In the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, 300 Spartans held off an overwhelming Persian force for three days before being outflanked. In modern times, like the Spartans, 342 surgeons certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery are under attack by the vastly larger American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In the November 2020 issue

By Dr. J. Kevin Duplechain, AACS President-Elect, 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting Chair Since we introduced the 2021 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting in the previous issue of The Consult, the Meeting Planning Committee and I have been hard at work creating a dynamic and engaging program that makes the best of our online platform. From February 3-28, you’ll be able to

By Mark Mandell-Brown, MD, President of AACS One of my favorite quotes comes from Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It was with this spirit of collaboration and cooperation that we held the first ever Cosmetic Surgery Strategy Summit on October 24, 2020. The Summit brought together

By Dr. Mohammad Banki, AACS Facial Fellowship and Membership Committee Chair As Dr. Suzan Obagi so eloquently put in her article published in The Consult this past spring, resident members are a critical part of the future of AACS. Since March, there has been an effort to grow the AACS Resident Member roster. 81 applications have been received

By Dr. Tony Geroulis and Dr. Robert Jackson, AACS Delegates to the AMA House of Representatives The American Medical Association held its 2020 Special Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates virtually on November 13-17. We, AACS representatives Drs. Tony Geroulis and Robert Jackson, are reporting back on items that may be important to our

By Dr. Edward Zimmerman, President of ABLS As the world’s only laser medical specialty board, the American Board of Laser Surgery believes laser practitioners require maximum understanding of laser tissue interaction and safety to provide the best treatments for their patients. The Board was founded in 1984 to provide education and certification for lasers in medicine and

AACS brings together representatives from a diverse array of disciplines with the common goal of advancing cosmetic surgery. Within AACS, there are three subspecialty groups represented on the Board of Trustees. Current AACS members can demonstrate their commitment to these subspecialty areas by adding them to their AACS membership during the application or renewal process. The

By Dr. J. Kevin Duplechain, President, Cosmetic Surgery Foundation As I sat down to write this article, I reflected on the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation’s Webster Society and why I have chosen to maintain my membership in it. I found myself thinking about my career and the joy that being a cosmetic surgeon brings me. My first thoughts

by Dr. Jane Petro, Past President of AACS and Co-Chair of the Women in Cosmetic Surgery Committee A few weeks ago, the Women in Cosmetic Surgery Committee had an opportunity to hold its first meeting. For me and my co-chair Suzan Obagi, MD, it was the realization of an idea that had been discussed for almost 10

Course Director Dr. Rania Agha with faculty member and AACS President Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown By Dr. Rania Agha, AACS Treasurer AACS hosted its first ever Training Institute: Hands-On Injectable Course on August 22-23 in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. I served as course director and hosted it my practice, Summit Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery. Dr. Sheila Barbarino,