Maui News–Dermatology

Is your cosmetic physician a truly a board-certified medical specialist or just claiming to be a qualified physician?

Board-certified cosmetic specialists recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) study for years to acquire the skills and training needed to excel competently as a cosmetic specialist. Certification requires completion of a multi-year residency or fellowship training programs in dermatology or plastic surgery.

In today’s market, consumers must be cautious. There are numerous non-certified specialists advertising aesthetic medical practices without the relevant formal education recognized by the ACGME. Many advertise themselves as aesthetic surgeons, cosmetic surgeons or even dermatologists, yet they will only be board-certified in pathology, emergency medicine, internal medicine or family practice. And while they may be competent in their own area of training, dermatology and plastic surgery require different residency programs. For patient safety and to provide the results patients expect and deserve physicians should complete the advanced training required to become a core specialist in plastic surgery or dermatology if they wish to practice in these fields.

Cutting corners to practice aesthetic medicine could also mean shortcutting in performing aesthetic procedures versus those who have invested years in training specifically for this specialty. Completing a core specialist residency program requires time and effort and should not be overlooked when selecting your aesthetic physician. Consumer safety confidence and the integrity of the specialty suffer when patients experience unsatisfactory results due to a lack of formal training.

Aesthetic physician services are not inexpensive and learning that your physician does not have the specialist additional training following poor results are two good reasons to search out a board certified cosmetic specialist to provide your aesthetic services. If your car needed a transmission repair, you wouldn’t go to a muffler specialist. Why accept less than what you expect and deserve? For more information on this please visit:

http://www.abms.org/About_Board_Certification/means.aspx
http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/newsRoom/newsRm_acGlance.asp
http://aloha-dermatology.com/aloha-dermatology-blog/?page_id=2

Dermatology requires a high degree of training and the mastery of many surgical and cosmetic skills. This additional education assures knowledge of and competence in performance of cryosurgery, dermatologic surgery (and lasers), anesthesia, electro-surgery, dermabrasion, scherotherapy, laser resurfacing, Mohs micrographic surgery, liposuction, chemical peels, tissue augmentation, hair transplantation, excisional surgery with appropriate closures including flaps and grafts and tissue augmentation. This is a brief summary of procedures that board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons are specifically trained to perform.

Be sure to check that the cosmetic specialist you are considering for your procedure is ACGME certified. Also, do not hesitate to ask for references. Board certification can be verified by calling the ACGME at 312-755-5000