What is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
In most states, a licensed physician may perform plastic surgery without being board-certified in plastic surgery. Just because a doctor is board-certified does not mean he or she is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons are certified by the ABPS or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The ABPS is the only one of the 24 boards approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties that certifies physicians in plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body.
To be ABPS board-certified, a physician must meet these rigid requirements:
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Graduate from an accredited medical school
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Complete a combination of at least five years of general surgery and plastic surgery residency training
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Pass comprehensive oral and written exams
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Besides certification, membership in ASPS requires a plastic surgeon to regularly attend continuing medical education courses and to adhere to a strict code of ethics.
Data reprinted from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
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