Why Board Certified Matters

A plastic surgeon’s qualification and experience matters a lot when it comes to the outcome and safety of your surgical procedure. A surgeon’s board-certification is the best indicator that he or she has qualified in training for surgical or particular medical specialty. American surgeons should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). ABPS is the only Board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to certify doctors in the specialty of plastic surgery of the entire body or for your body sculpting procedure.

What entails board-certification?

An ABPS certified member or surgeon has successfully graduated from an accredited medical school and has gone through 5 years of training as a resident surgeon in all areas of surgery in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Medical Education. On top of this, the doctor has at least 2 years experience dedicated entirely to plastic surgery. American board-certification is a voluntary process that surgeons seek after completing their training. To be certified, a surgeon must pass all oral and written examinations.

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) membership

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is a national organization of board-certified plastic surgeons that specialize in cosmetic surgery. ASAPS membership is an indicator that a doctor is board-certified. Invitation to ASAPS is by invitation only and its members are the most elite plastic surgeons in plastic surgery community. Membership in the organization aslo means that doctor has significant experience in aesthetic surgery. All ASAPS surgeons are privileged to operate in accredited, Medicare-certified or state-licensed facilities. You can find if a plastic surgeon is an ASAPS member by visiting the organization’s online database.