You want to be treated by the best trained doctor with the right qualifications?
In many countries it is not always clear how you can find the right doctor.
This website helps you select REAL plastic surgeons.
Real plastic surgeons have studied Medicine to become a Medical Doctor (MD), after getting that title they need additional training to become a Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon, generally after an exam. After graduating they are registered as Plastic Surgeons at the Health Government.
In the Netherlands the training to become a doctor consists of:
If you pass the exam you can call yourself a doctor (MD), you will now be registered at the BIG registry of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport as a doctor and you get a BIG-number.
But in order to become a plastic surgeon you need an additional specialist training.
This training consists of:
If you have completed the training and passed this exam, you can apply to be registered as a plastic surgeon in the medical specialist register of the Registration Committee for Medical Specialists.
The new curriculum delivers plastic surgeons with extra training in reconstructive surgery, hand surgery, paediatric plastic surgery and aesthetic surgery.
When you are an official plastic surgeon your training does not stop, most plastic surgeons do additional Fellowships and courses to learn more about specific areas of our specialty, possible directions are:
Depending on the help you need you might want to verify whether your doctor has done additional training, besides fellowships this can be by attending Courses, symposia and congresses.
All European countries have National Societies who represent the Plastic Surgery community. Membership of such a Society is highly recommended for REAL plastic surgeons, you can verify this in the chart of the doctor on this website.
For the Netherlands the National Society is:
Netherlands Society of Plastic Surgery (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Plastische Chirurgie, NVPC)
Membership of relevant European and International Societies shows additional Commitment to the area the plastic surgeon is most interested in. Relevant individual member Societies include (non-exhaustive list):
REAL plastic surgeons have had a thorough training, did an exam and are officially registered at the country’s Ministry of Health. They are member of a National Society and relevant (sub-)specialty societies and continue to learn their entire life.