Quick answer: Go to the Medical Board of California’s License Verification page, choose Physician and Surgeon, and search by the doctor’s name or license number. The profile shows information about the licensee, and the Board says it can help you choose a physician. Then ask the surgeon separately which board certified them, because a license and board certification are different things.
Checking your surgeon is free, and it takes a few minutes. You don’t need to ask anyone’s permission, and a good office won’t mind. We think every patient should do it before a consultation, whichever surgeon they choose.
How do you look up a license?
Here’s how the Medical Board of California’s License Verification page works.
- Open the page and find the list of license types.
- Under Physician and Surgeon, choose to search by name or license number.
- Enter the doctor’s last name and first name, or the license number if you have it.
- Open the profile that matches and read it.
Two practical tips. Try the last name on its own if a search comes up empty, because a doctor’s legal first name may differ from the name they go by. And check that the city or practice address looks right, so that you know you’ve got the right person.
If your physician is an osteopathic doctor (D.O.), the Board’s page says to contact the Osteopathic Medical Board of California instead.
What does a profile tell you?
The Board says its profiles exist for all physicians and other allied health care providers licensed or registered in California, and that the information can help you choose a physician or learn more about the one you go to now.
Read the profile for the license status and any actions listed. The Board notes that the law authorizes it to post certain information on a profile indefinitely and other specified information for a limited period of time, and it links to an explanation of what is and isn’t available on a physician’s record. So a clean profile tells you what’s on the record, not everything that could ever have happened. It’s a starting point for your own questions.
You can also search by city or county, or by self-reported survey responses such as practice location, area of practice or foreign language. That can be useful if you’re looking for a physician who speaks a language you prefer.
What’s the difference between a license, board certification and membership?
This is where people most often get confused, and it’s worth getting straight. Marketing tends to run the three together.
| Credential | What it is | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| State license | Permission to practice medicine in California | Medical Board of California |
| Board certification | Certification in a field of medicine by a certifying board. For plastic surgery, the American Board of Plastic Surgery | Ask which board, then check with that board |
| Society membership | Membership in a professional society, such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons | The society’s member directory |
Dr. Soltero’s own example shows how these sit side by side. His member page at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists his board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2002, along with his membership in the society. The certification comes from the board. The membership comes from the society.
When should you run the check?
Do it before you book, and again before you sign anything for surgery. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll walk in knowing the basics, which leaves your consultation free for the questions a website can’t answer. If the record shows something you don’t understand, ask the surgeon about it directly, or ask the Board. A straight answer to an awkward question tells you something useful too.
What should you ask about the facility?
A license covers the doctor, not the room. So if you’re planning surgery, ask where it will take place and who will give the anesthesia. Ask whether the facility is accredited, by whom, and whether that accreditation is current. Then ask how you can confirm it yourself.
What else can you check?
The Board’s page also points to:
- A license alert app. It sends notifications when a doctor’s name, address, practice status, license expiration or survey data changes, or when actions or enforcement documents are added to a profile.
- CMS Open Payments. A federal site with information on payments from drug and medical device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals.
If the Board’s site is temporarily unavailable, its page says to try again later, and it lists a phone number for its Consumer Information Unit.
What should you ask at the consultation?
Once you’ve checked the record, these are fair questions for any surgeon:
- Which board certified you, and in what year?
- How many of this procedure do you perform?
- Where would my surgery take place, and who would give the anesthesia?
- Who handles my follow-up if something comes up after hours?
- May I see your gallery of pre- and post-operative pictures?
A good office will be glad to answer these. Here’s how one patient put it in a Google review: “I wasn’t pressured into adding any other procedures that I didn’t want.” Individual experiences vary.
What should you read next?
If you’re considering implants, read the FDA’s list of things to weigh before choosing breast implants and our page on breast augmentation. For body procedures, read what a tummy tuck involves and what liposuction does and doesn’t do. To meet the surgeon behind this site, see about Dr. Soltero.
