Center Cosmetic Surgery

What exactly does it mean when a plastic surgeon is "board certified"?

I just read on TMZ.com that Dr. Rey of "Dr.90210" is not board certified, yet here he is on this show being profiled as if he is the best in the business. Quite confusing. This means someone could be butchered by Dr. Rey and then later blamed for not checking him out. One naturally assumes that because he is on a show, he must be at the top of his game.

Public Comments

1. Board certified means they are certified by the state in their respective area.
2. He/she has passed or surpassed all the requirements of training set by the state that he/she practices in. He/she is Board Certified.
3. Board certified means they took a certification test. It's a test given by a board (in this case, some sort of Plastic Surgery board) to test his level of knowledge. You can be a doctor without being board certified. For him to be a practicing doctor, that means he passed his schooling and got his license. People take board certifications for many reasons, but it doesn't always mean you're a better doctor. There are great doctors who never got board certified, and there are docs with board certifications that are AWFUL and I wouldn't trust to see my worst enemy.
4. Doctors in training take a series of exams before they are finally licensed doctors. The first one is in medical school; the final one is at the end of internship--you are now a licensed physician. Then after residency you can take your "boards" in the specialty you just did your residency in; but it is not required--all that is required to practice medicine is a license. That's why you have to be an informed consumer & not believe everything you see & hear on TV!
5. Board certification is a rigorous testing process that is completely voluntary. Doctors are given extensive written tests, and plastic surgeons must submit a list of cases to be reviewed, and pass an oral examination. It isn't cheap, either: https://www.abplsurg.org/documents/2007_Fee_Schedule.pdf Just because the guy's on TV doesn't make him a good doctor. On the few shows I've seen, the TV plastic surgeons do too much surgery in one sitting. The patients are at increased risk for blood clots and other complications. A good showman does not necessarily equate with a good doctor. I would not go to any surgeon that wasn't Board Certified (or in the examination process - it takes years). I would wonder why they weren't.