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DR ANTHONY ERIAN
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DR.
VIJAY SHARMA President International Federation of Restorative & Cosmetic Surgery Indian Association of Cosmetic Surgery International College of Cosmetic Suregery |
Nikolay
Serdev, MD Editor-in-Chief International Journal of Cosmetic Surgery National Bulgarian Society of Cosmetic Surgery |
The aim is to establish a board to oversee the credentialling and examination and training of all members of organisations across the world and to give accreditation in the field of cosmetic surgery by having a Specialist Register and Board Exams in Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery.
The International College of Cosmetic Surgery will be essentially autonomous organisation and elects directors from names submitted by various sponsoring organisations. The organisation will elect members of the board of censors and replace members who have completed a 5-year term. It also elects its officers and sets its own rules. Once elected the director's prime responsibility is to the Board.
HISTORY, EVOLUTION AND PHILOSOPHY
During the course of the first five years of any training as a medical student and further surgical training programmes most students cared for a variety of problems; patient care and congenital deformities - cancer injuries etc but no formal training in cosmetic surgery is catered for in any medical school.
In plastic surgery for example according to Joseph Murray "for many plastic surgeons the total value of life must include personal appearance whether in child with cleft lip and palate or a person who is burnt the cancer patient or a victim of a serious accident. Plastic surgeons also care about function and form but many perform no cosmetic surgery".
The rapid acceptance of the public in cosmetic surgery confirms the value and need for it. It is too noble, too grand and important to be exploited.
Another danger too many untrained practitioners may bring bad name to cosmetic surgery without the knowledge, depth and level of experience that this discipline deserves.
It is not a discipline you can tag on to another as it has grown so much in the last decade.
Teaching programmes, meetings,
workshops, education, research, seminars etc, are so inconsistent and does not
replace formal training. So the time has come to consider cosmetic surgery as
a separate discipline. For all this to happen we have to set out the following:
The International Board of Cosmetic Surgery brings together all medical specialties devoted to disseminate knowledge, technique, skills and expertise in the Field of cosmetic surgery.
Its aim is to ensure uniform excellence in the care of our patients. It is therefore a protector and advocate of consumers seeking cosmetic surgery.
The Board will set the highest standard in the World and confirms that its fellows and Members are conforming to these standard so that potential patients will feel confident in seeking a doctor who is distinguished by his member of the Board. There will be a specialist Register for any one to research (i.e. members of the public and doctors alike) C.M.E. (continuous medical education) will be ongoing for any members who wishes to keep his registration.
It will also have several
categories to identify the exact field and area of specialist training.
MECHANICS OF THE CREDENTIALLING & REGISTRATION PROCEDURE "BOARD OD CENSORS"
Consists of 8-10 censors and Censor-in-Chief all of whom will be members of the European and International Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
1. Plastic
& Reconstructive Surgeon.
2. Cosmetic Surgeon with specialist qualifications -
Board certified.
3. General Surgeon with interest in cosmetic surgery
i.e. breasts.
4. Dermatologist.
5. Laser Surgeon.
6. E.N.T. Surgeon.
7. Ophthalmologist or Orbital Surgeon (Occuloplastic).
8. Facio-maxillary Surgeon.
9. Censor-in-Chief may be drawn from any of the above
subgroups).
(i) Basic Training
Applicants must be one of the following:
(a) An
FRCS or equivalent surgical qualification.
(b) Five years post-graduate, including three years
of accredited surgical training.
(c) Dermatologist with surgical experience.
(d) Ophthalmologist, ENT, Facio-Maxillary surgeon.
(e) Other by special consideration.
(ii) Appropriate specific procedural training:
(a) Appropriate
approved two-year fellowship from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.
(b) Appropriate approved two-year fellowship from the
European Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.
(c) ACCS
training course.
(d) Five years of procedural experience.
(e) A training course judged appropriate by the Credentialling
Committee for an individual, taking
into account the candidate's
basic training and experience, e.g. FRACS plus specific liposuction
course
and a log of procedures.
(f) Appropriate 2-year fellowship in Approved Aesthetic
Plastic Unit.
(iii) Clinical Experience
Candidates must table a
surgical log containing the designated minimum number of cases for a given procedure.
The log must contain
- operative
notes
-
post-operative
notes
and show clearly - - the
number of procedures
- the
number of complications
- the
patient outcome
Patient's names are
not to be shown.
NB: It
is necessary for the candidate to state that the log is true and complete. The
Board of Censors reserves the right to investigate the legitimacy of the log,
and will do so from time to time. When the log is produced as part of a recognised
training programme it must be counter-signed by the Course's Director or preceptor.
(iv) Examination
Having met the requirements
under (1), (ii) and (iii) above, all Fellows will be
required to sit an examination, which shall consist of written examination and
viva voce examinations in:
(a) Body
contouring surgery
(b) Dermatological cosmetic surgery
(c) Basic sciences as applied to surgical procedures.
(The exceptions to item 4 are those candidates who are applying under the grand fathering clause and Honorary Fellow).
The Board will hold registers for all major groups of procedures. Once accredited, the Fellow or Member's name will be added to the Board register for that procedure.
The Fellow or Member's name will then be given out along with all other Fellows or Members for that procedure to patients, or other persons or organisations requesting information.
The register will also lend the Fellow or Member credibility in a court of law insofar as the College will have deemed the Fellow or Member appropriately trained and capable of performing that procedure.
Duties of the Board
of Censors
(1) To assess applications for procedure registrations
and hand down a consensus decision
(suitable or unsuitable).
(2) Examine log books.
(3) To assess and clear new applicants for membership
(to the membership categories,
e.g. Fellow and Member, see
later).
(4) Assess candidate applications for Board Membership
and eligibility for training programmes.
(i) Associate
Member.
(ii) Member
(iii) Fellow
Associate Member
Description: Members
of the Board in the course of training for either
Membership
or Fellowship. They are not entitled to vote or to sit on the Council.
Members
Description: Doctors
practicing Cosmetic Medicine, e.g. Collagen, botox, chemical peels,
sclerotherapy,
hair transplantation, tattoo removal and laser epilation.
Requirement: Current
Medical Registration
Letter
of Good Standing
Credentialling
by Board of Censors.
Eligible:
Members are eligible, if they have appropriate training and qualifications,
to be
placed on one or more registers of cosmetic medicine procedures.
Fellows
Description: Cosmetic
Surgeons (Invasive Proceduralists).
Requirements: Credentialling for the Board of Censors (Full Surgical Criteria).
Eligible:
Fellows
are eligible, if they appropriate training and qualifications to be placed on
one or more registers of cosmetic
surgical procedures.