|
How does a doctor become Board
Certified?
By choosing a plastic surgeon who is certified by The American Board of
Plastic Surgery, Inc., you can be assured that the doctor has graduated
from an accredited medical school and has completed at least five years
of additional training as a resident surgeon. This includes a minimum
three-year residency in an accredited general surgery program and a
minimum two-year residency in plastic surgery. To become certified, the
doctor then must successfully complete comprehensive written and oral
exams. *Board Certification is a voluntary process.
Why is The American Board of
Plastic Surgery, Inc. different from other plastic surgery (or cosmetic
surgery) Boards?
ABPS is one of the 24 specialty boards recognized by the American Board
of Medical Specialties (ABMS). It is the only ABMS Board which
certifies in the full spectrum of the entire specialty of plastic
surgery.
What is the difference between
membership in a society, association, academy and being a Diplomate of
ABPS?
The ABPS Diplomate is a certified physician who has met the
requirements outlined above. The mission of The American Board of
Plastic Surgery, Inc. is to promote safe, ethical, efficacious plastic
surgery to the public by maintaining high standards for the examination
and certification of plastic surgeons as specialists and sub
specialists. Societies are professional associations. The
specific society, association or academy should be contacted for
specific membership requirements and mission.
Define accreditation and
certification, and licensure.
Licensure is designed as minimum standard necessary to practice
medicine. It is a public function, administered by the states,
the standards are established through a public process and all actions
taken - both in granting a license and in restricting or withdrawing a
license - are matters of public record. Licensure is not specialty
specific and permits an individual to provide to the public any medical
or surgical service he/she desires.
Certification by a specialty Board attests to 1) completion of a
prescribed set of education and training requirements in a specialty of
medicine beyond the minimum requirements for licensure, and 2) passage
of examination that test the fund of knowledge in that specialty. Most
specialties now also require periodic recertification, which generally
requires completion of specified continuing education and successful
completion of a further examination testing the fund of knowledge in
that specialty. Many health care organizations and health plans now
require certification in order to provide services in the relevant
specialty area. Board-certified
physicians govern specialty Boards in that specialty.
Accreditation is awarded to licensed physicians who have conducted
their professional activities in accordance with standards set to
define quality in professional practice. These standards include
ethical behavior; absence of disciplinary actions by hospitals,
licensing agencies, or financing programs; participation in peer
review; participation in clinical self-assessment; operation of a safe,
patient-centered practice that meets criteria for quality; and
participation in measurement of clinical performance and patient care
results, including patient satisfaction. Accreditation is not specialty
specific. Accreditation reports include information on the physician's
license status and specialty board certification. The American Medical
Accreditation Program can be contacted for further information.
|
