Certification needs an important word in front…BOARD!

The word Certification is derived from the Latin certificare which means to attest or reliably endorse, it is used when a course of study is completed. In plastic, aesthetic, or  Birmingham cosmetic surgery, certification is important. The same holds true for any physician who is offering NON-INVASIVE COSMETIC PROCEDURES such as injectable fillers, neurotoxins such as Botox and Xeomin, and other services where there is an associated risk of complications. Certification means that someone is stating that the physician completed a level of training, this someone deems appropriate to perform that procedure. Does this mean this practitioner is really qualified to competently perform this and obtain safe consistent, good results?  Certification needs an important word in front…BOARD! Let’s look at an example:

an anesthesiologist is looking to increase revenue due to financial losses he/she is suffering under the current status of the healthcare industry. The anesthesiologist has decided to open a storefront wellness center and start offering injectable and Botox injections to the public. HE/she has completed a 2-hour visit by a nurse instructor and sales representative, from the company that manufactures and distributes these agents. After this session, a certification was given to this physician who now offers the services stating he/she is “CERTIFIED” in these procedures.

If this sounds safe to you, let’s look at this further. An anesthesiologist has no core training ( which means a certified residency program)in cosmetic or aesthetic procedures of the face or body. They have no training or appreciation of facial anatomy, the various levels of the facial tissues, nerves, muscles. They have no training in which they develop an appreciation of facial or body aesthetics. They have never operated on the face or body nor have an innate knowledge of anatomy, especially when it concerns injecting these tissue levels. A nurse and/or sales representative cannot provide this level of training in a 2-hour session. Even when this is supplemented by online modules, NOTHING SUBSTITUTES WHAT IS LEARNED FROM YEARS OF INTENSIVE TRAINING IN A CERTIFIED CORE RESIDENCY PROGRAM!!!!!

I have taken these certification courses by these nurses and sales representatives along with the online modules. The difference between me, an anesthesiologist, obstetrician, or family practitioner is I completed a residency in plastic surgery and am BOARD CERTIFIED. The critical word is BOARD. What does this mean? It means this practitioner has completed the essential core training in his/her field and has completed the certification process through rigorous examinations by the board. A board-certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is sanctioned as a legitimate medical specialty and physicians certified by these boards are competent to practice within what their board has certified them in, NOT OUTSIDE THESE PARAMETERS! So board-certified plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, ENT, Maxillofacial surgeons, and dermatologists have ABMS board certification to practice facial procedures especially injectable fillers and neurotoxins.  A word about the word fellowship. A fellowship is additional training that supplements the core residency training a physician has completed. A physician stating they are fellowship-trained in cosmetic surgery needs to have completed an ABMS board certification process in a residency that encompasses plastic surgery of the face and/or body. Gynecologists, general surgeons, or others stating they are fellowship-trained in cosmetic surgery did not complete the core training where they mastered the basics of plastic surgery. While an anesthesiologist or obstetrician is ABMS board-certified, they are only certified by their boars to practice within the scope of what they were trained and certified in! You would not want a dermatologist to place you under general anesthesia nor would you want a plastic surgeon to perform a C-section on you! The same is true for physicians, not core-trained in cosmetic or aesthetic procedures to perform them.

Certification alone can be a dangerous thing when it comes to noninvasive cosmetic procedures in Birmingham. The word BOARD needs to accompany certification. Of equal importance is which board! Make sure that the physician has the necessary core training to perform by visiting the AMERICAN BOARD OF MEDICAL SPECIALTIES.

Michael S. Beckenstein, M.D. is a board-certified Alabama plastic surgeon who offers invasive and non-invasive cosmetic surgery of the face. His board certification in plastic surgery assures you that he has completed the core training in plastic surgery making him competent in this field. Dr. Beckenstein has also completed fellowships in facial aesthetic surgery which supplemented his core plastic surgery training which increases his knowledge and proficiency in facial cosmetic surgery.

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