Private Surgery in the US: Doctor’s Credentials

Going for surgery is a big undertaking. Worries and doubts can be overwhelming. One of the things you can do to ease your pre-surgery anxiety is to check your surgeon’s credentials and online reviews.

In the USA, each state has a medical board and every practising physician must have a license issued by the medical board in the state they practice. State boards also can take disciplinary and corrective actions against the members. So if there are any disciplinary actions against a doctor in the past, they would be reflected on the state medical board website. The states are only required to list that particular state’s information, and if your surgeon lived and practised in other states, it may be useful to look those up as well.

In addition to required state board certification, there are board certifications by the speciality boards. In the US, there are three organizations that certify Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathy. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialties (AOABOS), and the American Board of Physician Specialties cover 26 recognized medical specialities. If a doctor is certified by a speciality board, it means that he or she has chosen to achieve expertise in a medical speciality or subspecialty. The certification is a highly visible indicator that the doctor is committed to providing quality patient care and knows today’s standards of practice.

In addition, there are many other self-designated boards. These boards can be established by anyone and the criteria for certification is established by a group of physicians. The requirements for membership are much less rigorous than the above-mentioned board certifications.

Online reviews can also tell more about the patient experience with a given doctor. While not everyone who had a pleasant experience will be writing a positive review, the presence of many or the majority of negative reviews is a sign that a further investigation may be required.

Health Vantis does all this groundwork for you, and present you with your doctor’s credentials. We can help you get private medical care with positive outcomes without the wait. Contact us at 877 344 3544 to find out more.