Plano Cosmetic Surgeon
Plano Cosmetic Surgeons: Which Certifications Matter?
There are dozens of Plano cosmetic surgeons who will offer to perform work on your body. But how do you know your doctor is a true plastic surgeon with the utmost in experience, training and talent? Begin by asking your doctor: “Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons?” If the answer is anything other than an unequivocal, “yes,” then you should think twice about trusting your body with this doctor. Here’s why:
The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only certification related to cosmetic surgery that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The ABMS is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the 24 approved medical specialties and sets the high standards that board-certified physicians must meet. It is the “gold standard” in physician certification.
To be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, your plastic surgeon must:
- Graduate from an accredited medical school
- Complete at least five additional years of training as a resident surgeon
- Complete at least two years of resident training devoted to just plastic surgery
- Pass a comprehensive written examination covering all of plastic surgery
- Submit nine months of his or her surgeries to the board for review. That means every surgery performed over that nine month period is reported and submitted for scrutiny
- Pass a rigorous three-day oral examination
Fulfilling these requirements signifies that a doctor is a true plastic surgery specialist. A surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery has been trained and tested at the highest levels. And to maintain certification, your plastic surgeon needs to re-test every ten years.
There are a number of other boards and societies meant to sound like the American Board of Plastic Surgery. None of these are approved by the ABMS and they don’t require completion of a plastic surgery residency program. These boards will often certify a doctor who has taken only weekend courses and online training. Many of these doctors trained in unrelated specialties like internal medicine or radiology and took up cosmetic surgery due to decreased insurance reimbursements in their original field. That means a cosmetic surgeon who isn’t certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery may have no prior experience other than some weekend courses on plastic surgery.
A board-certified plastic surgeon will have a clear record of excellence, dedication and formal training in cosmetic surgery. For example, Dr. Robert Schwartz, earned his American Board of Plastic Surgery certification after graduating from Yale University and the UCLA School of Medicine. He completed a full general surgery residency Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles where he served as chief resident. He then completed the plastic surgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas – widely regarded as the top program in the country. Dr. Schwartz’s impeccable training and board-certification as a plastic surgeon clearly identify him as an experienced cosmetic surgery specialist and a doctor you can trust.
Schedule a consultation with a certified plastic surgeon – call Dr. Schwartz at (888)-800-8300.
