Guide To Selecting The Right Physician In Medical Tourism by Dr Prem Jagyasi – Checking Credentials, Affiliation, Reviews, and Other Tips

Selecting The Right Physician In Medical Tourism

Now that you have scoured around for the ideal medical tourism destination and have picked the right healthcare facility within that region, the next important step is to choose the most suitable physician for your condition. Trying to find a good doctor in your home country is difficult enough, so you can only imagine the various considerations to take into account when searching for doctors overseas.

Not only the medical tourists, but all stakeholders in medical tourism business must know to select the right physician or surgeon based on the patient’s varied needs, a vital step in medical tourism matchmaking.

The physician, specialist or surgeon needs to have the precise experience, expertise and appropriate credentials. These qualifications are essential in a physician to ensure that they can accurately perform any tests, diagnose and ultimately treat your condition in the best possible manner. The physician’s post operative services should also be easily accessible in terms of communication and interaction with you.

In this medical tourism guide, you will read about the following:

Guide To Selecting The Right Physician In Medical Tourism by Dr Prem Jagyasi – Checking Credentials, Affiliation, Reviews, and Other Tips

Understanding the experience, knowledge and credentials of a doctor

Doctor talking to female patient in working cabinet at hospital

Once you have made the decision to engage in medical tourism, it becomes essential that you meticulously screen the list of potential doctors. The physician’s credentials and experience plays a crucial role in your selection. Any medical tourism consultant, expert, or facilitator will emphasize this point a lot.

Just like other professions, there are good and bad medical practitioners—it should become your supreme task to begin scrutinizing the past and current endeavors of the doctor you are planning on seeking care from. If they are affiliated with a facility catering to medical tourism, then they should be more than happy to send out a full CV (Curriculum Vitae that contains all the relevant educational and professional information of the physician).

As a medical tourist, you can start by examine the past and the current activities of the doctor you are planning to seek care from. You can find out more about their academic background and ensure that they are affiliated with a facility catering especially to international patients.

The diagnosis and medical reporting in your home country can be very different from the standard of reporting and diagnosis in your chosen medical tourism destination and affiliation to a medical tourism facility ensures that the doctor can understand and seek important information from different report and diagnosis documents. To understand this, medical tourism facilitators and agencies may opt for special medical tourism training or coaching.

In addition to this, try to personally contact the physicians and ask them if they have ever treated a medical tourist with similar medical condition. If it is so, ask them about the procedure, outcome, treating period and complications.

You can also try to get in touch with the patient, by seeking contact information from the doctor. If possible, you can get in touch with a past patient in order to know more about the treatment that was offered to that patient and how effective the treatment really was.

Once you have set up your mind to travel overseas to avail for healthcare, it becomes essential for you to crosscheck the claims of the doctor with the actual patient testimonials. This would help you to be in a better position to make an informed decision.

Understanding a physician’s CV (curriculum vitae)

Medical tourism advisors or experts most often recommend this step to medical tourists. Study the doctor’s CV to understand the various aspects pertaining to his/her medical background. 

The first thing you should look for in the doctor’s CV is his educational background. Go through the country’s medical education infrastructure and then check the information with the doctor’s CV. For instance, some universities in the United Kingdom only require a few years of tertiary education for a student to be labeled as a doctor, while in the United States, it is essential for students to attend four years in a pre-medical school and then four years in a medical school to be labeled as a doctor.

The next thing you should do is to check the name of the college or medical school from where the doctor has completed his medical education. Do internet research to ascertain that the medical school or college is reputed and accredited by government authorities of the region. Take a look at where they studied and determine whether it was an accredited and reputed school. Once their education is established, then it is time to start looking at the doctor’s track record following his/her medical graduation.

Once you have completely established the doctor’s educational background, it is time for you to start looking at his/her record of accomplishment following his/her medical graduation. Gain enough knowledge about the doctor’s past work experiences to find out the total years that the doctor has spent in the profession.

In addition to the doctor’s medical background, you as a patient should also gather information regarding the doctor’s involvement in medical research or affiliation with various medical organizations. Since medical science is an ever-evolving field of study, a doctor’s involvement in medical research will ascertain that he/she is fully abreast of the latest in medical science, diseases, and treatment options.

As a member of reputed medical organizations, the doctor will be able to continuously try and improve his/her medical practice and will also remain in touch with qualified peers, which is essential for his medical profession. Ideally, you should choose a physician who is deeply involved with medical research and is associated with globally renowned medical organizations.

There are regional and international associations for almost every specialty in medical science, each with like-minded doctors and peers. Therefore, you initially have to understand which groups your potential physician is a member of, to judge his/her knowledge about the specialty, his experience and the desire to grow within the field and specialty.

Involvement in medical research and affiliation

medical research

Apart from the educational qualifications, the patient should also endeavor to gather information regarding the doctor’s involvement in medical research or affiliation with medical associations. You need to bear in mind that medicine is an ever-evolving science and that a good physician will continuously try and improve his/her practice by linking up with medical associations and interacting with qualified peers.

There are regional and international associations for almost every speciality in medicine, so understanding which groups your physician is part of will demonstrate their desire to grow within the field.

Decoding a doctor’s abbreviations

Unlike in the curriculum vitae of any other professional, doctors usually list their qualification and education in abbreviations, which might be thoroughly confusing to a layman. The list of abbreviations which you might find in a doctor’s curriculum vitae is seemingly endless, as the abbreviations differ in different parts of the world.

Moreover, several doctors also list the associations of which they are a member, in abbreviated form too, making it nearly impossible for you to find out what they mean. Since you want to know everything about a doctor before you visit him in a foreign country, decoding these abbreviations is your responsibility.

Abbreviations differ in different parts of the world. For instance, MD stands for Medical Doctor in the United States of America, and this is equivalent to M.B.B.S (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) in India. Some other abbreviations that are commonly used by doctors are MS, which translates to Masters in a specific field, DMD that translates to Doctor of Medical Dentistry, and DDS translating to Doctor of Dental Surgery.

In addition to abbreviations denoting the educational background of a doctor, several physicians also list abbreviations of the associations that they are a part of in their curriculum vitae. For instance, ASPS is a prestigious association entitled ‘American Society of Plastic Surgery’ and if you read this abbreviation in a doctor’s curriculum vitae, it means that the doctor is renowned and has established himself as one of the premier plastic surgeons in the world.

Other commonly used abbreviations are PHP, which stands for Primary Health Physician and GP, which stands for General Physician. Doctors having these abbreviations in their CV can make general diagnoses for common treatments but they are not specialized within a specific field of medicine. Although these doctors are fully qualified to prescribe patients with medication for commonly occurring diseases, they will not be the best for a specialized treatment. However, these doctors can definitely refer patients to a specialist.

Unlike a normal GP or a PHP, a specialist has spent additional years in obtaining advanced training and education to treat a patient with special needs. Specialists focus on a particular area of the human body; for example, a cardiologist is a heart specialist, allergist is a doctor specializing in treating allergies and surgeons are doctors that have the skills to operate on specific organs.Today, medical tourism facilitators are also well-acquainted with these abbreviations and can ably guide medical tourists.

Medical tourists should avoid quick-fix doctors that charge less and over promise

A men with doctor having a head problem

Since a lot of healthcare professionals have witnessed the immense popularity of medical tourism and the benefits of treating foreign patients, the number of quick fix treatments by incompetent and medical practitioners has increased. This often happens in the case of low-cost cosmetic surgeriesobesity operations and dental treatments which also promise short term recoveries. Yet, in the long run, these quick-fix treatments may prove dangerous to your health and general well.

For example, many people will neglect oral hygiene for years, and only when it is unbearable they frantically look around for the best and nearest dentist. Dentists who advertise short term solutions, quick relief and package deals should be approached with caution. They may be out to make a quick buck; which means any banner/commercial that reads, ‘walk home pain-free in 3 hours with a smile’, could be dangerous.

A genuine dentist will never advertise his/her skills. Rather, the qualified dentist will be willing to conduct an initial consultation before putting the patient on the dental chair. A good dentist may wish to take some X-rays and conduct tests before determining the appropriate treatment.

Additionally, it is impossible for any good physician or doctor to claim results without actually diagnosing the problem. A qualified surgeon will be willing to conduct an initial communication or discussion to determine the cause of your discomfort, before putting you under the knife. Only after some X-rays and tests have been performed, will he/she be able to give you an estimate about the time it could take for your problem to be corrected.

Diligent review of claims

It is important for patients, especially medical tourists, to judge the qualifications of a reputed any healthcare professional by looking at his/her past patients, and verify tempting healthcare claims before opting for any one of them., healthcare professionals are banned from making claims in some countries, which cannot be verified. While, in some developing countries, such laws do not exist and healthcare professionals do everything they can. Marketing tall claims on behalf of a provider will never augur well for medical tourism business. Facilitators, consultants, and agencies should be aware of this.

Being cheap and affordable shouldn’t have to mean that you compromise on receiving quality healthcare from your physician.

Check patient testimonials

testimonials of patient

The best way to find the right professional is thorough research via various mediums. You can find reviews and testimonials of fellow patients on the internet, ask local physicians (they have a good network in many cities, as they are affiliated to programs and medical organisations), medical insurance companies (they have a database of facilities and the specialists who work with them). There is a huge catalogue of different doctors to sift through.

Medical tourists should only look for licensed, board-certified doctors

Not every medical professional is equipped to handle foreign patients as the needs of patients from different countries are dissimilar. Patients, medical tourism facilitators and companies should keep this in mind.

In countries accustomed to hosting medical tourism, the medical council provides physicians with the necessary license required to practice. A patient should look for this important certificate. A simple search should generate enough results to provide you with information about a physician’s credentials.

Many doctors also furnish a board certificate. This is required from the doctor specialising in a specific treatment. The medical field has widened its scope with its continuous research and discoveries. Every field has a (medical) board that allows practitioners to continue under their aegis. But there may be doctors who do not upgrade their board certificates.

When a doctor does not keep up with this important component, then he/she is not abreast of the latest progress in the particular field of medicine. This could also mean that the doctor is lagging behind on his/her knowledge about new pharmaceutical drugs, patents and laws of expertise.

Doctors who continue to hone their skills will be a member of affiliated associations that encourage progress and tireless education. They also share their knowledge base through workshops to help patients achieve optimum health and treatments. In fact, this is the motto of every good doctor.

Medical tourists should select physicians that are able to communicate well

smiling female doctor with clipboard and patients in hospital

Communication between a physician and a patient is a huge factor that impacts a medical tourist’s decision when selecting a doctor. While most of us feel relatively comfortable while communicating with members of the hotel staff before we check it, we usually get more submissive in matters relating to medical treatment.

It is essential for you to understand that if you are willing to pay a good amount of money for top-notch healthcare, you also have the right to ask as many questions as you want. The physician also has the responsibility to clearly explain the need for various treatments and services that will be introduced during your visit.

Sometimes, the skilled professional may not speak the language of the visiting patient which could potentially affect the entire treatment. Hence once the portfolio is checked, the next issue for consideration is interpretation. You should aim to pick a physician who is able to speak in a common language. A translator might be used in a worst-case scenario, but remember that misinterpretations are very likely in such cases.

Always keep a check on the responses given by the physician to your queries and look for signs if the physician is unable to explain something. In addition, ask questions pertaining to the routine of the doctor. Ask how many patients the doctor sees each day; if the number of patients is too large, the doctor might not be in a position to give you personalized service and care, which could affect your treatment. Also, check if the doctor has successfully treated other patients with the same ailment. If he/she has, then ask about the outcomes and the side effects.

Physicians should aim to make their patient feel at ease

To make the patient feel at ease, a good doctor will attempt to ensure his/her patient’s comfort and satisfaction.

  1. The physician should reply to all enquires of the patient, even after the appointment is over. Should you call, the doctor should not refuse to respond to any follow-up enquiry.
  2. The doctor will let you choose the health care facility in case hospitalisation is required.
  3. If it is a male doctor, he will make a female patient feel comfortable in his presence.
  4. Not all doctors have labs or clinical tools at their disposal within their facility. You should be made aware of where these tests will be conducted.
  5. Your doctor should be able to answer all insurance related questions for you and describe where and how the claims will be sent. If the doctor’s services or treatment comes under the medical insurance bracket, you need to be informed about whether the doctor will release bills for the same from his/her office or if these will be issued from another facility?

As a prudent patient, it is better not to risk any examination on the very first visit to the practitioner. Carry a list of questions so that time is not wasted. A simple appointment with several healthcare providers and specialists is recommended before arriving at your final decision.

Importance of asking as many questions as possible

smiling young nurse greeting patient in hall of modern clinic

Often patients feel nervous and vulnerable when it comes to particular medical services. While you may be comfortable enough questioning the staff at a hotel, you find yourself more submissive in matters related to medical treatment.

Since you’re paying to avail of top-notch healthcare, it becomes your right as a patient to ask as many questions as you want. Why should you have to pay the fees of an honorary visit by a doctor while in hospital when it has not been mentioned in your itinerary? Why should you also have to pay for services that are unnecessary? Proper interaction is a must with the doctors.

A physician should be able to explain why an additional service has been introduced during the treatment. While seeking the treatment, look for signs if the physician is unable to explain something. If you are not getting the right response, it may be time to go back to the research stage and initiate a new search for another skilled doctor.

It is quite appropriate to ask the physician how many patients they see in a month. If they are seeing too many, they may not have the time to give you personalised service or care, which could affect the overall treatment as a medical tourist.

As part of the enquiry, it is only right that you should ask about the outcome of the treatment and if there are any side-effects. Also check if they physician has treated any other patients with the same ailment successfully. You may wish to speak to some patients treated by your doctor. A competent doctor will not hesitate to provide such referrals.

As mentioned earlier a well-qualified and highly skilled doctor is not likely to come cheap. Nevertheless, ask about the fees and then decide if it fits into your medical budget. It is normal for more experienced doctors to charge a higher fee as they deal with fewer patients.

Doctors tend to demand for more professional fees if surgery is involved. As a potential patient, make a comparative chart of the fees you will incur during consultation, surgery and all the way through to post-operative care.

Importance of asking questions to your local and treating doctor

Once you have made your mind for a journey, it is vital to educated yourself with all required information, you have to make the initial communication with your local physician and treating doctor.

You should enquire about the healthcare facility, its standards and its history of serving international patients. It is important to enquire about the international accreditation or certification of the hospital and clinic. However, the most important person you should be communicating with is your treating and local doctors. You should consult in detail about your medical condition, your medical history, procedures, complications and treatment options.

You must ensure that you are receiving the surgical treatment or any other medical treatment from certified and experienced medical professionals. Furthermore, you should also enquire and check if the treating facility you have chosen has the modern equipment and technology to ensure a successful treatment. You can also surf the internet to know more about your chosen healthcare center and the treating facility.

As you are traveling abroad to avail medical treatment, you will never want to face any kind of problems during medical travel. Therefore, you should be familiar with a number of important things, such as the medical procedure, accreditation systems, treatment location, surgeon qualifications and the pre-and post-operative arrangements in order to protect yourself from such a situation.

For this purpose, you should communicate with your treating and local doctor because communication is an integral aspect of the medical tourism process. Once you have decided your medical destination and the treating facility, it is best for you to start communicating as soon as possible with the hospital personnel.

It is vital for medical tourists to start communication with their medical facility abroad and concerned doctor in order to ensure successful treatment and surgery. As you are visiting a destination alien to you, you must concentrate on enquiring as much as possible with your surgeon. Ask as many questions as possible to your treating doctor so that you can clear all your doubts.

Medical tourists should insist on personalized services

Doctor comforting and reassuring depressed and worried young female patient sitting in medical chair

If you have chosen a doctor who is already attending several patients each day, he/she might not be able to give you personalized care and service. Such doctors accept new patients and after doing the initial diagnosis, they often refer patients to their interns for follow-up treatment and appointment.

As a prudent medical tourist, it becomes your responsibility to discuss these things with the doctor in advance. Demand that the entire fees of the treatment should be directly paid to the physician so that you don’t end up getting treated by an intern.

However, keep in mind that sometimes it becomes necessary for one or more healthcare professionals to coordinate with one another. You may require good team work from all the healthcare professionals involved in your case before you can return to your home country following a successful procedure and healthy recovery.

Along with personalized care and services, a good doctor should also make their patients feel at ease. If you have chosen a good doctor, he/she will reply to all your enquiries even after your treatment is over. If you call your doctor, he/she will not refuse to respond to any follow-up enquiry. If you are a woman and have chosen a male doctor, he will do everything he can to make you feel comfortable in his presence.

Also, keep in mind that not all doctors have clinical labs and tools at their disposal within their facility. In such a case, you should ask the doctor to tell you about the facility where all the necessary tests will be conducted. Research about the testing facility and verify its credentials and credibility.

In addition, make sure that the doctor is capable of answering all your insurance related questions. Do check if the doctor’s services and your treatment comes under your medical insurance bracket, you should need to be informed about whether the doctor will release bills from his/her office or will they be issued by another facility.

The last thing to keep in mind is that you should not undergo any examination on the very first visit to the practitioner. On the other hand, prepare a list of questions to ask so that your time is not wasted. Most facilities and doctors will provide a teleconferencing option before you leave your home country. This will facilitate your communication with your physician, and allow him to explain your course of treatment, and clear any doubts you might have, and answer your questions.

Is your physician the right man for the job?

While it sounds relatively easy, the fact is that finding a good doctor or a surgeon in your own country takes a lot of time and research. Since as a potential medical tourist, you have to find a good doctor or surgeon in a destination foreign to you, the process can be a lot more daunting and tedious.

After you have arrived at your selected medical tourism destination and have reached the facility, all you can do now is to trust the doctor and his skills. Selecting the one, who is credible, experienced, has complete knowledge of your condition and the various treatment options available can be a little tricky.

The first thing you have to ensure is that the doctor or the surgeon has a great educational background, precise experience, expertise and appropriate credentials. Understanding these credentials is important to ensure that the doctor can accurately perform any tests, diagnose and ascertain the seriousness of your condition, and ultimately treat it in the best possible way.

It is always a good option to research the healthcare facility that you have selected for the list of doctors that work there, and then shortlist the ones who have specialized in treating medical conditions similar to yours. Before you select any physician, speak with the healthcare facility’s foreign patient department and get the contact details of all the doctors available there.

Make a telephonic appointment with the doctors and speak with them regarding your medical condition and your travel plans. Make sure that they will be available during your time of visit and will be in a position to serve you.

Additionally, make sure that the physician will offer post-operative and post-treatment services. Finding a good doctor overseas is a difficult job and apart from doing thorough research, you should get in touch with your local doctor or your medical insurance provider for some recommendations. This chapter aims to help you in your research of finding the best possible doctor in an overseas location.

Experience, knowledge and credentials of the doctor

Senior patient on bed talking to African American female doctor in hospital room

The list of doctors available at any healthcare facility in a potential medical tourism destination will be long and you will have to meticulously screen the list to shortlist the doctors who you think are perfect for treating you.

One of the first things that you have to do is to rate the doctors according to their experience. Just like in any other profession, experience only betters a doctor’s skills, and an experienced doctor will not just be able to treat you quickly, but will also be ready to take up unexpected challenges that can come up during treatment.

Start by scrutinizing the past and the current endeavors of the doctor you are planning to seek care from. Find out more about their educational background and ensure that they are affiliated with a facility catering especially to medical tourism. The diagnosis and medical reporting in your home country can be entirely different from the standard of reporting and diagnosis in a medical tourism destination.

Affiliation to a medical tourism facility ensures that the doctor can understand and seek important information from different report and diagnosis documents. Once you are satisfied with the credentials of the doctor, ask them for their complete Curriculum Vitae, which will contain all other relevant information.

Try to contact the physician personally and ask him/her if he/she has ever treated a medical tourist with a medical condition similar to yours. If yes, ask about the outcome and how long did the patient actually had to stay at the healthcare facility and what kind of post-treatment services did they require.

If possible, try to get in touch with the patient by seeking contact information from the physician. This would help you get valuable information about the physician, his skills and how he was able to prepare the patient for treatment and what kind of post-treatment services he offered.

In addition, by getting in touch with a past patient, you will get to know more about the treatment that was offered to him/her and how effective the treatment really was. Once you have crosschecked the claims of the doctor with the actual patient testimonials, you will be in a better position to make an informed decision.

Know your doctors and their capabilities to ensure you get the best deal

There is no better way to know more about a doctor than by carefully going through his/her curriculum vitae. The curriculum vitae, or simply CV, carries all relevant educational and professional information about a physician. Utilize this CV to understand the various aspects pertaining to the doctor’s medical background.

Tips to Finding the best doctors for your overseas medical treatment

Doctor comparing two lungs x-rays of patient after his recovery

Medical tourism has been on the rise since the late 1980s. It has bloomed into a multibillion-dollar industry as more and more individuals opt to travel abroad for medical treatments.

In addition to these reasons, the prospect of combining a medical travel with a trip to a foreign destination entices many individuals to opt for medical tourism.

However, like at home, it is imperative that patients research all the options available in order to find the best and safest doctor for their treatment overseas.Here are some tips that would help to find the best doctors, physicians or surgeons for overseas treatment:

Research Hospital and Staff Accreditation and Affiliation

Make sure the hospital you choose is internationally accredited for quality of health care. International accreditation would offer an extra blanket of comfort for medical patients while traveling abroad.Also check if the hospital has affiliations with medical centers in developed countries like the UK and U.S. to ensure that the center follows the best and most researched practices.

Research the credentials of the doctor

 physician sitting in modern hospital and showing important diploma

Check for the doctor’s credentials, including education, board certification, affiliations, professional history, patient references, recommendations and referrals. This will help you make a sound choice when choosing a doctor overseas.

Ask for Success Rates

An established hospital or surgeon would be more than happy to share details about previous patients who had successfully undergone treatment at their hands. They would also offer you contact numbers for reference.

Ask about instances of specific procedure

Young woman during the consultation and selection of breast silicone implants. breast augmentation

If you are seeking a particular treatment, find out how many similar treatments the doctor and the hospital have performed successfully in the past. This will give you an idea of what to expect upon arrival.

Speak to patients with similar conditions to choose the same doctor

Chances are someone you know might have got treated overseas for a similar condition. Ask the individual about his/her experience with the doctor. If the answer is satisfying, you could very well choose the same doctor for your treatment.

Smart decision making is about choosing a professional over a quick fix quack

A doctor in blue uniform with a stethoscope tied in his hands. The concept of obligations, restrictions, contracts, crimes.

The growth in medical tourism has not only brought quality healthcare services to millions, but has also given professionals a way to promote their services. While most experienced healthcare professionals promote quality services, a few incompetent medical practitioners promote quick-fix treatments to gain attention. Medical tourism facilitators and agencies should also be cautious of these quacks and their claims while referring patients.

Avoid quick-fix doctors that charge less and promise more

It is essential for potential medical tourists to verify a doctor’s tall claims with a registered medical practitioner in their own country, long before they plan their travel. In most cases, these quick-fix treatments are not effective, and the worst case scenario is that they are relatively expensive and can prove to be harmful for patients.

As an example, many people simply neglect their oral hygiene for years, and only when their teeth start deteriorating and the pain becomes unbearable, they frantically look around to find the best and the nearest dentist. Dentists who advertise easy solutions, quick relief and package deals should be approached with caution. The best you can do is to stay away from enticing commercials such as “Walk home pain-free in just 30 minutes”, as these fixes could potentially be dangerous.

A good dentist who follows standardized procedures will not have the time, or the need, to advertise his/her services. A good dentist relies on his patients to promote his/her services. If you, as a patient, got good dental care services from a dentist, you will definitely share his name with your friends and coworkers.

It is nearly impossible for any dentist to claim results without actually diagnosing the problem in your teeth. A qualified dental surgeon will be willing to conduct an initial consultation to determine the cause of your discomfort, before putting you in the dental chair. Only after some X-rays and tests, he/she will be able to give you an estimate about the time it could take for your problem to be corrected.

It is extremely important for patients, including medical tourists, to judge the credentials of a reputed dentist or any healthcare professional by looking at his/her past patients, and verify enticing healthcare claims before opting for any one of them. In some countries, healthcare professionals are banned from making claims which cannot be verified. However, in some countries, such laws do not exist and healthcare professionals do everything they can, such as making false claims and offering inexpensive services to entice patients and potential medical tourists looking for a magical cure.

Only choose licensed, board-certified doctors

Team of healthcare workers discussing in boardroom with asian female doctor presenting her plan

Unlike the common misconception that any doctor can treat a foreign medical tourist, the fact is that not every medical professional is fully equipped and trained to handle foreign patients. This is because the needs and requirements of patients in different parts of the world are different, and so is the type of treatment that they are looking forward for. In countries which have established themselves as reputed medical tourism destinations, the medical council provides practicing license to trained and equipped medical professionals.

As a potential medical tourist, it becomes essential for you to look for this important certificate. With a simple research, you should be able to generate enough results to provide you with information about a physician’s credentials. In addition to the license, many doctors also furnish a board certificate. Doctors who are board-certified are specialists in a specific treatment.

The medical field has widened its scope with continuous research and discoveries. Each specific field has a medical board, which allows practitioners to continue practicing under their support. Being a part of such a reputed board keeps practitioners abreast of the latest developments in their field of practice.

Many doctors fail to upgrade their board certificates and hence are not fully capable of understanding the new developments in their specific field. This could also mean that the doctor is lagging behind on his/her knowledge about new pharmaceutical drugs, treatment options, patents and laws of expertise. It is extremely important for you to look for a medical practitioner who has an updated board certificate and the license to treat foreign patients.

Doctors who have updated board certificates are members of esteemed and affiliated associations, which encourage doctors to progress with tireless education. Since these doctors always remain in touch with the current technology and treatment options, they are always in a position to share their acquired knowledge base with others through workshops. Such doctors always make sure that their patients achieve optimum health and treatment, which in fact, is the motto of every good doctor.

Make sure you crosscheck the doctor’s medical certification with the board that he/she claims to be a member of. The first thing you should check is whether the board is certified and is a recognized medical specialty board. The second thing is to verify the doctor’s association with the board. You can simply browse the board’s website to ascertain if the doctor’s name is listed on the board’s members list.

Medical travel is on the rise these days. Be sure to choose the doctor and hospital for your treatment carefully with the help of these tips.

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