When contemplating plastic surgery, experts will tell you to check the surgeons’ board certifications during your screening process. Knowing which board is highly important.
In several states, there are no laws governing the procedures a doctor can perform once they have a valid medical license. This allows any physician with a valid medical license to perform cosmetic surgery procedures while calling themselves “plastic surgeons.”
In addition, there are hundreds of “boards” with distinguished-sounding names. Most of these, however, don’t mean a whole lot and require minimal pre-requisites to qualify for the certification.
By contrast, in order to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a doctor must graduate from an accredited medical school; complete a minimum of five years of residency training, including two to three years of plastic surgery; and be recommended by ABPS peers for eligibility.
Each surgeon is required to successfully complete a comprehensive written examination. They must then submit a list of all operations performed in their second year of practice. This list is scrutinized by the ABPS, who decide whether or not the candidate will be allowed to sit for the oral exam. The oral exam is done over the course of three days.
A further look at the differences between a board-certified plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon is discussed in a previous blog post.
Being board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is extremely significant. Dr. Gilbert Lee is ABPS certified and ready to assist you. For more information, contact our office in San Diego.
