What is the Difference Between a MD and DO FACS?

        There may not be a whole lot of difference.  Make sure that the doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of breast augmentations and revisions each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

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, MD vs. DO refers to the 2 tracks followed in the journey to a doctoral degree. MD is a medical doctorate. DO is doctorate of ostepathy (another school of medical thought based on treating the body as a whole). There are qualified board certified practitioners of both types. FACS is an additional certification open to all practitioners of surgery (not just plastic surgeons) and refers to the Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons.
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. I would recommend consulting with the Australian Plastic Surgery Society.

Thank you for posting your  questions. My name is Dr.Javier Soto.
MD and DO are different medical studies.MD means that is greaduated from the medical school and the DO from osteopathic school,both are good,but the most important is do a deep research of the surgeon specialized in the procedure that you want to perform ,it should and must be a Board Certificate Plastic Surgeon with enough reviews and experience,
Please keep giving us feedback of your process, and I hope my answer comes to help. 

Javier Soto, MD
International Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Cartagena, Colombia,p

Good day! DO means a different philosophy of medical study and FACS is an affiliation with American college of surgery. It is best to still find a surgeon that has EXTENSIVE experience on the procedure you want to get, number of years in the industry, good reviews and best facility to get the best results. #RealSelf100

MD is a degree from a medical school, DO from an osteopathic school. Training  is very similar at this time. I recommend you find a board certified plastic surgeon that does what you are looking for and you are comfortable with.

While the MD designation is the more typical designation for a plastic surgeon, I know of some excellent plastic surgeons who are DOs as well. One of the basic requirements for choosing a plastic surgeon is to ensure that he/she is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. It is best if the surgeon is a member of  American Society of Plastic Surgery and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

MD vs DO are different philosophies of medical education. Traditionally MD is what most people identify with but the DO's are fine as well.  If you are looking for a plastic surgeon they should be boarded by ABPS and a member of ASPS and/or ASAPS.  FACS refers to their affiliation as a Fellow of the American College of Surgery.

Assuming you choose a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon,  the distinction of M.D. versus D.O.  will not be significant.

Generally speaking,  it will be important for you to do your due diligence and the selection of plastic surgeon. I would suggest starting with the American Society of Plastic Surgery and/or the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery to obtain a list of well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons.

Then, I would suggest you visit a few surgeons whose practices  concentrate on aesthetic surgery. Ask  to see lots of examples of their work and preferably speak/see patients who have had similar procedures done.


 I hope this, and the attached link, helps.

An MD shows that the doc graduated from a medical school, a DO shows the he/she graduated from and osteopathic school. Although in older history some would have considered osteopathic schools to be somewhat cultish, nowadays the schools have pretty much identical curricula and DO's are usually accepted into many medical school residencies.

FACS means the doc is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the major organization of surgeons in the US. More important is that your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  

All the best.