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Surgeon
Directory Becoming a Plastic Surgeon BACHELOR'S DEGREE-Usually Pre-Med or Biology, but not required to be. MCAT-A 6 hour exam to get into Medical School. MEDICAL DEGREE-"MD"-4 years of med-school and passing the Boards (a 2 day/12 hour exam) Part I and Part II (another 2 day/12 hour exam). Upon graduating medical school, one is considered an "MD," but can only practice in a residency program until they become a licensed physician. RESIDENCY-"On the job training" of at least three years. Five to seven years are required for American Board of Plastic Surgery certified plastic surgeons. LICENSED PHYSICIAN-After completing 1 year of residency and passing Boards Part III, then they are considered a General Practitioner or "GP". A GP has not had any training in surgery, no less plastic surgery. CANDIDATE MEMBER (a.k.a. BOARD ELIGIBLE)-One has completed the required training in plastic surgery residency and has been in [private] practice for at least two years.* BOARD CERTIFIED-Passing certification is not required for any doctor to practice medicine, but is important when finding a good physician and determining if one is trained to be a specialist, such as a plastic surgeon. *NOTE: The term Board Eligible is commonly used among medical professionals and is meant to be defined as one who is eligible to take the board exam to become board certified in their specialty because they have completed the required training in an accredited residency program. However, the ABMS states the term "board eligible" has been given such diverse meanings by different agencies, they recommend the term be disavowed and the ABPS does not allow doctors to advertise the terminology, because it does not define what point in the certification process the doctor is in. It is only defined here should you come across the term in your research. |
Research Your Plastic Surgeon"Because you'll be looking at their work for the rest of your life"
Importance of Board Certification - United StatesWhen considering a body contouring procedure such as lipo, you want a plastic surgeon that is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Do not let a surgeon's office tell you the doctor just moved from another state and they waiting for transfer of their certification. Certification is a Federal Exam and is good in any state. Board Certification - Canada When considering a body contouring procedure such as liposuction, you want a plastic surgeon that is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and/or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. American Board of Plastic Surgery The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) qualifies a surgeon to perform both body and facial procedures. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) which is expressly designed to provide public protection through quality control in medical education states the "ABPS is the only one of the 24 ABMS member boards providing certification in the entire field of plastic and reconstructive surgery from head to toe. Board certification assures the health care consumer that the surgeon completed at least five years of approved surgical training in plastic surgery and the surgeon has successfully completed extensive written and oral examination testing in the entire field of plastic and reconstructive surgery of the entire body. The ABMS is the umbrella organization which represents the 24 member boards and upholds standards for resident training and testing leading to certification." Do not confuse the ABPS with any other similar sounding board, although being certified in other boards in addition to certification from the ABPS is acceptable when considering any body contouring procedure such lipo. About our Surgeons Because we educate mostly breast surgery, liposuction, tummy tuck and other body contouring procedure patients, we require our plastic surgeons to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. I have personally checked the qualifications of our plastic surgeons and most have been recommended by site visitors that used them for their plastic surgery. In fact, our plastic surgeons meet higher standards than those of any other referral service as we only list select plastic surgeons to be in our referral directory. Our plastic surgeons must also maintain that standard in order to remain in our surgeon directory. There are over 5000 ABPS certified plastic surgeons, and of them only a small percentage are invited to join our surgeon directory. Certified vs. Non-certified Many Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) doctors (Otorlaryngologists), some Dermatologists and OBGYNs and even dentists perform plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation and liposuction and they are far from qualified to do so. Most are not even board certified in general surgery, no less plastic surgery. Certification for doctors performing breast surgery and other body contouring procedures, such as liposuction or tummy tucks, should be in plastic surgery, NOT cosmetic or facial surgery. Although being certified in cosmetic, facial or Otorlaryngology in ADDITION to their plastic surgery certification is acceptable. Be very careful, there are many other unqualified doctors out there looking to make big bucks by offering plastic surgery procedures, usually at a discounted rate which could cost you your health and more money in the long run. I cannot stress how important it is to make sure your surgeon is certified by the ABPS when considering plastic surgery on the body, such as lipo, tummy tuck or breast surgery. In the 7+ years I have been researching breast augmentation outcomes and the surgeons who performed them, not many breast augmentations surgeries had a bad outcome. However, of the bad results, half the time surgery was performed by a doctor that was not certified by the ABPS. Considering only 10% of licensed doctors are not certified, that means 50% of the time non-certified doctors encounter problems, vs only .05% of ABPS certified plastic surgeons. I do not advocate flipping a coin with someone's body. Doctor Research Links, 800#s & More
How to Check-Up on Your Plastic SurgeonBeware of doctors who just moved from out of state (not only is it harder to track records but they may have lost their license in another state). Those fresh out of residency are less likely to have any complaints, but they also have less experience. However, they may be more up to date than their older comrades. Lastly, just because a doctor is older does not mean that s/he has been practicing medicine for a long time. There is no age requirements for attending medical school. Federation of State Medical Boards - Disciplinary actions since 1912 from international licensing authorities including Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand. $9.95 Knowx.com Searches Public Records for $1, if there is information found, it will cost an additional $6.95 to read it. Several visitors found alarming information about their doctor here, this could be very worth while. COUNTY COURTHOUSE: In the county where the doctor practices, look up cases under his name. It is important to pull up the file and find out exactly what the cases are about. If the doctor has been in practice for some a long time, the higher their chances are of having been sued. Also, it is not always because of any wrong doing, but because they are also an easy target for lawsuits. Surgeons have the highest number of lawsuits. Plastic Surgeons may have a great deal of lawsuits due to the alleged problems of silicone. MEDICAL BOARD: Call to inquire about the complaints filed against your doctor. A filed complaint means that someone was unhappy enough with the service they received to complain to the board. Sometimes "Letters of Concern" were sent to the doctor from the Board. The "Letters of Concern" are a warning that if the doctor doesn't change, further actions will be taken. The doctor could have their certification removed, or license suspended or revoked. Keep in mind that for every complaint, there are others that didn't bother to write and complain. I have some listed below. PLASTIC SURGERY HOTLINE: 1-800-BEAUTIFY. Checks malpractice history. The service is free, but keep in mind the doctors are paying to be on their list. A doctor could be excellent and not be on their list simply because he chooses not to pay to advertise there. Department of Insurance in your state. Trish (who is a paralegal) suggests contacting them. They should have a listing of all the closed claims and you should be able to check to see if your PS had any claims filed against him. If you find the website for your state's Dept. of Ins. (usually run by HRS) or a phone number, please E-mail me the info so I can add it below. You can also hire a private investigator, since they know exactly where to find information. Trish also suggests calling top mal practice lawyers in your area and asked if they ever sued that PS. Department of Professional Regulations can check for any pending claims. Forum: Many people discuss their experience with their doctors. You can do a search on a doctor's name or ask on the forum if anyone had seen that surgeon. Verify your Plastic Surgeon's Certification
If your state is not listed, please check the search engines or your state's website. If you find something, please Email Me the URL. Iowa
Board of Medical Examiners Kentucky
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Maine
Board of Licensure in Medicine Missouri
State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts Montana
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Hampshire Board of Medicine 1-800-780-4757 Rhode
Island Board of Medical Licensure Utah
Division of Professional Licensure Vermont
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