Board Certified Explained
—Zuri Plastic Surgery Miami—

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With Board Certifications from the American Board of Surgery, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery, plastic surgeon Dr. Alexander Zuriarrain has the backing of four of medicine's most respected organizations. Board certifications are a way for patients to feel confident in a surgeon's capabilities, and for surgeons to be held accountable for maintaining the highest standards of quality in their work.

Walking the Walk

Not every Miami plastic surgeon is quadruple board-certified like Dr. Zuriarrain. In fact, it is rare to find a triple board-certified or double board-certified plastic surgeon.

Board certification is a way for surgeons to demonstrate their competency to their patients and to their peers by going above and beyond the minimum approvals to practice medicine. It requires dedication, study, and skill, and it is by no means a sure thing.

Quadruple Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Miami

Board Certified: What Does It Mean?

Most “Boards” are nonprofit organizations dedicated to maintaining the integrity of their fields of specialty. When a surgeon or doctor is “board-certified”, that means that physician has passed that organization's criteria for certification - in effect, that the organization trusts that doctor to operate under their seal of approval. These approval processes differ by the organization, but usually include a written and oral examination component as well as certain education and training benchmarks.

Quadruple board-certified Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Z, means he has been certified by four different boards—The American Board of Surgery, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and the American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery. Understanding what it takes to be certified by each of these organizations can help you make better choices on which surgeon you trust with your body and your look.

American Board of Surgery

The American Board of Surgery has been certifying surgeons for general surgery since 1937. These surgeons, known as “diplomates,” go through rigorous testing and education programs to prove their worthiness to receive this designation. These requirements include:

Training

All surgeons must graduate from an accredited medical school in either the United States or Canada, or receive certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates before being considered. They must also complete five (5) years of training in an approved residency program following graduation, where they must gain extensive operating experience and expand their knowledge of health and disease management.

Application and Examination

Following residency, surgeons can apply for certification. If approved initially, they can proceed to the exam phase. All applicants must also have current U.S. or Canadian medical licenses before beginning their exams.

Surgeons must pass both a written qualifying exam and an oral exam. These Qualifying and Certifying exams are extensive and test the surgeons' practical knowledge as well as their ability to diagnose and treat a litany of surgical issues and potential complications. If they pass both exams, they are deemed “board-certified” and may call themselves diplomates.

In addition to these initial training and certification requirements, The ABS mandates that all surgeons undergo “continuous certification” - a program with ongoing requirements for testing and continuing education programs that surgeons must pass to keep their certifications.

American Board of Plastic Surgery

The American Board of Plastic Surgery has issued over 9,000 certifications since 1937, meaning that just over 100 surgeons a year are accepted as diplomates of this prestigious organization. To become an ABPS diplomate, surgeons must meet the following requirements:

Training

All surgeons must graduate from an accredited medical school in either the United States or Canada, or receive certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates before being considered. They must also complete five (5) years of training in an approved residency program following graduation, where they must gain extensive operating experience and expand their knowledge of health and disease management.

Application and Examination

Following residency, surgeons can apply for certification. If approved initially, they can proceed to the exam phase. All applicants must also have current U.S. or Canadian medical licenses before beginning their exams.

Surgeons must pass both a written qualifying exam and an oral exam. These Qualifying and Certifying exams are extensive and test the surgeons' practical knowledge as well as their ability to diagnose and treat a litany of surgical issues and potential complications. If they pass both exams, they are deemed “board-certified” and may call themselves diplomates.

In addition to these initial training and certification requirements, The ABS mandates that all surgeons undergo “continuous certification” - a program with ongoing requirements for testing and continuing education programs that surgeons must pass to keep their certifications.

American Board of Cosmetic Surgery

The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) has been committed for over 40 years to the speciality of cosmetic surgery and ensuring access to safe cosmetic care.

Training

After medical school, surgeons must complete five years in their residency program to receive certification and complete a AACS Certified Fellowship cosmetic surgery for one to two years.

Application and Examination

Surgeons must first complete residency before applying for certification. Once approved, they can take the exam. All applicants must also have current U.S. or Canadian medical licenses before beginning their exams.

The ABCS Annual Certifying Examination involves an oral and written exam. The exams are extensive and test the surgeon’s practical knowledge, as well as their ability to diagnose and treat a variety of surgical issues and potential complications. Surgeons must pass both exams to be deemed “board-certified.”

American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery

Our surgeons must go above and beyond to receive the specialty training to become a facial cosmetic surgeon. Doctors desiring to become a cosmetic surgeon must pursue private cosmetic training and only those surgeons who are uniquely qualified to meet the rigorous benchmarks of our training are awarded certifications.

Training

After residency and fellowship training, there is an additional one-year with the American Academy of Cosmetic surgery that offers an intensive post-fellowship to mentor with a surgeon in a private practice.

Application and Examination

Surgeons under a rigorous oral and written exam to demonstrate their expertise and best practices in facial cosmetic care. Surgeons must pass both exams to be deemed “board-certified.”

How to Find Out if Your Surgeon is Board Certified

The ABS, ABPS, ABCS, and the ABFC have verification sections on their websites to help patients verify whether or not their surgeon truly is still board certified.

Dr. Zuriarrain encourages you to verify his current board certification status by clicking on these links: American Board of Surgery. American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery. By following those links you have the ability to search for him by name.

Board certification gives patients peace of mind. By choosing Dr. Z for your procedure, you can rest easy knowing that your surgeon is quadruple board-certified and up to date on the latest continuing education requirements of multiple professional organizations.

Quadruple Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon in Miami, Dr. Z

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