What is the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Jack P. Gunter, MD
Question viewed 513 times
Tags: board certification, credentials, qualifications, training
a lot of doctors on realself are saying to go to a plastic surgeon nwho has a certification from the american board of plastic surgery. excuse the ignorence but what the heck does this mean? does this mean the doctor has passed a special test? once a doctor has the american board of plastic surgery qualification, how would i know for sure??
6 answers to What is the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
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The American Board of Plastic Surgery
I won't re-state what the other doctors have so well said but will simply add that in order to be certified by the ABPS a surgeon has to have had rigorous training for several years by an accredited residency training program and have passed detailed and stressful written and oral exams.
Anybody can call themselves "plastic surgeons" or "cosmetic surgeons" and the law allows this even to the detriment of public safety. However, the ABPS label should give you...
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+3
American Board of Plastic Surgery
What an excellent question. So many doctors say they are "board certified' but what does this truly mean? To become board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery requires the following steps.
First, you must have completed a residency in plastic surgery that has been approved by the board of approved residency programs. I completed a 6 year program at Georgetown University Hospital.
Following graduation the physician must complete a written examination. During...
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Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon
+2
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Not all “Plastic Surgeons” are qualified to perform plastic surgery. The American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) was formed in 1933 to serve in the public trust to certify and recognize a large group of physicians (specialists) who limited their practice of medicine or surgery to a certain area of the body, giving the specifics of what a physician had to do to become a member of that group. When a group wanted to become a “specialist” in organized medicine they...
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Jack P. Gunter, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1
Plastic Surgery Board Certification: A simple explanation.
Patients often have a difficult time understanding this abstract concept so I often use and an analogy. When you buy an electrical product, how do you know it is safe? Well commonly in the USA there is a lab called Underwriter's Lab that tests products and places it's stamp of approval on it called the UL seal. In Europe this is called the CE mark. When a surgeon brings a piece of equpment to the hospital, the engineers look for the UL seal of approval. It is a sign of electrical...
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Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1
The American Board of Plastic Surgery Certification is the ONLY way to be certain your surgeon is properly trained!
Hi there-
In short, certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery means the following:
1. That the surgeon in question successfully completed an accredited Plastic Surgery Residency Program. This means they trained for YEARS under the supervision of other Board Certified Plastic Surgeons.
2. That the surgeon successfully passed a comprehensive written examination of their plastic surgery knowledge.
3. That the surgeon then successfully passed a multiple day long ORAL...
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+1
Meaning of Board Certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
To REALLY understand what "Board Certification" really means and clear through the confusion I would urge all reader to go to the comprehensive link posted below.
In brief, to raise the quality of American Medicine The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) was founded in 1933. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its various boards, including the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), became THE pre-eminent entity overseeing the certification of ALL...
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