HOME / Board Certification
Board Certification
To practice medicine in the United States, doctors must be licensed by the states in which they work. They can choose and MD, medical doctor degree or a DO, doctor of osteopathy and generally this is considered equal in stature with modern post medical school training (residency) that will lead to certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties. However, being licensed (MD or DO) does not indicate whether a doctor is qualified to practice in a specific medical specialty, such as family medicine, radiology, plastic surgery, gynecology, otolaryngology, oral surgery, general surgery or dermatology, etc. A licensed physician may perform cosmetic procedures without being board-certified in plastic surgery. Just because a doctor is “board-certified” does not mean he or she is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
Many “cosmetic surgeons” say that they are board certified, but ONLY the American Board of Plastic Surgery oversees the training of plastic surgeons. Founded in 1931, all members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the ONLY one of the 24 boards approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties that certifies physicians in plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body. The American Board of Medical Specialties was created to protect patients by regulating the quality of medical education. The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons is furthermore an organization that specifically recognizes only board certified plastic surgeons who spend the majority of their practice doing the aesthetic (aka cosmetic) surgical procedures. We get it. This can be very confusing.
Beware of physicians who state they are board certified, double board certified, or even triple board certified who are not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is a very common red flag for those who would rather deceive you than tell you their true credentials. There is no Cosmetic Surgery Board that is approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties and thus their quality of medical education is not regulated appropriately and should be questioned! These so called “cosmetic surgeons” may be knowledgeable, they may be friendly, they may even have excellent skills, but ask yourself: If they are willing to cut corners in their education and practice deception upon their patients what else are they not telling you. Protect yourself as best as you can by researching these
To make sure your plastic surgeon is qualified, look for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons logo. You can verify that Dr. Adam Newman is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery by calling the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) at 1-866-275-2267 or visit ASPS online at www.plasticsurgery.org. You can check any physician to see if their credentials remain up to date by going to www.certificationmatters.org which is specifically run by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
