Hi there-
Start with the basics... If you were looking for a good lawyer, architect, OR plastic surgeon, you would want to know where they went to school, right? A medical school's reputation will not always mean that their graduates are good doctors, and there are great physicians and surgeons from lesser known medical schools, but the better schools do usually get the best students.
Find out where they trained. Not all plastic surgery training programs are equal either- generally (but again, not always) the best universities will also have good medical schools and these excellent schools usually have good training programs in most specialties.
They should be certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is probably the most important criterion of all- there are many surgeons who's ads and websites say "board certified", but they don't specify by whom... if they are not certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, they are not Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, period. Certification by this particular Board means that your surgeon completed a multiple year long training program in plastic surgery (not ophthalmology, gynecology, or some other specialty), during which he or she was supervised in the care of many patients by other certified plastic surgeons before being allowed to take a grueling written and oral examination of their education, training, and judgement.
Membership in The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and in The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons also means that they have had good training and are Board Certified members of the plastic surgery community in good standing. The latter also indicates that they perform a certain number or aesthetic cases per year (again indicating a higher level of competency).
Find out what their level of experience is with the particular procedures you are interested in- there are many fine plastic surgeons, but most of us have procedures with which we are more comfortable with than others. It's just like anything else... you are going to be good at things you have done many times in the past. Ask to see photos of their past patients, and if possible, ask to speak to a past patient or two. Seeing photos and talking with former patients will be very helpful in understanding not only what you can expect with regard to your surgical result, but also in understanding the experience others have had with the doctor and his/her staff.
I hope this helps you- congratulations on taking the first steps toward the body you want!
