What does it mean to be Board Certified?

Why is it important that your plastic surgeon be board certified? 
“Board Certification” signifies the highest achievement in clinical training and expertise. Board certification is a voluntary process for physicians.  It is an extra step that doctors can choose to take to demonstrate their knowledge in a specialty area.  Board certified physicians participate in a rigorous review & testing process that shows their commitment to the highest standards of care. 

What does it mean to be board certified in plastic & reconstructive surgery? 
The term “board certified” is typically associated w/ certification by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), there are other certifying bodies that have rightly been deemed equivalent to ABMS or AOA boards. These certifying bodies require successful completion of a postgraduate training program approved by the Accreditation Commission for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) & the AOA & the subsequent board certification by the ABMS or AOA in the subspecialty board.  

How does a plastic & reconstructive surgeon become “board certified”?
For a physician to legitimately & legally advertise board certification in plastic & reconstructive surgery the following must be completed: 

• Completion of ACGME Residency in PRS. 
• Successfully Pass Written Qualifying  Exam in basic science, clinical knowledge, skill & principles critical to the practice of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
• After Successfully passing the written exam the candidate must satisfactorily Pass the Clinical & Oral exam.  This consists of detailed documentation of 9 consecutive months of case logs which includes a rigorous review of every step of care from pre-op to the final office visit. These cases are reviewed by expert plastic surgeons & 5 cases are selected.  The candidate is required to provide HIPPA compliant information (pre-op documentation, photos, op reports, post-op photos, anesthesia reports, pathology reports, billing info & more⁣) & be prepared to defend/justify each step of care before a panel (typically 2 or more) board certified plastic surgeons. This is done in conjunction with the Oral Exam which consists of a variety of 10 "Unknown Cases”  from any part of plastic surgery.  

Finally, the board of plastic surgery then reviews the results & determines if a candidate can be awarded the title of Board Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon.