must pass a comprehensive written examination to become a board-certified plastic surgeon. The ABPS also requires continuing education for doctors who wish to maintain their certification.
If a plastic surgeon claims to be board certified, investigate his or her credentials. There are other boards that are not recognized by the ABMS, and some of these will allow membership to any doctor willing to pay a fee. You can verify a surgeon's certification on the ABMS website or the site of the ABPS. Do not be afraid to ask your surgeon about their board certification, as any certified surgeon should be happy to discuss their credentials with you.
Doctors are not required to be board-certified as long as they meet the licensing requirements in their state. Any licensed doctor can call themselves a “plastic” or “cosmetic” surgeon, even if they have no surgical training. These doctors may call themselves plastic surgeons, even though they received their formal training in another specialty. This is why it is important to seek out a doctor who has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
