Dr. Hankins and I take ER call at Sunrise Hospital, providing traumatic reconstructive needs to patients from across Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and California. We’ve seen some interesting things over the years, but this particular case was especially distressing.
The bottom line is that we as plastic surgeons have undergone rigorous training, passed multiple exams, and spent 5-6 years working 80-120 hour weeks during our residencies to have the knowledge and skill to do what we do. We haven’t just taken a weekend course, and decided that we have the right and privilege to operate on patients. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there on just what is Board Certification, and what is a Plastic Surgeon. Two questions that you can ask your surgeon to help decipher this are:
1. What are you Board Certified in, and is this sanctioned by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)?
2. What specialty did you do your residency in?
If the answers don’t make sense or if it sounds like the doctor is sidestepping your questions, I gently suggest looking elsewhere for your surgical procedure (by the way, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is not sanctioned by the ABMS). Both Dr. Hankins and I (Dr. Sohn) are Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and are Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. So please, do your research before undergoing surgery, your health and safety may depend on it!
– Samuel M. Sohn, MD
Dr. Hankins and I take ER call at Sunrise Hospital, providing traumatic reconstructive needs to patients from across Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and California. We’ve seen some interesting things over the years, but this particular case was especially distressing. You can read the article at:
http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?s=10829826&clienttype=printable
The bottom line is that we as plastic surgeons have undergone rigorous training, passed multiple exams, and spent 5-6 years working 80-120 hour weeks during our residencies to have the knowledge and skill to do what we do. We haven’t just taken a weekend course, and decided that we have the right and privilege to operate on patients. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there on just what is Board Certification, and what is a Plastic Surgeon. Two questions that you can ask your surgeon to help decipher this are:
1. What are you Board Certified in, and is this sanctioned by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)?
2. What specialty did you do your residency in?
If the answers don’t make sense or if it sounds like the doctor is sidestepping your questions, I gently suggest looking elsewhere for your surgical procedure (by the way, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is not sanctioned by the ABMS). So please, do your research before undergoing surgery, your life may depend on it!
-Samuel M. Sohn, MD