The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc.



Choosing to have plastic surgery is an important decision, and so is selecting a plastic surgeon. You want a surgeon with the skill and training to help achieve your goals. Competency in plastic surgery requires a special combination of medical knowledge, surgical judgment, technical expertise, ethics, and interpersonal skills in order to achieve satisfactory patient relationships and problem resolution.

Good credentials can’t guarantee a successful outcome; however, they can significantly increase the likelihood of it. Patients are advised to seek a physician who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. (ABPS). The American Board of Plastic Surgery is one of only 24 accredited specialty boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Surgeons who meet the requirements of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and are granted board certification are known as diplomates of The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only board that certifies a surgeon in plastic surgery of the face and of the entire body.

The prestige associated with recognition from the American Board of Medical Specialties exists for two primary reasons:
  • The American Board of Medical Specialties is expressly designed to provide public protection through quality control in medical education.


  • Only through recognition by the American Board of Medical Specialties can a specialty board (such as the ABPS) gain full access to resources of the entire spectrum of graduate medical education. The resources include such entities as the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Resident Matching Program, and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
The intent of the certification process, as defined by the member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties, is: To provide assurance that a certified medical specialist has successfully completed an approved educational program and an evaluation including an examination process designed to assess the knowledge, experience and skill requisite to the provision of high quality patient care in that specialty.

Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is "the gold standard" for plastic surgeons because it signifies that the surgeon has had formal training in an accredited plastic surgery residency program. If your surgeon is ABPS-certified, you can be assured that your doctor:
  • Has completed at least five years of surgical residency training after medical school, including at least two years in plastic surgery


  • Has passed comprehensive cosmetic and reconstructive surgery exams


  • Is qualified to perform cosmetic and reconstructive procedures
(Excerpted from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website)