Check and re-check!

In my area there is a general surgeon who tells his patients that he trained in plastic surgery and is board certified. He is board certified. He is certified in general surgery. Is he lying? No. He just didn't answer the question completely. He never did a plastic surgery residency. He never did a plastic surgery fellowship. He did take some weekend courses in Plastic Surgery. New Jersey law does not say you have to be a plastic surgeon to do liposuction. He takes patients seen in the NJ office to his "facility in Pennsylvania." Why? Is it really to save dollars on the NJ Cosmetic Tax? Is it really just because his "facility" is there? New Jersey laws state that in order to do liposuction in the office you have to have local hospital privileges. He does not have these. Many of these patients leave his office thinking he is a plastic surgeon. I have been told, "he told me he was certified." The american board of cosmetic surgery is not the same as the american board of plastic surgery. There is only one plastic surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Does this mean he is not qualified to do Smartlipo? I cannot answer that. Perhaps he does a great job. Perhaps none of his patients ever could have a complication. He does not live locally, he lives in Pennsylvania. I have been called to the local ER to take care of patients who are having complications for doctors who simply do not have privileges at the hospital for procedures they are doing. So, how do should you pick a surgeon? Be careful. Do your homework. Find out what they are certified in. Think about it: where do OBGYN's learn to do liposuction? Where do general surgeons learn to do liposuction? Where did the local ER doc doing liposuction learn how to do it? I guess she learned how to do it somewhere.....