As a Boston native, I grew up reading Boston Magazine. For the past 40 years, it’s been a go-to reference for the best and the brightest that our city has to offer. So, you can imagine how excited I was to find out that both I and my mentor and colleague Dr. Leonard Miller made the Boston Magazine Top Doctor list once again. It is an incredible honor that I wanted to share because it is a testament to Dr. Miller’s and my quest for excellence.
Top Doctor about Excellence Not Perfectionism
As a Boston Magazine Top Doctor, Dr. Miller and I always strive for exemplary results in every procedure that we perform whether it’s something non-surgical like:
- Botox
- Facial fillers
- SculpSure and non-surgical body contouring
- Laser skin resurfacing
Or something surgical like:
However, there is a fine line between excellence and perfectionism. While
I would argue that every plastic surgeon is a bit of a perfectionist, this can be a slippery slope. Yes, we are in the aesthetics business. But, more importantly, we are in the business of transformation. And while one of my passions is using my training and expertise to help make a patient’s dreams come true, I try to stay away from the term “perfect”. Not only is it way too subjective, but it is also elusive.
Natural Looking Results
Instead, the goal for Dr. Miller and me is a natural looking result. By this, I mean a result that is not perceptible. I always want patients to look and feel like themselves — just a slightly more rejuvenated and refreshed version of themselves. This is truly a hallmark of all of the work that we perform at the Boston Center for Facial Rejuvenation. I also think it’s why we were both selected to once again receive Top Doctor in Boston status.
Although we are living in an era where more and more people share private matters publicly, a patient’s procedure should never be obvious. I always feel that it’s the patient’s right to choose whether or not he or she shares the fact that he had gynecomastia surgery or she had her lower eyelids done. Bottom line, I want people to ask where my patients went on vacation or if they got a new haircut. I want that to be the effect. Friends and family know that my patients look great yet they can’t quite put their finger on what’s different! That is what I call an excellent, natural looking result.
What is Board Certification?
Awards and honors are gratifying, but more importantly, they can help patients choose the top plastic surgeons in their area. Another “short cut” is board certification. It is a term that is typically thrown out there on a plastic surgeon’s website in order to prove that he or she is one of the best. But is this really the case? In short, yes.
Board certification is something that patients can use to separate the wheat from the chaff as the saying goes. This does not mean, of course, that every non-certified plastic surgeon is bad at his or her job. Board certification from the the American Board of Plastic Surgery (www.abplasticsurgery.org) is definitely a stamp of excellence. Being board certified means that I:
- completed an approved residency or training program in plastic surgery
- passed a very rigorous written test
- passed an oral certification exam
- practice in a safe, ethical and effective fashion in accredited facilities
Important to Know Which Board Certified
Keep in mind, however, that not every board certification is created equal. A “Cosmetic Surgeon” is not always a Plastic Surgeon. When it comes to plastic surgery, you want to make certain that your surgeon is board certified from a group that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. ABMS is a national agency whose job is to actually oversee sub-specialty boards. And lucky for all of us, they take their jobs very seriously. Over a 100 specialties and sub-specialties have appealed to ABMS over the years for certification yet only 24 have met their strict criteria. Plastic surgery is one of the 24, and the American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only board approved by ABMS. There are Cosmetic Boards that “certify” doctors, but these are not approved or sanctioned by the ABMS. Patients are allowed to and SHOULD ask their doctors about board certification.
Accredited Surgery Center
Another moniker that is important to consider when deciding on a plastic surgeon is whether or not he or she performs his or her procedures in an accredited surgery center or hospital. Accreditation is a signal that the hospital or outpatient surgery center is committed to delivering the highest quality patient care by meeting stringent patient safety standards. A patient’s safety must be paramount to any surgeon. The best plastic surgeons such as myself and Dr. Miller will not perform a procedure without first meeting you in person during a consultation in which we:
- Take a complete medical history
- Perform a thorough physical exam
- Discuss all safe and appropriate surgical and non-surgical options
No result, no matter how beautiful, is worth risking your health.
To find out more about any surgical or non-surgical procedure with Boston Magazine Top Doctor Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Chestnut Hill office, contact us today or call (617) 450.0070 to schedule a consultation.