7. The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)

Organized in June of 1937, the ABPS quickly received the status of a major specialty board in May 1941 when the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association approved its status.

However, this organization is especially important because the only mission of this group is to promote safe and ethical plastic surgery to the general public. Therefore, any and all surgeons certified by the ABPS must meet or exceed very stringent requirements.

The best feature of this organization though is its dedication to patients. For example, the board is charged with the following 3 important tasks:

  1. Allowing patients access to the information regarding the certification process and what surgeons are actually board certified.
  2. Educating both patients and doctors about the importance of board certification, and
  3. To foster plans to monitor the quality of cosmetic surgery care.


As a surgeon, this is a top pick as far as certifications go and as a patient, this should be the first place to verify your future surgeon certification.

For more information visit: The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)

Read more: full article on all Board Certifying Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Organizations & Societies