Who is board certified n what does it mean if they are not?

Well I decided are my final three doctors. Lo and behold there we sites say they are board certified bariatric surgeons with thr photocopy to prove it. 

Now I go to two websites www.cmcoem.org.mx and www.amce.com.mx .... done of the chosen are on these sites.

Someone tell me what does that mean. Then these doctors list these other US associated credentials such as SAGE AND SURGEON OF EXCELLENCE. What does this all really mean 

I guess no one knows, so I'll take a stab. Board Certified is a way to say that a surgeon has met some kind of criteria or qualifications. It's like having a medical license but beyond that. I think you have to take exams, "boards" and pass them to become board certified. I would never recommend someone visit a doctor who is not board certified but to be honest, I didn't even go to the board websites and check my surgeon so I could have been fooled. 

The "surgeon of excellence" thing is (in theory) a designation that is based on numerous factors like the surgeon's experience level, complication rate, number of surgeries performed, quality of their facilities, etc. They have to meet a high standard for all these things and even have a site-inspection to be deemed a surgeon of excellence, or alternately, the entire practice can be called a surgical center of excellence.

Now, there are probably some less legit designations that others. There are probably some that all a surgeon has to do is pay a large fee and he'll get a stamp of approval. But in the USA if you go to a "bariatric center of surgical excellence" (there are usually only a couple per state) you can be sure they have met some strict criteria. And I'm sure internationally this exists too.

Hope this helps... I'd definitely check into it more if you have doubts about the accreditation of your surgeon. 

,Dr. Wilhelmy who works with Dr. Ungson at Mexicali bariatrics is board certified.

Very confusing since Mexico has different certifications and training requirements than in the US.

To confuse things even further, several highly trained and experienced Mexican surgeons are members of ASMBS.

More importantly are the docs who are FACS (Fellows of the American College of Surgeons);

some that come to mind are Wilhemly, Ariel Ortiz, Juan COrvala and J. Kelly.

In general, these surgeons tend to operate in better hospitals and are more expensive.

This is what my research is showing. Do I want to pay more with these docs? Perhaps.

i will figure this all out in the next week or two.

The information shared here is very helpful, and you all seem very informed about it, so I'll go ahead and ask,

Does Mexico have the same medical standards as in the US?

How can I make sure that the surgeon shares accurate information and they're not just saying it taking advantage of new comers? 

What is the difference between board elegible and board certified?

Is there a website where I can read about the certifications and degrees for Mexican surgeons?

Thank you for your answers, they will be very helpful.

Mexico is a huge country, and as in the US you'll find the very best care down to the very worst. That said, there are a lot of great both Mexico and US trained surgeons. Now, when it comes to certifications: at least in Mexico, I know from friends and family who happen to be doctors that this matters next to nothing, it is more about internal politics among doctors. Of course credentials matter... but it's better to check about their experience, college degree (that it comes from a real university), where have they worked and, of course, patient reviews and testimonials.

Some of the country's best bariatric surgeons I know of like Dr. Ariel Ortiz, Dr. Wilhelmy (former Dr. Alberto Aceves associate), Dr. Jorge Maytorena and Dr. Guillermo Alvarez ARE NOT certified by Mexico's Board of Obesity Surgery and Metabolic Diseases. But they are great physicians with impeccable track records. Now, it only depends in which city you want to have your surgery and how much do you want to pay for it since prices may vary a lot (even though all of them are cheaper than in the US).

For us living in Tijuana made things easier when choosing Dr. Maytorena. He operates in both Mexicali and Tijuana, but here he leads a super ambitious weight loss program called Long Term VSG where gastric sleeve surgery is like $3000 (we were charged even a bit less since we didn't need to pay for hotel stay, we took our dad back home). It may very well be the most affordable high quality option in like... the world? But take your time, read what people are saying and choose freely. Good luck!

Just a note of CAUTION..

Did you happen to check the American College of Physicians here: https://www.facs.org/profile/1361728679 if Dr Ariel Ortiz LAGARDERE is  a memeber here he is definatley board certified in Mexico :)  as are Liza Maria POMPA Gonzalez and Jaime Ricardo RAMOS Kelly.