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Board Certification

Conveniently located to serve the areas of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

What Does It Mean To Be Board Certified?

If you’re thinking about undergoing plastic surgery and have begun searching for plastic surgeons in your area, you have probably read a lot of websites, a lot of “About Us” bios and have come across a lot of names and acronyms that frankly all sound pretty much alike.

So how do you know if the surgeon you are considering is really as qualified as they say? The answer is simpler than you might think– look for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).

The ABPS is the only board in plastic or cosmetic surgery recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, which governs the most credible boards in medicine and is used by hospitals to award privileges. Therefore, when searching for a plastic surgeon, look for physicians with Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, such as Dr. Dean Jabs, Dr. Franklin Richards, and Dr. Keshav Magge at Cosmetic Surgery Associates.

The problem is that many doctors claim to be board certified in their bios, but just being “board certified” says nothing about what they were trained in or how rigorous that training was. First, it’s important to know exactly what each doctor is board certified in. They could have been certified in pediatrics, dermatology, or gynecology, for instance, but that does not make them an accomplished or experienced plastic surgeon.  Second, there are many different “boards” and organizations out there that allow doctors to claim they are board certified, but in most cases these boards are created by like-minded doctors to provide the appearance of credibility but do not require rigorous training programs or exams.

The American Board Of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)

abps_logo1The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) outlines a specific training program for doctors interested in becoming plastic surgeons. After medical school, physicians generally go through another period of training called a residency, which can last anywhere from one to six years. Some physicians, especially surgeons, may choose to go through a second residency to further hone their skills. The ABPS specifies which types of residency programs are considered applicable for physicians interested in being plastic surgeons.  While some physicians may choose to pursue additional training after residency, others choose to become board certified by completing written and oral examinations in their area of specialty. In order to be board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a physician must have passed the oral and written examinations prepared by the ABPS, specifically in plastic surgery.


The key to looking for a plastic surgeon, as with anything, is to read the fine print.

There are many excellent physicians out there, but you want to be sure yours has the training and background in the procedures they are actually going to perform on you. By selecting a plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, you can be sure that they have been trained in the techniques you want, that they have passed an extensive and difficult examination specifically in cosmetic surgery, and that they have the experience needed to understand your aesthetic goals and safely apply the most modern and state-of-the-art techniques to achieve them.

So if you are looking for plastic surgeons in the Washington, D.C. area, look no further than Dr. Dean Jabs, Dr. Franklin Richards, and Dr. Keshav Magge at Cosmetic Surgery Associates.

Dr. Jabs, Dr. Richards, and Dr. Magge are all board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

Additionally, Dr. Jabs and Dr. Richards hold positions of authority at Johns-Hopkins Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD; Dr. Richards as Chief of Plastic Surgery and Dr. Jabs as Chairman-elect of the Department of Plastic Surgery. Both physicians have won numerous awards for their work and are recognized as experienced and distinguished doctors by others in their field. When you compare the training, expertise, and skill of Dr. Jabs, Dr. Richards, and Dr. Magge to other plastic surgeons, you can look beyond the acronyms and see that these three exceptional surgeons have the real-world knowledge and experience to understand how the latest cosmetic surgery procedures can be applied to meet your unique aesthetic goals.

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Our Plastic Surgery Associates team includes Dr. Franklin Richards, Dr. A. Dean Jabs, and Dr. Keshav Magge. Each of our plastic surgeons is board-certified, and together they have over 60 years of combined experience. Drs. Richards, Jabs, and Magge are all highly qualified in procedures for the face, breast, and body, and pride themselves in providing excellent results through our state-of-the-art, Quad A certified operating centers