American Board Of Cosmetic Surgery

The mission of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) is to serve the public by promoting the safe and ethical practice of the specialty of cosmetic surgery.

A cosmetic surgery field defined by the highest standards of training, knowledge, and ethical practice — where patients can confidently choose an ABCS-certified surgeon knowing their physician trained exclusively in cosmetic surgery and passed the most rigorous certification process in the specialty.

The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery was founded on March 26, 1979, to address a critical gap in medical certification: no existing board exclusively certified physicians in cosmetic surgery. As an interdisciplinary specialty drawing practitioners from general surgery, plastic surgery, ENT, OB/GYN, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and other surgical fields, cosmetic surgery had no board of its own. ABCS filled that gap, creating a fellowship-based pathway — a minimum of 300 cosmetic procedures across all cosmetic categories, culminating in a rigorous 2-day written and oral examination — that focuses exclusively on what patients actually choose a cosmetic surgeon for: cosmetic procedures. Incorporated originally in Delaware, then reorganized as a Pennsylvania corporation in 1990, ABCS has spent more than 45 years certifying an elite community of surgeons nationwide. The board maintains an active public stance that patients deserve to know the difference between a board that includes cosmetic surgery as one component among many and a board dedicated exclusively to it. ABCS is not affiliated with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), positioning itself as an independent standard-bearer that challenges the idea that two private organizations without government oversight should define the limits of medical credentialing. Today ABCS serves two constituencies with equal commitment: surgeons seeking a credential that reflects their exclusive specialization, and patients who deserve to know exactly how their surgeon trained.

U.S.-licensed physicians ages 30–50, post-residency through their first decade of practice, who have completed training in a qualifying surgical specialty (general surgery, plastic surgery, OB/GYN, ENT, OMFS, and others) and have chosen cosmetic surgery as their primary practice focus. Entrepreneurial, specialty-proud, and research-driven, they want a recognized, specialty-specific credential that accurately reflects their exclusive cosmetic surgery training and distinguishes them from non-fellowship-trained practitioners and broadly board-certified surgeons.