Home: Boards of Certification: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: Eligibility

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Please click here for application and eligibility changes, effective January 1, 2007.

To be eligible for certification in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, through the Board of Certification in Surgery (BCS) the applicant must:

1. Submit a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery application form with required application-processing fee, two (2) passport-size photographs, taken within the last 90 days, and a notarized signature.



2. Be in conformity with the Code of Ethics of the American Board of Physician Specialties, be known in his/her community as an ethical member of the profession, and be an active specialist in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.



3. Be a graduate of a recognized college of medicine confirmed by a copy of an allopathic/osteopathic degree or a letter of verification from the institution where the degree was earned.  In the case of foreign medical schools, an English translation of the document is also required.  Graduates of foreign medical schools must also include a copy of the ECFMG Certificate or Fifth Pathway.



4. Hold a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States or its territories and submit copies.  License(s) must include date of expiration.



5. Submit a current curriculum vitae which includes medical school experiences and degrees earned in chronological order.



6. Be a staff member in good standing of a hospital or surgery center.  Staff privileges must be verified from the administrator of each hospital or surgery center where privileges are held.



7. Have completed three (3) successive years in a General Surgery residency (AOA or ACGME approved).   OR  Completed a residency in Otolaryngology, Orthopedic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology,  Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Urology, Thoracic Surgery, or Colorectal Surgery   (AOA or ACGME approved).  AND



8. Have completed a general Plastic Surgery residency (AOA or ACGME approved).




The ABPS now accepts all residencies accepted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). ABPS therefore now accepts all residencies approved by ACGME, AOA, or RCPSC. It should be noted that the ABPS accepts ALL medical residencies approved by the RCPSC, including approved residencies outside Canada.

9. Submit a copy of a completed Plastic Surgery residency certificate and letter of verification from the residency director.



10. Submit a copy of a completed residency certificate from pre-Plastic Surgery training and letter of verification from the residency director (see 7a).



11. Submit three (3) additional letters of recommendation from Diplomates of an ABPS, AOA or ABMS-recognized board of certification.  Letters of recommendation must be current (dated no more than one year prior to the date the application is received by the ABPS) and on letterhead stationery, which includes a telephone number.  Letters submitted on plain paper, with no address or contact number are not acceptable.  The BCPRS requires original letters; copies are not acceptable.  The BCPRS recommends that these letters be sent to the applicant to be included with the other application documents.



12. Submit a documented report of twenty (20) cases for which the physician has the lead management role.



13. Payment of appropriate fees.  To view the fee schedule, click here.

To have an application considered by the BCS Credentials Committee, all application documents must be compiled in a notebook.  The BCS recommends that the applicant keep a copy of all application documents submitted to the ABPS.

Case Report Requirements

The applicant must submit four (4) separately compiled copies of twenty (20) case reports in the following format: 

1. Case reports must be typewritten. Photocopies of typewritten case reports are acceptable.



2. Case reports must be double-spaced on standard 8.5" x 11" white paper.



3. Case reports must be in a hard, report style binder, or a three-ringed notebook.



4. Applicant must sign each case report.



5. An index shall be placed at the front of the reports indicating the type of case (diagnosis) and the page number on which the case can be found. To view sample index and verification form, click here.



6. Confirmation of the validity of the reports by hospital administrator, medical records director, or whoever performs such duties at the facility. This must be on official letterhead verifying that you were the physician treating the patient in each case on the date stated. If the applicant's cases reflect work at more than one institution, then separate letters must be submitted verifying the cases from each institution. This validation must be notarized and signed. (Refer to sample index/verification form.)



7. Case reports shall contain the following information:
   



1. For patient #, list the same number as the case number (Refer to sample index and verification form.)



2. Date of admission and date of discharge



3. Admitting diagnosis



4. Final diagnosis



5. Complaint



6. History



7. Physical and laboratory findings



8. Pre and postoperative photographs



9. Summarization of the important facts regarding the case acts as the most essential part of the case report and must describe the case in such a manner as to convey to the Credentials Committee the vital facts regarding the diagnosis, care, end results obtained, etc.

Case reports must be carefully prepared, as they are subjected to detailed scrutiny.  Case reports should be accurate, well written, diversified, and properly descriptive. The BCS Credentials Committee reserves the right to seek additional details for any case it deems necessary. If they are not submitted in the format described, they will be returned to the applicant, resulting in an incomplete file.