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Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed?

asked 1 year ago by Torrance3162
Latest answer by Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Question viewed 963 times
Tags: female, board certification, comparison, risk

Is it safe to use someone who is not Board Certified for a face lift and what is your opinion of using the Lifestyle Lift procedure?

29 answers to Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed?

+5

Board Certified vs Licensed; Lifestyle Lift, Redoing LifeStyle Lifts

"Licensed" means the doctor has a medical license, which every single practicing doctor in the country has.  Board certified in plastic surgery is tough to get.  You have to be an actual surgeon.  You have to train in plastic surgery.  You have to pass tough examinations by an AMA sanctioned entity, the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  "Cosmetic surgeon" "Aesthetic surgeon" are wastebasket terms that anybody can use,... more
Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

+2

Board certification vs. license.

Surgeons who are board certified in Facial Plastic or Plastic Surgery have gone through rigorous training in plastic surgery and have taken an exam to become certified. You want to trust your face to an EXPERIENCED plastic or facial plastic surgeon to get the best result possible. Look for excellent results and talk to the surgeon's patients!
Toby Mayer, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

+4

Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are so much more that just "licensed"

All practicing doctors, whatever field they may be in, are "licensed" to practice medicine.  So this tells you nothing about them and does nothing to separate out where you want to go for surgery ON YOUR FACE!  The LS Lift is a heavily marketed branded procedure done usually by surgeons who are not Board Certified in Plastic Surgery. It is essentially a mini facelift and has a notably poor patient satisfaction rate when you look at the reviews posted on line and on... more
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+2

Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed?

I have a drivers license. but I am not a professional race car driver who has dedicated his life, energy, education, personal time to becoming the best at what I do, knowing that one wrong turn can mean the difference between victory and a fireball of a crash. is that too dramatic? there is no substitute for an expert (board certified plastic surgeon or board certified facial plastic surgeon). Interestingly, Lifestyle sent me a solicitation form letter offering me a position as one... more
Rafael C. Cabrera, MD

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon
+2

Facelift and Board Certification

When deciding on who to have your Facelift with, choose a locally respected Surgeon who is Board Certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS), or American Board of Plastic Surgery. Make sure that it is Surgeon you like, whose office staff treats you respectfully, and who has an excellent local reputation.  Ask if your Facelift will be performed in an accredited surgical facility (AAAASF, AAAHC, JCAHO, or ACHA are the only names you need to know)... more
Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

+1

Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed

Being Board Certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery is the standard for finding a fully trained plastic surgeon that performs plastic surgery on both the face and body. Unfortunately, in the United States any licensed MD can perform any type of procedure they desire if they are licensed in that specific state. Plastic surgery has become the “buyer beware specialty” so choose your surgeon wisely. Finding a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who is a member of the... more
Rod J. Rohrich, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Licensed versus board certified

Every graduate of a medical school who passes Part II of the National Boards is eligible to receive a medical license. The license makes the holder eligible to practice "medicine and surgery". It doesn't make him or her qualified or trained to do either. Board certification in plastic surgery comes after lengthy residencies (in my case, general surgery followed by plastic surgery), a written board examination and a two-day, oral examination involving case... more
Robert L. Kraft, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Importance of Certification by a Recognized Board of Plastic Surgery namely The American Board of Plastic Surgery can not be und

It is extremely important to have your Plastic surgery by a Plastic Surgeon who is certified by American Board of Plastic Surgery. Licensed doctor is anyone who has a basic licenese to practice general medicine, and such doctor will certainly lack any specialized skills that are acquired only through very vigorous training. I believe that all plastic surgeries including Facelift surgery should be sought in an individual personalized manner rather than in a Franchized setting.... more
Vasdev Rai, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board certified vs just licensed

Board certification is by one entity with a set standard issued to qualifying physicians nation wide, while licensing laws differ from state to state  It is important to make sure that a board certified facial plastic surgeon is performing your facelift.  Look for someone who is in private practice who has an excellent track record and review many of their before and after photo galleries from that specific surgeon’s patients.  It is also important to make sure there is... more
William Portuese, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

+1

Difference between Board Certified and just License

There is not a board certification just for a facial procedure. Usually a board certified plastic surgeon or a board certified Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist with a facial Plastic Surgery Fellowship are qualified to do these procedures.
S. Ozan Sozer, MD

El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com

+1

Board Certified vs Just Licensed

All physicians practicing medicine are supposed to be licensed. A board certified physician is a doctor who has l specialty training and and has passed rigorous testing in a specific area of medicine; that testing is administered by an approved  certifying board.  Here in our state you can call the Medical Board of California in Sacramento to determine if certifying board is recognized.
Richard W. Fleming, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Non-board certified for facelift

You only have one face.  There are plenty of surgeons in your area certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).  My advice is to see one or more of them, and choose an ABPS certified surgeon for your procedure.  Lifestyle Lift is a procedure trademarked by a company that is NOT a licensed physician or surgeon, NOT subject to State of California Business and Professions Code (including provisions for ethical advertising), and although the company contracts with... more
Steve Laverson, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

feelbeautiful.com

+1

Lifestyle Lift

Okay, okay. I have had a jillion questions about the “Lifestyle Lift” in the past few weeks and here is another one . All I can figure is that they are doing some sort of marketing blitz. I don’t watch T.V. so I am a little out of the loop. I am not one of those anti T.V. snobs. It’s just between work, the kids, this blog, my guitar practice, my reading, my working out, my sort of decent social life and my all time favorite thing (sleeping), I don’t have the... more
Lisa L. Sowder, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board Certification and LifeStyle Lift,Life Style lift

Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is just one important criteria in ascertaining your plastic surgeon's qualifications. You should also see if he/she has unrestricted priveleges to do that procedure in a major hospital. On your consultation visit, you should feel comfortable with the plastic surgeon and if his/her photographs look weird in any way, go elsewhere.
Edward J. Domanskis, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Face Lift, Mini Face Lift, The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift, Beverly Hills Face Lift

Wow, no disrespect intended but there's some mis-information in answers here regarding your specific question.  I will try and give you a fair and balanced answer to what you have asked without unfairly promoting any one organization (of which I am a member of more than 1). Licensed just means the MD, any MD has a medical license even though he/she may not have specific training in any of the following recognized areas of Aesthetic Medicine:  Board certified means, the MD,... more
Francis R. Palmer, III, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board certification v. licensed

For a physician (or any other health provider such as physical therapists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, massage therapists, etc.) to practice they must be licensed by the state.  Licensing is based on successfully completing education and training programs specific to that individual.  For example, for a physician to be licensed one must obtain a college degree, receive a medical degree from a recognized medical school, be certified by the National Board of Medical... more
Mark Loury, MD

Fort Collins Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board certified surgeons and the Lifestyle Lift

1. To have a medical license in most states, a doctor needs to have graduated from an accredited medical school and completed just 2 years of residency training,  but not necessarily have actually finished his or her residency training. Once licensed, a doctor can perform any type of medicine or surgery that a hospital or office will allow, so a doctor can perform cosmetic surgery with very little real training. 2. Board Certification means that a physician has completed an... more
Steven Goldman, MD

Cleveland Plastic Surgeon

www.drgoldman.com

+1

Board Certification

I would advise you to never use anyone for a facelift who is not Board Certified. You need to go one step further, however. Not all “boards” are the same. There are many “boards” out there to trap the unaware. It costs $5 at the state Attorney General’s office to set up a board and start issuing “board certification.” Some have stringent criteria for certification, but many do not. One way to know is to pick only a surgeon who is certified by a Board... more
Robert T. Buchanan, MD

Highlands Plastic Surgeon
+1

Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed?

Board-certification is the least you should expect of your aesthetic practitioner. I would not see anyone who is not board-certified in plastic surgery, or ENT with a subspecialty in facial plastic. Beyond that you must search out people who are experienced and compassionate, who have good judgement, and for whom you can uncover good reviews. Try to speak with someone who works in the medical field. Regarding the Lifestyle Lift, you can absolutely ignore all newly introduced... more
Eric Pugash, MD

Vancouver Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board Certification versus Medical License

As mentioned previously, anyone who has graduated from medical school and successfully completed an internship and passed the licensing exam can obtain a state medical license. This is not specialty-specific. Board certification is a process whereby a physician undergoes review of their training, surgical experience, and has to pass a rigorous written and oral examination. When it comes to facial plastic surgical procedures, the most relevant board certifications are those by the American... more
Gregory J. Vipond, MD

Pasadena Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed?

Majority of surgeons who perform this surgery are board certified in one field or another and they all think they do a good job, but board certification is not a guarantee of a good result. Fortunately for the cosmetic surgery patients, there is a way to find a good surgeon by looking at as many before and after photos as possible and if you thought most of them look good, then the possibility of good result is high. Talking to patients who have had a successful outcome also helps. more
Mohsen Tavoussi, MD, DO

Huntington Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Do not go to surgeon who is not board certified

I do not recommend having procedures performed by physicians who are not board certified in that specialty.  So, for example, I would not go to someone board certified in internal medicine for a surgical procedure.  Aesthetic surgery is no different from any other type of medicine, except that a lot of people who are not board certified in these procedures seem to feel free to perform.  You would not go to a liver surgeon for brain surgery, so why would you go to a physician... more
Tracy Pfeifer, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Your results after a LifeStyle-Lift may fall short of your expectations.

Interestingly, the LifeStyle Lift company has successfully branded a facelift operation for providing great results regardless of the expertise and credentials of the surgeon performing the operation. In my opinion, the LifeStyle Lift TV commercials are misleading especially in their depiction of before and after photos. You would be best served by consulting several board-certified facial plastic surgeons to see what could be achieved with well-performed facelift surgery. Credentials,... more
Eric M. Joseph, MD

West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board Certified vs. State Licensed

All Board Certified doctors need to be Licensed by the State in which they practice. The state does this one year after medical school after completing an internship and passing and exam. This is before any specialty training happens. For complete details on what it takes to be a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, click on "more" and then the grey link below this answer. It will take you to an article with references on how to check you doctor's credentials. In brief, I... more
Joseph Mele, MD

Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon
+1

Difference between board certified and licensed M.D.s

Any physician who finishes medical school and passes the National Board of Medical Examiners test (NBME) can be licensed by a state he or she decides to practice in. Board certification means, that after you finish medical school, you continue into a residency medical program, either a surgical or medical field. All plastic surgeons in this country succesfully completed a general surgery (5 years), otolaryngology (4-5 years), orthopedic surgery (5 years), urology (5years)... more
George Marosan, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon
+1

Complex turf battle question.

Bottom line, yes your facelift surgeon should be board certified.  There are a number of boards whose diplomates offer facelifts to the public.  This includes General Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology.  However, the California Medical Board has opined that it is difficult to conclude that surgeons finishing any of these residencies without further training are qualified to offer facelifts and other cosmetic services.  I... more
Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

I agree

We have seen several patients trying to get fixed after going to have a LL-nothing I can and want to touch-it's horrible what these marketing companies are promising unsuspecting patients.  Anyone with a license can practice medicine, however, there are limitations to their experience and motivation, ie $$$   If you want a life-style lift, you may as well budget right now to have someone fix your problems later-good luck finding that person
Edward J. Bednar, MD

Charlotte Plastic Surgeon
+1

Difference Between Board Certified and Just Licensed?

You are the man Dr RAND! I could not have stated this any better. Be careful out there. Ask for the qualifications in DETAIL. Which board are you certified with? Be exacting. What hospitals can you operate at? If a PS can not operate at a "good" local hospital than I would be worried. Call the states' dept or board of medicine to ask about the doctor. And finally call the ASPS: American Society of Plastic Surgeons & Plastic Surgery Foundation 847-228-9900 - 444 E.... more
Darryl J. Blinski, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Board Certified vs. License

Anyone who has completed medical school and an internship can get a license to practice medicine and perform surgery.  Board Certification requires prolonged training, followed by oral and written examinations. To have cosmetic surgery by someone that is not board certified would not be your best choice.  My experience with lifestyle lifts is that the results are not long lasting and have to be redone more quickly than a standard Facelift.
Jonathan Saunders, MD

Newark Plastic Surgeon

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