Is Your Surgeon Board Certified?
It may seem like an obvious question, but many patients often forget to consider whether or not their surgeon is board certified. It is imperative to know this before considering surgery and to know that not all surgeons are board certified. Keep in mind, if your surgeon is board certified, you want to make sure it is within the specialty for which you are seeing them. For example, an ENT doctor may be board certified, but that does mean he can perform plastic surgery. So, you want to know what the specialty or sub-specialty is and make sure the certification is for what you are looking for.
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What Does It Mean To Be Board Certified, Is It Different From Being Licensed?
Yes. Every physician MUST be licensed to practice medicine. Medical boards in the US and other jurisdictions issue these licenses and have the authority to investigate, discipline the practitioner and regulate the practice of medicine within their state or territory.
In addition to be licensed, some physicians may be board certified in their specialty. For example, I am board certified in both General Surgery and Plastic Surgery. These boards are very different from the state boards that issue licenses. Every recognized medical specialty and many sub-specialties have established boards to examine the qualifications of the practitioner. Each specialty board determines the appropriate qualifications with examinations, competency demonstrations and training, to name a few, which show an acceptable minimum level of knowledge. If acceptable, that practitioner will then be awarded a certification to show they meet the qualifications.
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Is a Board Certified Surgeon Better Than One That Is Not Certified?
In my opinion, yes. Not being certified does not necessarily mean the surgeon lacks the skills, but knowing that your surgeon is certified can give you peace of mind knowing that they have a board certification behind them. Board certification demonstrates that the surgeon has met the requirements of a particular specialty or for that particular certification. To be certified involves successful completion of a specific amount of training and passing an exam. Some surgeons who are not certified may be just as skilled, however there is something to be said if the surgeon is unable to or has not applied for board certification.
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What Are My Certifications?
I am certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. For questions or more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Lift MD Aesthetics® by Dr. Garo Kassabian
436 N. Bedford Dr. Suite 301 Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
310-285-0400
Dr Garo Kassabian 