Doctors' Board Certification
What is it? What is the Importance?
The terms "board certification" or "board certified" have been much bandied about recently. The death of Kanye West's 58-year-old mother has naturally focused on the qualifications of her surgeon. As the media dissected the doctor's resume, it was reported that although he practiced the specialty of plastic surgery, he was "not board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery".
Not all lay people understand "board certification". Does a doctor being "board certified" – or not - impact on their medical care? How important is it?
Succinctly, a doctor who is "board certified", whether he be a plastic surgeon, pediatrician, internist or radiologist, has met the standard of the medical profession to be able to hold himself to the profession and the public as a specialist. The credential is awarded after successfully completing an approved residency of anywhere from two to six years, and subsequently passing a series of oral and written exams. Some specialties, including plastic surgery, require specific practice experience before one can take the exams. Think of this as the medical educational system's version of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, awarded by fellow specialists.
The concept of long, supervised training, demonstrated actual in-practice experience and passing tests is laudable. No other occupation or profession demands such an exhaustive and rigid requirement for formal recognition. This is the medical profession's and specialties' way of saying: "Our student, the product of our highly-structured educational (book learning) and training (hands-on, practical) program is deemed fit to practice this specialty. He has met our standards which have been designed to protect the patient."
Some doctors may choose to not take the exam; some flunk it. They still have a license to practice and obviously their knowledge, skill and talents are there to be employed. However, many hospitals will not grant staff privileges to those not certified and one has little chance of being accepted as a teacher by any of the medical schools without such a diploma.
Should all this matter to you, the patient? Frankly, it should. Because when one voluntarily expends time and energy to pass the exam and then can proudly say to you, his patient, that he has met the standards of his profession and his specialty, doesn't that does say something about his desire for excellence and dedication? That, of his own volition, he studied hard and did "pass" every test presented along that interminable, laborious route of medical education and training.
Voluntarily taking the ultimate, final test for certification as a bonafide specialist does say a lot about a person and his character. About individual tenacity, diligence and focus; about going the extra mile. All to benefit the patient.
That is why I appreciate and respect the concept of board certification. Hence I prefer to have board certified doctors as consultants for my patients, my family and myself.
Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: cosmetic surgery, board certification, medicine, wellness
The terms "board certification" or "board certified" have been much bandied about recently. The death of Kanye West's 58-year-old mother has naturally focused on the qualifications of her surgeon. As the media dissected the doctor's resume, it was reported that although he practiced the specialty of plastic surgery, he was "not board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery".
Not all lay people understand "board certification". Does a doctor being "board certified" – or not - impact on their medical care? How important is it?
Succinctly, a doctor who is "board certified", whether he be a plastic surgeon, pediatrician, internist or radiologist, has met the standard of the medical profession to be able to hold himself to the profession and the public as a specialist. The credential is awarded after successfully completing an approved residency of anywhere from two to six years, and subsequently passing a series of oral and written exams. Some specialties, including plastic surgery, require specific practice experience before one can take the exams. Think of this as the medical educational system's version of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, awarded by fellow specialists.
The concept of long, supervised training, demonstrated actual in-practice experience and passing tests is laudable. No other occupation or profession demands such an exhaustive and rigid requirement for formal recognition. This is the medical profession's and specialties' way of saying: "Our student, the product of our highly-structured educational (book learning) and training (hands-on, practical) program is deemed fit to practice this specialty. He has met our standards which have been designed to protect the patient."
Some doctors may choose to not take the exam; some flunk it. They still have a license to practice and obviously their knowledge, skill and talents are there to be employed. However, many hospitals will not grant staff privileges to those not certified and one has little chance of being accepted as a teacher by any of the medical schools without such a diploma.
Should all this matter to you, the patient? Frankly, it should. Because when one voluntarily expends time and energy to pass the exam and then can proudly say to you, his patient, that he has met the standards of his profession and his specialty, doesn't that does say something about his desire for excellence and dedication? That, of his own volition, he studied hard and did "pass" every test presented along that interminable, laborious route of medical education and training.
Voluntarily taking the ultimate, final test for certification as a bonafide specialist does say a lot about a person and his character. About individual tenacity, diligence and focus; about going the extra mile. All to benefit the patient.
That is why I appreciate and respect the concept of board certification. Hence I prefer to have board certified doctors as consultants for my patients, my family and myself.
Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: cosmetic surgery, board certification, medicine, wellness
2 Comments:
This is an important article on board certification. With all due respect, it does omit the portion of ASPS board certification that in my opinion,is most valuable to the patient. The ethics and standards that are a requirement for it's members. They may not advertise price (which cheapens our profession). They may not "give away" surgery as a promotion. These are just a few standards which have helped keep ASPS physicians an elite group. I only work with ASPS members domestically. I'm an independent patient consultant. www.AngelaSegal.COM
For many cosmetic surgical procedures, it is imperative that you select an ASPS board certified plastic surgeon. For any form of body work, this is certainly the case. One should only have a tummy tuck, breast reduction enhancement or lift, liposuction, etc. done by a board certied plastic surgeon. But readers should know that board certified Otolaryngologists (head and neck surgeons) also have completed a minimum of 5 years of post-graduate surgical training and may have dedicated their practices to a subspecialty of cosmetic surgery restricted to the head and neck. In the long run, it gets down to the training, experience, expertise and that artistic eye of the surgeon you choose. Although I used a board certified plastic surgeon, I thought it important to clarify this issue.
Lois W. Stern
Author of SEX, LIES AND COSMETIC SURGERY
http://wwwsexliesandcosmeticsurgery.com
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