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A physician advertising as Board Certified in Cosmetic Surgery can have any background training, as there is no recognized Board Certification in Cosmetic Surgery. Only fully trained and board certified Plastic Surgeons have received a comprehensive education in all aspects of Plastic as well as Cosmetic Surgery.

Look for the concentric ring logo of the American Board of Plastic Surgery which can only be displayed by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons.

ASPRS

What is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?

Plastic Surgery became its´ own specialty of surgery following the first world war, when specialized surgical training was required to treat some of the war injuries seen. Plastic Surgeons are among the most highly trained of all surgeons. The specialty of Plastic Surgery encompasses the fields of:

As the demand and popularity of plastic surgery has increased over the last several years, and insurance companies have made it more difficult to practice medicine, many physicians have left their chosen field of expertise to become self-proclaimed cosmetic surgeons. Sacramento now has eye doctors performing laser skin care, oral surgeons doing breast augmentations, and emergency room physicians taking out full page ads and billboards promoting liposuction. Because of laxity in our advertising laws, physicians are allowed to advertise as board certified, without stating by which board they are certified, or can claim board certification in a non-recognized board.

Following four to five years of undergraduate training and four years of medical school, most Plastic Surgeons acquire their initial surgical skill in a General Surgery Residency of approximately five years. This is then followed by a two-to- three year residency in the specialty of Plastic Surgery. Two years of Plastic Surgical practice after residency is then required, with surgical experience in the various fields of Plastic Surgery, prior to one becoming eligible for their Plastic Surgical Boards.

Dr. Zimmerman received his Board Certification in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 1993. He then went on to obtain a special certificate of added qualification in Hand Surgery in 1994 (the highest certificate offered in hand surgery).

Part one of the Plastic Surgical Boards exam consists of a full day written exam. Those who pass the written exam are then eligible to sit for the two-day oral examination. Board Certification in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery certifies that the surgeon has not only completed a full accredited residency training in Plastic Surgery, but has also demonstrated the book knowledge and surgical skills necessary to be considered fully competent in the field of Plastic Surgery.

As a general rule, the title Facial Plastic Surgeon signifies residency training in Ear Nose and Throat (ENT). A physician advertising as Board Certified in Cosmetic Surgery can have any background training, as there is no recognized Board Certification in Cosmetic Surgery. Only fully trained and board certified Plastic Surgeons have received a comprehensive education in all aspects of Plastic as well as Cosmetic Surgery. Remember to look for the concentric ring logo of the American Board of Plastic Surgery which can only be displayed by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons.