By Dr. Hardik Doshi, MD, FACS · Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon · Long Island, NY
When you are researching a facial plastic surgeon, you will encounter the phrase ‘board certified’ constantly. It appears on practice websites, in bios, in ads, and in search results. The problem is that not all board certifications are the same — and in facial plastic surgery specifically, the difference between one certification and two is not a small distinction. It reflects a fundamentally different level of training, a different breadth of anatomical knowledge, and a different standard of surgical competence.
This post explains exactly what board certification means in the context of facial plastic surgery, why double board certification matters, and what it tells you about a surgeon's background that a single certification cannot.
Why board certification exists — and what it actually measures
Board certification in medicine exists to establish a verified minimum standard. It means a surgeon has completed an approved residency program, accumulated a required case volume, passed written and oral examinations administered by an independent board of peers, and demonstrated competency in their specialty. It is not awarded by the surgeon's own practice, hospital, or professional association. It is granted by an external body after a rigorous review process.
In facial plastic surgery, the two relevant certifying boards are:
- The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) — the only board specifically dedicated to facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Fellowship training in facial plastics is required before sitting the examination.
- The American Board of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (ABOHNS) — the board for surgeons trained in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and head and neck surgery, including the full anatomy of the face, head, and neck.
A surgeon who holds both certifications has demonstrated competency across two separate specialty boards — each with its own training requirements, examination process, and clinical standards.
What most facial plastic surgeons are certified in — and what that means
The majority of surgeons who perform facial plastic surgery in the United States hold a single board certification. This is typically either from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) — which covers the entire body, not just the face — or from the ABFPRS alone, following a fellowship in facial plastics.
A single ABPS certification means the surgeon is trained across the full spectrum of plastic surgery — breast, body, hand, reconstructive, and facial procedures. Facial surgery is part of what they do, not the specific focus of their training. A surgeon with only an ABFPRS certification has a focused facial fellowship but may lack the broader anatomical foundation that comes from ENT and head and neck surgical training.
Neither of these paths is inadequate. But they are different — and for patients considering facial surgery, the difference is worth understanding.
What double board certification — ABOHNS and ABFPRS — actually means
A surgeon certified by both the ABOHNS and the ABFPRS has completed two separate, demanding pathways:
- An ENT and head and neck surgery residency, typically five to six years, covering the full anatomy of the face, head, and neck at a level of depth that goes beyond cosmetic training. This includes sinus surgery, skull base surgery, salivary gland surgery, thyroid surgery, and — critically — reconstructive surgery following trauma and cancer.
- A fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, followed by independent examination by the ABFPRS — the specialty board dedicated exclusively to the face.
The combination produces a surgeon with two distinct but complementary foundations: the anatomical depth of an ENT and head and neck specialist, and the aesthetic specialization of a dedicated facial plastics fellowship. This is not simply a resume credential. It reflects a fundamentally different relationship with facial anatomy.
Why anatomy depth matters for aesthetic outcomes
Facial plastic surgery is not only about aesthetics — it is about surgical safety and precision at the anatomical level. The facial nerve, the parotid gland, the retaining ligaments, the planes of the deep face — these are structures a surgeon navigates in every facelift, every rhinoplasty, every blepharoplasty. A surgeon whose training included managing facial trauma, resecting tumours, and performing reconstructive surgery after cancer has encountered these structures in their most demanding clinical contexts. That experience is not replicable in cosmetic training alone.
The ENT residency advantage — what it trains that cosmetic programs do not
Dr. Doshi's path to facial plastic surgery ran through an ENT and head and neck surgery residency — the same training pathway as some of the most technically accomplished facial plastic surgeons in the world. This matters for several reasons that are directly relevant to cosmetic patients.
Functional rhinoplasty knowledge
Rhinoplasty — nose reshaping surgery — is not only a cosmetic procedure. The nose has a functional role: breathing. An ENT-trained surgeon understands nasal anatomy at the functional level, including the septum, the turbinates, and the internal and external nasal valves. Dr. Doshi's philosophy is that he never performs cosmetic rhinoplasty without considering how the patient breathes. This is not a perspective available to surgeons whose training did not include functional nasal surgery.
Deep plane anatomy through real cases
The anatomical knowledge that makes a true deep plane facelift possible — working beneath the SMAS, releasing the retaining ligaments, navigating the facial nerve with precision — is not learned only in cosmetic operating rooms. ENT residents encounter the deep anatomy of the face in trauma cases, tumour resections, and reconstructive procedures that require the same anatomical knowledge under far more demanding conditions. This is where the surgical foundation for advanced facelift work is built.
Reconstructive complexity
Surgeons trained in head and neck reconstruction have performed procedures that require rebuilding facial structures from scratch — using tissue transfers, cartilage grafts, and flap surgery to restore form and function after cancer, trauma, or congenital conditions. The skills developed in this context — understanding how tissue heals, how grafts integrate, how blood supply must be preserved — translate directly into more refined cosmetic outcomes.
What it means in practice for a patient considering surgery
When you sit across from a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon for a consultation, you are speaking with someone who has been tested — formally, independently, and twice — on the depth of their knowledge and the standard of their surgical outcomes. The certification process is not self-reported. It requires peer review, case documentation, and examination by surgeons who are not affiliated with your surgeon's practice.
For the patient, this matters most in three ways:
- Safety. A surgeon with deep anatomical training is less likely to encounter a structure they are not equipped to handle. This is particularly relevant in facelift surgery, where the facial nerve must be identified and protected throughout the procedure.
- Versatility. A surgeon whose training covered both functional and cosmetic dimensions of the face can make better decisions when a patient's goals involve both — a rhinoplasty that improves breathing and appearance simultaneously, or a blepharoplasty that preserves lid function while removing excess skin.
- Outcome quality. Surgical judgment — knowing how much to do, what to leave alone, and how to account for how tissue will change over time — is developed over years of operating across a broad range of procedures. Double board-certified surgeons tend to have a richer reservoir of this judgment.
How Dr. Doshi's credentials translate to his practice
Dr. Hardik Doshi holds board certifications from both the ABOHNS and the ABFPRS. His training included an ENT and head and neck surgery residency followed by fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has performed over ten thousand surgical procedures across the full spectrum of facial surgery — from rhinoplasty to deep plane facelift, from hair restoration to complex revision cases.
At his Long Island and Manhattan practice, Dr. Doshi applies this background to every consultation. He does not perform procedures patients do not need. He does not favour one technique when another would serve the patient better. And he performs all grafting and surgical work personally — without delegation to technicians or assistants — because he believes the outcome depends on the consistency of a single skilled set of hands throughout the procedure.
The question to ask every surgeon you consult
Ask any surgeon you are evaluating: which boards have certified you, and what did that training involve? The answer will tell you a great deal about the depth of their anatomical foundation — and whether facial surgery is a specialism or a sideline.
The bottom line
Board certification is a floor, not a ceiling. It tells you a surgeon has met a verified standard of training and knowledge in their specialty. Double board certification — specifically the combination of ABOHNS and ABFPRS — tells you that a surgeon has met that standard in two overlapping but distinct disciplines, producing a breadth of anatomical knowledge and surgical experience that a single certification pathway does not confer.
For patients considering facial plastic surgery on Long Island or in Manhattan, Dr. Doshi is happy to walk through his training history in detail during a consultation. He believes transparency about credentials, technique, and honest expectations is the foundation of a good surgical relationship — and he will give you the same direct answers in person that he has tried to provide in this post.
