Dr. Joseph A. Mele is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery
How can you choose a well qualified Plastic Surgeon? Well at a minimum, they should be a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Also known as Board Certified, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon has completed a fully accredited training program in Plastic Surgery, and they are tested yearly on their maintenance of skills.
What is Board Certification?
Once upon a time Board Certification was a one time thing. You would complete the appropriate training, take a couple tests, and you were Board Certified for Life. Those days have long passed. A few old timers are still practicing without time-limited certificates, but there are fewer every year, and nothing prevents them from renewing like everyone else.
What is Maintenance of Certification?
The next evolution in Board Certification was Maintenance of Certification. Every 10 years, diplomates of the American Board of Plastic Surgery were required to satisfactorily complete a recertification examination in order to maintain their board certification. For surgeons with two boards like me, this meant twice the effort to maintain what we had already earned.
What is Continuous Certification?
The latest evolution in Board Certification is Continuous Certification. I am on the pilot program for this, and it means that every year there are a number of tasks that need to be completed, including an annual online examination. Below is a copy of my results.
Continuous of Certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery
Here is the letter I received from the American Board of Plastic Surgery. It details my exam results. You will notice that a module is listed. In fact, there are five different modules:
- Cosmetic
- Hand
- Craniomaxillofacial
- Comprehensive
- Core Surgical Principles
My area of practice and plastic surgery subspecialty is Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, so I take the COSMETIC module. In addition a total score percentage and team results status are listed. For recertification you must achieve a passing score in eight of the ten modules offered in the ten-year recertification cycle.
The 2021 American Board of Plastic Surgery Continuous Certification Exam Results are in, and it’s a 100% success.
Board Certification Verification Letter
Below is my most recent Verification of Status Letter. It outlines the original date of board certification with its expiry and the three certification cycles I have completed to date. Currently my certificate will expire at the end of 2029.
Every 10 years, Board Certified Plastic Surgeons need to recertify their boards. My original certification was 3/27/1999 – 12/31/2009. I have recertified twice and am good until 12/31/2029.
Why Choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?
There are a lot of boards out there, some are more stringent than others. There is only one ABMS certified board for plastic surgery. It is the American Board of Plastic Surgery plain and simple. It includes all plastic surgeons and notably, it does not include words like cosmetic or facial.
If you are looking for Plastic Surgery, choosing a board certified plastic surgeon can give you confidence that they have received the best and most comprehensive plastic surgery training in their residency and that they have been vetted by like-minded professionals who have patient safety and surgical predictability at the top of their list. All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) are board certified plastic surgeons.
If you are looking for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, a subset of American Society of Plastic Surgery members are also members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). All members are board certified plastic surgeons, who have made a commitment to the pursuit of safest and most predictable methods of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Consultation Appointments
More information about the procedures offered is available on our websites:
- Main website: DrMele.com
- Breast Procedures: SanFranciscoBreast.com
- En Español: CirugiaPlasticaSanFrancisco.com
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph Mele in the San Francisco Bay Area call (925) 943-6353.
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