Introduction

The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. was organized in June 1937 by representatives of various groups interested in this type of surgery and received recognition as a subsidiary of the American Board of Surgery in May 1938. The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. was given the status of a major specialty board in May 1941 by action of the Advisory Board for Medical Specialties as approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association, which has designated certain specialty fields as being suitable to be represented by specialty boards.

The Board is organized under the laws of the state of Illinois for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes. No part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any private member, director, officer, or other individual, nor shall the Board ever declare or make to any such persons any dividend or other distribution. Nothing herein, however, shall prevent the payment of reasonable compensation for services rendered or the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the Board's affairs.

Plastic surgeons certified by the Board are listed in the Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists published by Elsevier in cooperation with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) is one of 24 medical specialty boards that make up the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Through ABMS, the boards work together to establish common standards for physicians to achieve and maintain board certification. The boards were founded by their respective specialties to protect the public by assessing and certifying doctors who meet specific educational, training and professional requirements. The ABPS is an independent, non-profit organization. For more information about ABMS, visit www.abms.org.

ABMS and the specialty boards are accountable both to the public and the medical profession through:

• Helping Patients by providing information about the board certification process and identifying which doctors are board certified.
• Supporting Physicians by creating programs that assist doctors to stay current in their field and improve their practice.
• Collaborating with Healthcare Leaders to foster initiatives for the promotion and monitoring of healthcare quality.
• Transforming Healthcare by increasing awareness of the importance of board certification and lifelong learning in assuring quality care.

ABPS Mission Statement

The mission of The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. is to promote safe, ethical, efficacious plastic surgery to the public by maintaining high standards for the education, examination, certification, and maintenance of certification of plastic surgeons as specialists and subspecialists.