What does "fellow" mean on a American boards of cosmetic surgery diploma?

A fellow is a member of the board or college which means he/she meets the boards criteria to become a member and remain a member in good standing.Anyone can form a board and admit fellows but here is where you the patient needs to become educated. The ABMS is the sanctioning body for over 24 medical specialities. These boards require their members complete a certified residency training program and pass the requisite board examination in that specialty. All ABMS boards fulfill these requirements. If you see a physician is board certified by an ABMS specialty, you know this doctor has satisfied the requirement of a board examination followed by a residency. So a board certified plastic surgeon who is a member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery has completed a certified residency and passed the rigid board exam. These are real plastic surgeons.physicians who are fellows of the American Board of Cosmetic surgery have not necessarily completed a plastic surgery residency and passed a board examination. It is not an ABMS sanctioned specialty. Gynecologists, dermatologists, oral surgeons, family practitioners, and general doctors can meet criteria to become a fellow of cosmetic surgery. They may have taken a few training courses in cosmetic surgery but have not completed the real plastic surgery residencies nor passed the ABMS sanctioned plastic surgery board Make sure your surgeon is a member of a board you are comfortable with. ABMS recognized surgeons who are members of the AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY are the only ones who completed residency in plastic surgery and passed the examination.

The multitude of alphabet
soup organizations and boards is very confusing for patients. The American
Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery
(ABCS) sound nearly the same, but there are vast differences. The American
Board of Plastic Surgery is a real nationally recognized board, while the
American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is a self proclaimed group of individuals who wanted to try to
legitimize their entry into the field of cosmetic surgery without necessarily having the required
legitimate credentials (actual completion of formal supervised plastic surgery
training and board certification). In my opinion and that of most plastic surgeons, they have specifically chosen that name
for a marketing benefit based on deception.

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) oversees
24 medical specialty boards in the United States
and is considered the gold standard of physician certification in the United States.
While the naming of the boards seems similar, there is only one official
plastic surgery board that is accepted in the U.S. and recognized by the ABMS as
the standard for plastic surgery - and that is the American Board of Plastic
Surgery.
The designation as a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery is
reserved for surgeons that have completed a lengthy surgical residency training
in plastic surgery, and then passed both the official extensive written and
oral examinations under the strict rules of the ABMS organization. It is the
highest standard available in the U.S. for plastic surgeons. Members
of the American Board of Plastic Surgery are listed on both the ABPS’ and ABMS’
websites.

The ABCS and several
other so-called boards with similar sounding names are not recognized by the
ABMS. ABCS is a self-designated
"board" that "certifies" physicians of various specialties
who wish to perform cosmetic surgery procedures--doctors who may have minimal
if any true surgical training (and often only via weekend "courses”). They
accept and credential physicians who do not necessarily have residency training
in plastic surgery including general surgeons,
emergency medicine doctors, family practitioners dermatologists,
obstetric-gynecologists and others who can take their "certification"
exam...without ever having undergone a single day of plastic surgery residency
training. In
some cases they have no formal surgery residency training at all.

Furthermore, there are no cosmetic surgery certifications that
are recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists, nor is there any “board”, organization or academy that has
the word “cosmetic” in it that is recognized by the ABMS. In addition the
Medical Board of California formally rejected the ABCS’ application and request
to be recognized as having legitimate board status. That rejection was legally upheld. Robert Singer, MD  FACSLa Jolla, California

Best advice is to be sure your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.