There are many doctors who are not board-certified, merely board-eligible. It doesn’t necessarily meant that the physician can’t practice medicine, as this this article cites Dr. Robert Rey, aka celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. 90210.

Given the success of his practice, does business savvy and reputation trump board certification? If so, why should doctors bother to get certified?

You do not have to be the best doctor or care provider in order to have a busy practice. It is well known in the medical community that, if you really want to find out whether a doctor or surgeon is good, you need to ask the key personnel who work with many doctors . . .

. . . It makes me wonder why we have board certifications, after all, if the general public does not care much about it. Physicians in medicine seem to be chasing their tails getting more and more qualified, but perhaps this is all a futile endeavor.

Board certification is often needed for hospital privileges and to contract with insurance companies.

As more physicians are going to cash-only, office-based practices, is there less incentive than ever to become board certified?