Camas, Wash. November 23, 2004 - When asked, "Which Specialists in your field would you consider most desirable for care of a loved one?" many doctors, though extremely busy don't hesitate to answer.

MDNationwide.org randomly asked that question of 5,000 board-certified plastic surgeons nationwide With 33 percent responding and after checking our research for proper licensure status, disciplinary status, education, and training our results determined 358 top plastic surgeons in America. (See http://www.mdnationwide.org/search.php.) "We are Pleased to recognizing these surgeons as the pinnacle of plastic surgeons, and we thank them for contributing a high quality of health care nationwide." Said Hugo Gallegos, president of MDNationwide.

"Choosing a well-trained, certified practitioner means you have somebody who can handle unexpected complications," says Dr. Richard Gregory, a renowned board-certified plastic surgeon in Florida, and one of the survey's respondents.

A doctor's education, training, experience, and recognition are crucial components in receiving the highest quality of health care. Experience varies from doctor to doctor, especially in today`s world where advancements in technology, lead to more advanced surgical procedures being offered.

"Board-certification specialty fields are not federally regulated. Therefore, an MD who is board- certified in "surgery" can legally perform the same surgical procedures as an MD who is board- certified in plastic surgery. Even an Anesthesiologists, dermatologist, or gynecologist, can legally perform plastic surgery," Says Hugo Gallegos. With the plastic surgery industry booming, more doctors are going out of bounds and performing surgical procedures where their qualifications, experience, and training endanger the consumer.

More now than ever, consumers are researching their doctors, and demanding the highest quality of health care. There is no universal agreement on how to find, the best doctors, however there are establishments which, specialize in finding only the top doctors. These have their own methodologies in place, some more extensive than others. There are countless online doctor directories, for which any doctor can pay to be listed. And there are establishments where consumers can check doctors' credentials, disciplinary actions and medical doctor ratings, all of which differ from each other.

"Our methodology consists of contacting only board-certified doctors throughout the country and asking them: 'Which specialists in your field would you consider most desirable for care of a loved one?' Those doctors who are recognized the most from their peers are advanced to the next logistical phase, where our research team then looks through their training, education, experience, and licensure status. If they meet our in-house high company standards, their names and credentials information are then added to our Best Doctor database" explain Gallegos Because not all doctors participate in our surveys, we then communicate with medical societies, and hospitals as further research.

Things to look for when choosing a plastic surgeon: He or She
* Is well recognized from his/her peers
* Is board-certified in plastic surgery
* Has hospital privileges
* Is a member of a recognized medical society
* Is well recognized throughout the community
* He/she is fellowship trained in their specialty field

Be wary of a plastic surgeon who:
* Is not affiliated with any hospitals
* Has serious disciplinary actions issued against him/her
* Does not explain the pros and cons clearly, and is eager to start the surgery
* Has a rude and/or unprofessional staff
* Is not certified with the American Board of Medical Specialists in plastic surgery.

Make sure your surgeon is board-certified in plastic surgery with the American Board of Medical Specialists (abms.org). It is the governing board of 24 member boards, and the most approved and accredited credentialing board in America.

Check with the Federation of State Medical Boards (fsmb.org) regarding disciplinary actions.
The FSMB is a national association with membership consisting of 68 medical-licensing state boards. All states are included; therefore one search can determine if your doctor has ever been disciplined in any state.

MDNationwide™ was founded in 2002 as a privately held for-profit Research &
Information Company that specializes in researching and recognizing the top medical doctors in America. "We are a comprehensive source for unbiased advice about America's top doctors," says Hugo Gallegos, its president. MDNationwide.org provides top doctor credential information to consumers, thus helping consumers select the best quality providers of medical care. Its website is http://www.mdnationwide.org