

Mine did, and it was more than just an upsell. Don't freak out if your surgeon recommends liposuction, too. Doctors may also be members of other plastic surgery–related associations, academies, or societies, but these memberships should be secondary to ensuring they are ABPS-certified. In addition, some surgeons are also certified by the American Board of Surgery, making them dual board-certified. Many likely have gone through some training, and some may be very capable surgeons, but if they are not certified by the ABPS, they are not plastic surgeons. The doctor might be a dermatologist or gynecologist or a general practitioner, but since there is no nationally recognized cosmetic surgery medical board, any doctor could claim to be a cosmetic surgeon. Here's why this all matters: Legally, any licensed physician can offer "cosmetic" procedures. The ABMS recognizes only one plastic surgery board-the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Likewise, a doctor may claim to be "board-certified" by a board that isn't recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a recognized agency approving medical specialty boards since 1934.

First, while the terms are often used interchangeably, a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon are not the same thing. Finding a qualified plastic surgeon can be trickier than you'd think.
