Certifications for Back Surgeons
How to tell if your spine specialist is the best
Anyone can call himself a doctor. You can even find Doctors of Philosophy, most likely serving you dinner at McCrady’s. But when you need a specialist in spinal medicine, you want to make sure that the doctor advising you has the bona fides to back up his diploma.
Whenever you visit any kind of medical practitioner, always ask questions. It’s the best way to get answers to your questions. Ask:
- How long ago he got his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree
- How long he’s been practicing
- How long he’s been licensed in your state
- If he specializes in any particular type of spinal medicine, like pain management or lumbar surgery
- How often he does the procedure he’s recommending for you
And while you may not have the resources to check on his credentials, there is a way to determine whether your back surgeon is as good as he says he is. Because this is a common concern across the United States, you can count on a third party, an organization interested in upholding the standards of medicine.
Back Surgeon Certifications
Spinal surgery, like any surgery, is complex and potentially life-threatening. You must have complete confidence in your back surgeon before you go under the knife. You must be certain that your surgeon not only has the skills to do what needs to be done, but has the experience to keep you safe and healthy. So the next time you’re in a consultation, ask your doctor about his certifications.
Certifications represent the standards of quality. To be board certified, a back surgeon has to pass the certification requirements of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery:
- Earning an MD from an accredited medical school
- Undergoing three-to-five years of residency training in a back surgery program
- Passing written (and sometimes oral) exams
- Keeping up-to-date in the latest advances in spinal surgery
- Maintaining national standards in ethics, safety and communication
Southeastern Spine Institute’s Surgeons
At the Southeastern Spine Institute, our surgeons take your safety very seriously. All of our spine surgeons are either board certified or board eligible (meaning they are working toward their certification) in Orthopedic Surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. Some of our senior surgeons hold additional certifications and have leadership roles in other medical societies.
It’s only by being active in professional and medical organizations that our spinal surgeons learn about the latest breakthroughs in spinal medicine and the newest proven techniques in back surgery. As a result of their involvement and leadership, the back surgeons at the Southeastern Spine Institute are among the most trusted, most experienced and most skilled — not only in Charleston or in South Carolina, but in the entire Southeast and beyond.
So you want the best care you can get, make an appointment at the Southeastern Spine Institute, where our back surgeons are second to none.