8-May-07 11:00 AM CST

Choosing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Choosing a plastic surgeon is not something that should be taken lightly. A number of factors should be considered including training, education, results, safety, personality and chemistry. But how do you make an informed decision based on a 30 minute consultation? The answer is DO YOUR RESAEARCH!

Before making your consultation appointment you should already be abreast of the surgeon’s credentials. Most surgeons will post their credentials on their web sites but deciphering the different information may be difficult. Surgeons will often pad their resumes with numerous things trying to hide the fact they do not posses the two most important qualifiers, board certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).

The first board, ABMS, is the umbrella organization that assists the 24 approved medical specialty boards, including the ABPS, with the development of standard, evaluations and certification of their surgeons. ABMS is recognized as the “gold standard” in physician certification.

In a way the ABPS is a sub-group of the ABMS. The most important credential your plastic surgeon MUST have is the board certification by the ABPS. This alone will answer many of the question stated above; training, education, proven results, and safety. Earning the certification of the ABPS assures the public that a surgeon has successfully completed an approved educational program and passed a very rigorous examination designed to assess the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to provide the highest quality of patient care in the specialty of plastic surgery.

The best way of determining if you surgeon possesses the training, education, experience and safety skills is to see if he/she is listed as a board certified plastic surgeon by the ABPS. To verify a surgeon’s board certification through ABMS and ABPS, following the link http://www.abms.org/searchdetail.asp?key=843543, or call 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267). To search for a physician online you will need to create an account using your email and creating a password.

Dr. Boynton wishes to provide with this information because as a member of both ABMS and ABPS he is aware of the importance of educating the public. The aesthetic surgery market has been attractive to all sorts of doctors including dermatologists and dentists. They may even claim “board certified” but it is vitally important you are aware of which board your plastic surgeon should have. For all those who have chosen Dr. Boynton as your plastic surgeon he thanks you and hopes you feel secure knowing he is board certified by the ABMS and ABPS.