Plastic Surgery Articles

James H. Carraway, M.D., FACS
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Board certification has been an important issue in the specialty of plastic surgery as well as other specialties for a long time. It became important about 50 years ago when organized medicine in general was attempting to improve medical care across the board in this country. As a young plastic surgeon in training, I knew that my endpoint in terms of making official all of my training was board certification. I became board certified in surgery in 1972 and board certified in plastic surgery in 1974. This allowed me to be a “member” of the official group of plastic surgeons who had been well trained and who could communicate with other members of the specialty on many levels to constantly improve my skills and knowledge.

From the consumer point of view, there has been an extensive campaign to educate them on the importance of board certification. Some states have enacted laws that prevent practitioners from stating that they are a plastic surgeon unless they have board certification in that area. Doctors who are not qualified but who call themselves plastic surgeons are a common problem, not only in this country but around the world. By a countrywide educational campaign, it is possible to have consumers think along these lines and always ask a doctor if they are board certified in their specialty. This lets the consumer set the criteria for care, because if the practitioner is not board certified, he or she can then decide to have surgery done by them anyway. However, most sophisticated consumers realize that this board certification signifies a certain level of knowledge and skill and acceptance by their colleagues.

Board certification also allows the participating individuals to communicate among fellow specialists easily. For example, if I send a consultation request for a particular problem I’m having with a patient to the two best doctors in the country, they know immediately that I’m a board certified colleague and they are always happy to respond. I have used this approach many times as others have with me and my expertise. Finally, specialties that are board certified tend to set their standards very high and have educationally meetings which are beyond “general” meetings and which offer a lot to the participating doctors. Being board certified in this specialty and a member of the society allows you to get a lot of the newer information faster and just keeps you as part of the global working team of excellent physicians.

Written by: James Carraway MD