Medical specialty certification in the United States from its inception has been a voluntary process. Since the establishment of the first nationally recognized medical specialty board in 1917, some physicians have elected to seek formal recognition of their qualifications in their chosen specialty fields by presenting themselves for examination before specialty boards comprised of their professional peers.

The definitions of each of the specialties and of the educational and other requirements leading to eligibility for board certification have been developed by consensus within the medical profession and, to date, the certification of a medical specialist has remained separate and distinct from licensure. Physicians wishing to practice medicine legally must be licensed from the state or territory in which they intend to practice. Licensure is not specialty specific, but sets the minimum competence requirements to diagnose and treat patients. Board certification granted by an ABMS Member Board indicates a physician's expertise in a particular specialty and/or subspecialty of medical practice.

Certification by an ABMS Member Board is widely recognized by physicians, healthcare institutions, insurers and patients themselves as an essential tool to judge that a physician has the knowledge, experience and skills for providing quality healthcare within a given specialty. It is considered the gold standard because of its unique physician-directed approach for assessing qualifications.

The process for initial certification, whether in a specialty or subspecialty, involves a rigorous process of testing and peer evaluation that is designed and administered by specialists in that specific area of medicine. Successful candidates are awarded certification.

It is important to note that there is no requirement or need for a certified physician in a recognized specialty to hold special certification in a subspecialty of that field in order to be considered qualified to include aspects of that subspecialty within a specialty practice. Under no circumstances should this physician be considered unqualified to practice within an area of a subspecialty solely because of lack of subspecialty certification.

When the process of certification was begun, physicians were awarded certificates that were not time-limited and therefore did not have to be renewed. In recognition of the pace of change in medical knowledge, a program of re-certification through a periodic process (every six to ten years) of continuing education in the specialty, credential review and further examination was established. Realizing that this process cannot assess how a physician is evolving his or her knowledge and skills after the initial certificate or re-certification is awarded, the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program was created as the new gold standard. MOC requires proof of continuing education and experience in between testing for re-certification.

Dr. Freedland upholds the highest of standards in every capacity of his practice. He is committed to patient safety and ongoing education. Through his recent recertified by the ABPS through the MOC process, he continues to gain knowledge of new procedures to improve and enhance the experience of his patients. Dr. Freedland is an advocate of continuing investigation and encourages his patients to ask questions. As a dedicated surgeon of plastic surgery, he holds membership in every major affiliation, assuring that patients not “just take his word” for it.

You can learn as much as you like about his professional affiliations by following these links:

• American Board of Plastic Surgery
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 1992 - Present
• American Medical Association, 1996 - Present
• American College of Surgeons, 1997 - Present

Other organizations:

• American Board of Medical Specialty
• American Board of Plastic Surgery
• Surgery State Legislative Action Center
• American Medical Association - AMA
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration - FDA
• Allergan
• The Joint Commission
• Michigan Department of Community Health