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There is a very important distinction between a plastic surgeon and a “cosmetic surgeon”. Plastic surgery is a medical specialty that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org), while “cosmetic surgery” is not. The ABMS is the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org). A plastic surgeon has a complete residency in reconstructive and aesthetic technique at one of 88 plastic surgery programs in teaching hospitals across the country. There is no “cosmetic surgery” residency program recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (www.acgme.org) be aware that anyone can call himself or herself a “cosmetic surgeon”.
Why would someone operating on patients choose to be a “cosmetic surgeon” instead of getting the medical training necessary to be a board certified plastic surgeon? More than likely, they couldn’t get in to the residency program or are too lazy to pass the rigorous testing involved. These are not traits most people seek in their surgeon.
Of course, “cosmetic surgeons” tend to charge less than plastic surgeons. Keep that in mind if you are price shopping for a surgeon.
Hello,
My heart goes out to you. When I read your story I feel absolute outrage towards the medical community. "Doctors" like this should not be practicing medicine or performing surgery.
I read "The Emperor Needs New Clothes", as well as the supporting documents on which the blog was based. They were very interesting.
Please continue to post your story on as many doctor review web sites as possible. Until we, as a country, demand more legislation over the medical community, this is a way for prospective patients to find out about other patients' experiences. Hopefully your story will reach some of his prospective patients.
Thank you for your story.
There is a very important distinction between a plastic surgeon and a “cosmetic surgeon”. Plastic surgery is a medical specialty that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org), while “cosmetic surgery” is not. The ABMS is the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org). A plastic surgeon has a complete residency in reconstructive and aesthetic technique at one of 88 plastic surgery programs in teaching hospitals across the country. There is no “cosmetic surgery” residency program recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (www.acgme.org) be aware that anyone can call himself or herself a “cosmetic surgeon”.
Why would someone operating on patients choose to be a “cosmetic surgeon” instead of getting the medical training necessary to be a board certified plastic surgeon? More than likely, they couldn’t get in to the residency program or are too lazy to pass the rigorous testing involved. These are not traits most people seek in their surgeon.
Of course, “cosmetic surgeons” tend to charge less than plastic surgeons. Keep that in mind if you are price shopping for a surgeon.
I can tell you from my experience of a "cosmetic surgeon", (board certified only by a "academy" and "college" D.O. Dermatologist), TO AVOID and he is DR. ERIC S. SEIGER OF THE SKIN AND VEIN CENTERS IN MICHIGAN.
WARNING AVOID AVOID AVOID!
sorry about the typos ... psychological - universally (corrected) ... and I thought you were from california.. I was in a hurry when I typed- again my apologies clear lake plastic surgeon... have a nice day ...
Hello clear lake plastic surgeon. I was the victim of a highly unfavorable aesthetic outcome following a SMAS rhytidectomy procedure performed by a fully qualified board certified plastic surgeon. Unfortunately I will have to live with the outcome and the psychlogical misery attributed to it. I can appreciate your posting's warning to prospective cosmetic plastic surgery patients but I think you should be directing your complaint to the Califronia State Medical Board and the regulations regarding your comment or better yet to the ABMS. The cosmetic plastic surgery industry is filled with so many regulation deficiancies that one hardly knows where to begin when addressing them. In addition, according to a major plastic surgery organization, the majority of the 88 plastic surgery residency programs you refered to in your complaint are extremely inadequate when it comes to the neccessary training that resident doctors need to become confident/competant cosmetic plastic surgeons ( please google: The Emperor Needs New Cloths- wellsphere). Residency training teaches a resident doctor very basic cosmetic surgery skills and until a fellowship is completed (advised but not required) is a plastic surgeon fully qualified to perform cosmetic surgery procedures. I am sure you are aware of this and should have made mention of it in your complaint. The alphabet of cosmetic surgery boards and associations that represent/ lobby for the industry at the State Medical Board level are in large part responsible for the problems/under-regulation that riddle your industry and ultimately compromise the patient's welfare. Look at all the complaints here on this complaints board, the majority of which, if not all, are leveled against board certified plastic surgeons. The electiveness of cosmetic surgery interventions serve doctors very well, especially when it comes to doctor liability/malpractice . There is no univesally accepted tool in which to grade aesthetic outcomes following a cosmetic surgery procedure which leaves many people like myself with little or no recourse when seeking a revision surgery, if at all possible, or monetary damages for our obvious facial/body distress. Have a good day.