Why are non-board certified plastic surgeons even allowed to practice?

[canadianmoobs123]

If they haven't demonstrated they are competent enough to pass the board-certification test, why even let them practice? They don't have the right credentials to perform plastic surgery.

[Litlriki]

In the US, you need to complete medical school, do a year of internship, and pass boards to get your license, and afterwards, you can practice medicine.  As a provider, you determine your scope of practice, and most physicians prefer to get additional training to provide them with expertise in a certain area of medicine.  But that's not necessary to practice everywhere.  Rules and regulations vary from state to state, and it is up to the patient to find qualified physicians to provide their care in the desired field.  Few laws regulate what is posted on the "shingle" in front of a doctor's office, which is why medical specialty groups attempt to educate "consumers" to look for board certification.

Rick Silverman

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

When I completed medical school and one year of internship, I was granted a license to practice "Medicine and Surgery."  That meant that I could go out and legally perform neurosurgery, open heart surgery or anything else -- but I would have to take the consequences if I failed to perform adequately.

Most physicians recognize the need for additional specialty training and that is why we take residency training in particular specialties.  And sometimes that training can be quite lengthy, as in plastic surgery, neurosurgery, heart surgery, orthopedics, etc.  In fact, once one completes a residency, one can practice that specialty and call himself a specialist. 

It takes one more step to become board certified.  One must not only complete the residency training, one must also successfully complete very rigorous written and oral exams in order to become a "board certified" specialist.  There are some doctors who complete their residencies who, for one reason or another, either elect not to take their board examinations or simply cannot pass them due to nerves, stress, etc.  (Yes, these exams are exceedingly stressful).  Nevertheless, these doctors are fully trained and indeed may perform surgery quite well.  The term "board certified" is the icing on the cake -- and serves to let the consumer know that the surgeon has fulfilled every possible hurdle to practice his specialty at the highest level possible.

Thus, non board-certified surgeons should be allowed to practice.

My concern is that some docs use their board certified status in one specialty to attract patients in another specialty.  Prime example is a board certified dermatologist who advertises that he does plastic surgery and is board certified -- but he doesn't mention that he is not board certified in plastic surgery.

Dr Jacobs