Plastic Surgery Board Certification: ABPS vs. ABCOS – Key Differences

Make no mistake, these are two entirely different boards. In order to become certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, you must graduate from an accredited medical school, and complete at least five years of additional training as a resident surgeon in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This includes a minimum of five years of residency training in all areas of surgery, including at least two years devoted entirely to plastic surgery. Certification is a voluntary process a surgeon seeks after this training. To become certified, the doctor then must pass comprehensive written and oral exams. ABPS certified surgeons have also received specific training in:

• Congenital defects of the head and neck, including clefts of the lip and palate, and craniofacial surgery
• Neoplasms (abnormal new mass of tissue) of the head and neck, including the oropharynx and training in appropriate endoscopy
• Crania-maxillofacial trauma, including fractures of the mandible and maxilla
• Aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery of the head and neck, trunk and extremities
• Plastic surgery of the breast
• Surgery of the hand/upper extremities
• Plastic surgery of the lower extremities
• Plastic surgery of congenital and acquired defects of the trunk and genitalia
• Burn management, acute and reconstructive
• Microsurgical techniques applicable to plastic surgery
• Reconstruction by tissue transfer including flaps and grafts
• Surgery of benign and malignant lesions of the skin and soft tissues

Certification Requirements for the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery

The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery will allow doctors to apply for the following "areas" of certification:

• Body/breast & extremity cosmetic surgery
• Dermatologic cosmetic surgery
• Facial cosmetic surgery
• General cosmetic surgery

Candidates for the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery must meet the following requirements:

• Fill out an application
• State and prove valid hospital operating room privileges in current good standing. If the applicant does not have current hospital operating room privileges and performs all surgical procedures in his/her office facility, the facility must be currently accredited by JCAHO, AAAHC, AAASF, MEDICARE or a similar accrediting body approved by the state medical board having jurisdiction where the applicant performs surgery
• Submit four (4) letters of recommendation, including but not limited to letters from:

• the chairperson of his/her residency program or from the department chief of his/her current hospital facility

• his/her cosmetic surgery fellowship director, if applicable

• a diplomate of the ABCS, and

• any other practicing physician

• Submit proof of a current valid and unrestricted medical license in good standing in the jurisdiction where the applicant practices. Applicant must submit an explanation of any current or past disciplinary action by any state medical board
• Submit a current copy of his/her curriculum vitae, certified by applicant as being true and correct as of the date submitted
• Affirm under oath that he/she has no history of, nor has any actions currently pending regarding any felony, crimes, convictions, or substance abuse
• Furnish proof of a valid Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification at the time of application
• Submit proof of at least 300 Category 1 CME credits in cosmetic surgery
• Provide a Physician Profile, ordered by the applicant from the American Medical Association (AMA) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
• Submit two (2) current passport type photographs; and
• Successfully complete a written examination covering general knowledge of cosmetic surgical procedures. Applicant must successfully complete an oral examination in the area of cosmetic surgery certification sought.

Applicant Must Furnish Proof of Prior Certification By:

• One of the following boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists of the American Osteopathic Association (BOS), or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC):
  
  > Dermatology
  > General Surgery
  > Obstetrics and Gynecology
  > Ophthalmology with completion of an American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. (ASOPRS) approved Oculoplastic fellowship
  > Otolaryngology
  - - - or - - -
  > Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

• The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) with M.D. degree.

The Difference between Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons