My plastic surgeon is currently only board eligible. Cause for concern?

Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is important and prestigious because many steps must be completed. It is also confusing because there are other boards for cosmetic surgery which do not have the same stringent standards.I can personally attest to this:A board certified plastic surgeon typically completes a full 5 year general surgery residency then at least 2 years of Plastic Surgery fellowship.After this, they are considered Board Eligible, meaning they can apply to take first the written exam, which has a very low pass rate. Then, they can apply, submit surgical cases to take the oral portion. After passing all of these components, they would be board Certified. This usually takes time after entering practice so newer plastic surgeons may be only Board Eligible.Also- plastic surgeons must recertify every 10 years to maintain their Board Certification (I have done this twice already).Make sure they are Board Eligible for the American Board of Plastic Surgery to ensure they have had the proper training and credentialing.

Prior to becoming board certified a plastic surgeon must pass written and oral board examinations by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. You can wait on your surgery or find a board certified surgeon with existing experience. Board certified surgeons generally have more experience than board eligible.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

There are numerous practitioners of cosmetic surgery. However, only a select few are board certified by their national board of plastic surgery.
According to the ABPS, "the American Board of Plastic Surgery aims to produce safe, ethical plastic surgeons with an extensive knowledge of the entire spectrum of plastic surgery, who are able to represent our specialty in the highest standards. All patients seeking plastic surgery procedures should do their homework before choosing their surgeon. Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is a qualification not easily obtained, which demonstrates a high level of training and education, necessary for optimal results and patient satisfaction."
More specifically...board certification ensures completion of a rigorous training program of at least 6 years (with at least 3 years of dedicated plastic surgery training. Board certified surgeons have also completed written and oral examinations to determine competency and participate in a continuing medical education programs as a prerequisite of maintaining certification. With regards to your specific question, board eligible physicians are commonly just younger and have not had the opportunity to sit for their final exams. While they are not technically certified, board eligibility does speak to the level of training they have undergone. Certification, at this point is simply a function of time (assuming your surgeon successfully completes the final oral examination).Ultimately, certification ensures a measure of certainty when comparing surgeons. You can be assured that your board certified plastic surgeon has seen and treated it all before and is uniquely qualified to manage you pre-operatively, intra-operatively, and most importantly post-operatively.