Plastic Surgery Medical Boards: What They Mean to You

Plastic Surgeon Comments (1)

Medical boards exist to make things better and safer for you, the patient.

Medical boards exist at the national, state, county and local levels. All 50 states can bestow – or cancel – a doctor’s medical license.

They can also discipline physicians who somehow get out of line or injure patients.

State medical boards even have the power of arrest in the most serious cases and can shut down the offices of an unsafe doctor who has many complaints.

Of course, you, being among the smartest of consumers, already know to stay away from fly-by-nighters, doctors who are under investigation and others likely to cause problems.

You just want to find the most qualified cosmetic surgeon you can. Medical boards can help there, too,

Just take a look at what goes on at the national level: a lot of investigating, checking and testing!

When a plastic surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the board checks on a number of things, including:

• The doctor’s M.D. - The board wants to make sure the doctor really graduated from an accredited institution.
• Surgical training after medical school - The applicant should have at least two years general surgery training and another three in plastic surgery. Many have seven to ten years extra training.
• Two years of cases – The board member goes through the records of many actual surgeries to see if anything different could – or should – have been done.
• The surgeon’s business practices and character - The board also scrutinizes everything about the way the doctor conducts business. They want to know that the surgeon has been totally above board.
• Testing - The applicant not only has to answer every question asked, he or she must also pass a comprehensive written test.

Then, it’s done all over again in another ten years to keep the certification.

You can find out more – as well as check on a doctor’s certification, if any – at the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

County and local medical boards don’t have as much power as state medical boards. Those organizations basically advocate for all physicians and medical students while offering guest lectures, some training and orientation.

admin @ August 31, 2009