Plastic Surgery Articles

Through the efforts of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the importance of Board Certification has become public knowledge, but what does it really mean?

Certification is Only as Good as the Certifying Board

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the gold standard of Certifying Boards. The ABMS was establish in 1933 on the principle that higher standards are the foundation for better care. It is the recognized leader in the certification of physician specialists in the United States and oversees all 24 core medical specialty boards.

In 1941, the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) was approved as an ABMS Member Board. This is the only ABMS Board exclusively dedicated to the practice of Plastic Surgery. While other boards have been established outside the regulation and oversight of the ABMS that may sound the same, members are not held to the same standards of training, experience and outcomes.

What Does Board Certification Mean?

Board Certification is voluntary, expensive and time consuming. When you see a Plastic Surgeon who is Board Certified, it means they are willing and able to make the extra effort to prove to their peers that they are qualified to practice Plastic Surgery safely and effectively. Plastic Surgery residency are very competitive, and completing a residency is only one first step in the process of becoming a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

A Personal Note

Rather than outline all the requirements for Board Certification, I will illustrate the path with my journey to my dream job. The process for me began in High School. By my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to be a Physician. I spoke to any doctor I could find about what they liked and disliked about medicine

At the University of California, Davis, I completed my Medical School prerequisites, and a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Computer Engineering. From there four more years at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, and a year of Surgical Internship at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento, CA.

A minimum of three years of general surgery training are required before entering plastic surgery training. I did five so that I could complete Board Certification with the American Board of Surgery.

Most plastic surgery training programs now comprise two years of additional training exclusively in Plastic Surgery. I completed a Plastic Surgery Fellowship at the oldest Plastic Training program west of the Mississippi, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, CA. It was one of the few remaining three year programs, and the extra year was well worth it.

Knowing where I was going with my education provided a tremendous advantage. In college I was volunteering in the hospital. In medical school I was hanging out with the Plastic Surgeons. During my general surgery residency I was already cross training, operating with the Plastic Surgeons and doing research in Plastic Surgery. So by the time I got to my Plastic Surgery training, I had a clear idea of what was expected. Physicians who train in a separate discipline and later decide to do Plastic Surgery, with out the benefit of a Plastic Surgery Residency, do not have the same preparation or training.

The Certifying Exams

After completing an education that was a long as attending college four times, I was finally able to sit for the Written Board Qualifying Examination. The exam is given once a year, and can only be taken after the completion of training. Passing the exam qualified me for the following year’s Oral Board Certification Examination. To sit for this exam, I had to submit the cases I had completed since training. All were reviewed and several were chosen for review during the examination. Two thirds of the oral exam is based on cases brought by the examiners, but one third is based on my own private practice. This gives the Board insight into if I am a safe and proficient Plastic Surgeon after my training.

If I had completed my Plastic Surgery Board Certification before 1995, that would be the end of the story. Since then, however, in an effort to be certain that Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are keeping up with the advancements in medicine, Maintenance of Certification has become the new standard. Each year there are additional requirements that must be met, and every ten years I submit case logs (a listing of the cases I have preformed), reapplying for Certification and take a written examination.

Be Certain to Check Out Your Plastic Surgeon

Board Certification means your Plastic Surgeon has met similar criteria. If your plastic surgeon is a member of the ASPS or ASAPS, they are Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. It is necessary for membership. It is also easy to independently verify board certification online on the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the ABMS web sites. It is also a good idea to check your doctors medical license status with your state medical board.

Contact San Francisco Plastic Surgeon Joseph A. Mele, III M.D. Today to setup a consultation

Written by: Joseph Mele M.D.