ABFCSDiplomate portal

About the Board

Standards & Examination

A credential is only as strong as the examination behind it. The Board publishes its standards so anyone can weigh them.

Certification requires

  1. Medical degree, licensure in good standing, and completion of an accredited surgical residency.
  2. Fellowship-level training and documented case experience across the full range of facial cosmetic procedures.
  3. Passing the Board's examination, assessing surgical judgment, management of complications, and aesthetic analysis.
  4. Ongoing recertification and adherence to the Code of Ethics.

Examination governance

Examination content is developed and reviewed by committees of practicing, certified surgeons, maintained against a published blueprint of the specialty, and evaluated psychometrically. The Board publishes aggregate examination statistics so that the rigor of the credential is inspectable rather than asserted.

This page is the permanent home for those statistics as they are released.