Healthcare Professional Listing Criteria

RealSelf is a platform where professionals can differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. To help our consumer community make smart choices, professionals must meet predefined levels of certification and training to participate on RealSelf.

All members of the professional community on RealSelf must:

• Maintain good standing

  Professionals must accurately represent their qualifications, credentials, memberships, and patient testimonials. To protect our community, we may deny participation, suspend activity, or entirely remove professionals should their standing with licensing agencies or boards change or have open complaints.
  
  

• Participate responsibly

  RealSelf offers trained professionals a unique opportunity to help consumers make informed decisions. Professional participation is strictly aligned with board certification, specialty, licensing, and training. It's not a place for providers to self-promote for commercial motivation unless authorized to do so by RealSelf.
  
  

• Meet medical verification requirements

  Medical and state licensing and board certifications are verified via relevant online resources. Additional verification may be requested from the HCP to determine eligibility.

Medical Verification Requirements

Listing criteria are verified on a country-by-country basis. The requirements include, but are not limited to:

Dermatologist | Dermatologic Surgeon | Plastic Surgeon |
Facial Plastic Surgeon | Otolaryngologist | Oculoplastic or Oculofacial Surgeon |
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon | Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) & Registered Nurse (RN) | Physician’s Assistants (PA-C)

Dermatologist

• Actively licensed MD or DO and board certified or US board-eligible in dermatology.

• Certification must be verified through the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) or American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology (AOBD) in the United States, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC - Dermatology) in Canada, General Medical Council-UK (GMC-UK Specialist Register - Dermatology) in the UK or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA Specialist Register - Dermatology) in Australia.
  
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Dermatologic Surgeon

• Actively licensed MD or DO and board certified or US board-eligible in dermatology and is a Fellow member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS).

• Board certification in dermatology verified through the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) or American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology (AOBD) in the United States, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC - Dermatology) in Canada, General Medical Council-UK (GMC-UK Specialist Register - Dermatology) in the UK.

• Membership as a Dermatologic Surgeon must be verified through the American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS) in the United States, the Canadian Society for Dermatologic Surgery (CSDS) in Canada, or the British Society for Dermatologic Surgeons (BSDS) in the UK.
  
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Plastic Surgeon

• Actively licensed MD or DO and board certified or US board-eligible in plastic surgery.

• Certification must be verified through the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) in the United States, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC - Plastic Surgery) in Canada, General Medical Council-UK (GMC-UK Specialist Register - Plastic Surgeon) in the UK or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA Specialist Register - Plastic Surgeon) in Australia.
  
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Facial Plastic Surgeon

• Actively licensed MD or DO and board certified or US board-eligible in facial plastic surgery.

• Certification must be verified through the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS), American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AOBOOHNS), European Board for Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (EBCFPRS), or International Board for Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (IBCFPRS).  (Note, board certification is required for IBCFPRS providers.)

• Fellowships completed and verified with American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) in the United States, or any other International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies (IFFPSS) fellowship may also qualify as a facial plastic surgeon upon approval.
  
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Otolaryngologist

• Actively licensed MD or DO and board certified or US board-eligible in head, neck, and throat surgery.

• Certification must be verified through the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS) or the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AOBOOHNS) in the United States, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC - Plastic Surgery) in Canada, General Medical Council-UK (GMC-UK Specialist Register - Otolaryngology) in the UK or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA Specialist Register - Otolaryngology) in Australia.
  
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Oculoplastic or Oculofacial Surgeon

• Actively licensed MD or DO and board certified or US board-eligible in ophthalmology and has also completed an ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship.

• Certification as an Ophthalmologist must be verified through the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) or the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AOBOO-HNS), Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC - Ophthalmology) in Canada, General Medical Council-UK (GMC-UK Specialist Register - Ophthalmology) in the UK or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA Specialist Register - Ophthalmology) in Australia.

• Fellowship in Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery must be verified through the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) in the United States, the Canadian Society of Oculoplastic Surgery (CSOPS) in Canada, the British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS) in the UK or The Australian and New Zealand Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons (ANZSOPS) in Australia and New Zealand.
  
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Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

• Actively licensed DMD and board certified or US board-eligible in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

• Certification must be verified through the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS).
  
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Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) & Registered Nurse (RN)

• Must have a Registered Nurse license from the National Council of State Board of Nursing, a higher level of education (Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at the minimum), and be certified and licensed by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the National Certification Corporation (NCC - WHNP-BC).

• Laws and requirements for individual practice vary state-by-state. For APRNs with an individual practice, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number is also required.
  
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Physician’s Assistants (PA-C)

• Must be certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. State licensing is necessary to practice and requires holding a graduate degree and national certification.
  
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RealSelf Healthcare Professional Listing Criteria may be updated or revised at any time, without notice, at the sole discretion of RealSelf.