Did You Know
In most states, a doctor licensed to practice medicine may practice in any specialty, with no requirement for education, training, certification, or experience in that specialty. That's right: A doctor with training in dermatology may perform heart surgery, a doctor with training in gynecology may practice psychiatry, and any doctor, from a neurologist to a foot surgeon, may perform plastic surgery. And the unfortunate fact is that many do. What is worse, the public, for the most part, has no idea about the background of the physicians performing their procedures.
The Answer
In order to ensure that the public receives the best health care possible from the most qualified doctors, the medical profession has organized itself by specialty to set standards of education, training, and experience appropriate to each specialty. This has been done through the creation of Boards of Medical Specialties, including Plastic Surgery and Facial Plastic Surgery.
The Board
Lifestyle Lift recognizes certification by the following boards for plastic surgeons specializing in the facial area.
Recognized certifying boards for MDs:
- The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- The American Board of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery)
- The American Board of Plastic Surgery
- The American Board of Surgery
Recognized certifying boards for DOs:
- American Osteopathic Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
- American Osteopathic Boards of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (sometimes referred to as the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology)
- American Osteopathic Board of Surgery
These boards have the most stringent requirements for certification in plastic surgery of any organization that certifies surgeons. A plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon certified by one of these boards has:
- Graduated from an accredited medical school
- Completed at least five years of additional training as a resident surgeon
- Successfully completed comprehensive written and oral examinations to become board certified or board eligible
Only these physicians can call themselves plastic or facial plastic surgeons.
Beware of surgeons calling themselves "cosmetic surgeons."
The Others
A number of other, unrecognized "boards" certify doctors in cosmetic surgery. However, these organizations generally do not require a doctor to meet the stringent criteria established by the boards listed above.
Furthermore, these doctors can only refer to themselves as cosmetic surgeons, and not plastic or facial plastic surgeons.
In a cosmetic surgeon's office, you may be impressed by framed certificates and diplomas. However, you will not see a diploma from a training institution that has the words plastic surgery on it. Often, emergency room doctors, dermatologists, gynecologists, general surgeons and other surgeons take "weekend courses" to receive a certificate in cosmetic surgery. But do you really want that type of a doctor performing your facial procedure?
