Why Choosing Board Certified Plastic Surgeons is so important

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Do you really know the truth about board certified plastic surgeons? If you are considering any sort of plastic surgery procedure, you owe it to yourself to read more.

A little know fact among potential plastic surgery patients is that ANY licensed medical doctor can make the claim that they’re a Plastic surgeon.  The fact is that the majority of physicians in United States have some sort of board certification. Where the lines blur is in what specialty that certification comes from.

Board certification is available for every specialty in medicine so consumers need to be aware of this and ask the right questions.

There are no state laws that regulate the advertising physicians engage in to promote their practices. What that means to the safety of a potential patient cannot be emphasized enough. The fact is that a physician offering liposuction may state that they are board certified but it does not mean that they are board certified in the specialty of plastic surgery. They could in fact be certified in family practice, obstetrics, dermatology or even podiatry. To illustrate this point further… imagine you have a neurological issue that requires brain surgery. Would you go to your urologist for this surgery? No. Absolutely not! It’s the same thing with plastic surgery. If you are having a breast augmentation, you don’t want your board certified gynecologist to perform it.  It’s important for anyone considering plastic surgery to ask the surgeon what specialty their board certification is in. You ONLY want a board certified plastic surgeon.

Once you determine that the doctors you are considering are board certified plastic surgeons, potential patients need to verify that the certification is legitimate. It sounds unbelievable to think that a physician would lie about being a board certified plastic surgeon but it happens and more than you think. The reason this is done is the oldest reason in the book…..MONEY! The majority of physicians rely on insurance billing for their main source of revenue. As restrictions get tighter and tighter on what insurance companies will pay, physicians are looking to perform more cashed based services such as plastic surgery.

Can a gynecologist perform plastic surgery? YES. Any physician with a medical license can perform surgery. Medical licensure is not awarded by specialty, board certification is. In order for a physician to become board certified, they must meet all the training requirements and then pass the board specific examination.  Board certification is awarded and overseen by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only recognized Plastic Surgery board certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties. There are other “board certifications,” but they are not recognized boards due to their lack of formal training requirements.

The truth of it all is that as already stated, more and more physicians are seeking to increase the cash based side of their practice and are looking to the cosmetic industry because of its rise in popularity.  These physicians must compete for spots in formal plastic surgery training programs with medical school graduates who are also seeking formal training.  More often than not, the spots in the formal training programs go to newly graduated students. Physicians have gotten cleaver when find they have not been accepted for a formal Plastic Surgery training program.  Many times, these doctors will take a less than safe approach. Physicians are required to have first completed a Surgery Residency training program before they can be eligible for a Plastic Surgery training program but what many physicians will do is participate in a few weekend cosmetic surgery courses and then claim to be a Plastic or Cosmetic surgeon. From there, all it takes is skilled marketing to turn an ordinary doctor into a “highly skilled” plastic surgeon regardless if they have been properly trained or not.

The bottom line for consumers is to know your doctors. Take the time to do research and make sure they are truly Board Certified Plastic Surgeons.

Plastic Preview can help you find a legitimate Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area.