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Why Certify

Dear Laser Practitioners:

Many laser surgery practitioners have entered the fields of cosmetic surgery and/or dermatology from other specialties, in order to serve a rapidly growing market and/or to avoid the bureaucracy and/or shrinking reimbursements of third-party payers and HMOs. The appeal of dealing directly with patients for payment, along with the expectation of a steady stream of referrals from satisfied patients, is indeed a powerful incentive to make the change.

For many physicians who are well-qualified and experienced in the use of lasers, the transition has been happy and successful. But for others, it has led to unforeseen results and sometimes costly lawsuits. Lasers, as a class of surgical instruments, may seem deceptively simple to surgeons skilled in the use of sharp instruments and electrosurgical devices for facelifts, endoscopic brow lifts, chemical peels, dermabrasion for skin resurfacing, and other traditional non-laser techniques.

The reality is that lasers are not just expensive scalpels or bovies. They are dangerous, sophisticated devices that can cut, ablate, coagulate, and weld living tissue by one or more complex biophysical processes. They can also cause severe burns, scars, and other injuries, as some newcomers to cosmetic surgery have unfortunately learned to their chagrin (and sometimes in courts of law).

Today, laser surgery is not taught in most medical schools, or in residency programs in most of the recognized medical specialties. It is learned primarily in postgraduate education, much of which is offered by laser manufacturers themselves. There are unfortunately many scalpel-skilled physicians who are not fully qualified to use lasers in surgery, despite that these are dangerous machines that require specialized knowledge of laser physics and training in order to be used safely.

The American Board of Laser Surgery has been keenly aware of this as in the past several years many of our applicants for certification have come from the fields of cosmetic surgery and dermatology. Those who have passed our rigorous examination and become Diplomates of the Board have found that the Certificate of the A.B.L.S. is a valuable credential for them in attracting patients. Our certification process also provides a solid foundation in basic laser science and safety that is beneficial to any practitioner who uses, or plans to use, lasers in medical practice.

The Board has certified nearly 500 Diplomates from all over the world, including Canada, Europe, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia among others, as well as the United States. Our Diplomates have found that studying for and taking the examinations was a valuable learning experience. You may read a few testimonials from physicians who have successfully completed the certification process.

The Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia, based in Australia, adopted the examinations of the A.B.L.S. as their own in the year 2000.

There are three steps to earning the Board's Certification: (1) submitting an application form; (2) receiving and mastering the Study Guide for the written Basic Laser Science and Safety Examinations, which can be taken at any time of the year in the candidate's home or office with the Study Guide on an open-book basis; and finally (3) taking the Oral Examination, which is designed to evaluate the candidate's clinical experience. The Oral examination is administered by one or more of the Board's Diplomates who are in the same general specialty as the candidate.

The Study Guide is proprietary and was developed by members of the Board for the purpose of specifically advancing knowledge of laser science and safety in medicine. The Study Guide and the written examinations are truly unique, and the A.B.L.S. is currently the only medical specialty board that offers this type of certification process. Please see a sample of the Study Guide.

The minimum passing score for both written examinations is 80%. About 15% of candidates do not pass the written examination on the first attempt, even with an open-book policy, which attests to the exams' rigor. While 85% pass, only a small percentage earn a score of 95% or higher, indicating that there is an opportunity for nearly every candidate to expand his or her knowledge.

If you are interested in becoming a Diplomate of The American Board of Laser Surgery, please email us at lasers1060@aol.com, or go to the Contact, Application & Payment page on this site and click the link to download the Application Form that you can fill in and then email back to us. Complete instructions are provided. This makes the application process very easy and efficient for busy practitioners.

Thank you for your consideration!