How Do I Know if my Doctor is Board Certified?

The American Board of Medical Specialties, (ABMS), is the established umbrella organization for recognized boards.  Under this is the American Board of Plastic Surgery, (ABPS).  Diplomates of the ABPS have done at least 5 years of surgical training, including cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in an accredited university based setting.  This is followed by rigorous testing.  The doctor will be listed on the board's website, you can also call them and they will be happy to assist you.  The link has the websites and numbers.

Also check if the doctor has privileges to do this procedure in a hospital.  Ask what hospital he/she is on staff on in case you need to be admitted quickly.

There are multiple legitimate boards offered by the american society of medical boards. For a liposuction procedure, look for the certification of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. There are multiple weekend and mail order certifications which can be deceiving. If a plastic surgeon is certified by the ABPS, they have completed the necessary training and have passed two sets of examinations, including evaluation of their own cases. Remember that this is your body and liposuction can cause permanent deformities which are very hard to reverse. I would recommend seeking a second opinion for liposuction by a board certified plastic surgeon. I hope this helps. Dr. Trussler

Being board certified means that in the specific field the doctor has not only had specialty training, but also passed an examination or ongoing examinations testing his competence. The best way to verify a doctor’s board certification is by checking board association websites like American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), You will get the most current information from this resource.
You will find out if your doctor is listed there and which board he is a member of.
Most doctors offer also plaques hanging in their offices   but do not rely only by that