How to Check the Number of Procedures a Doctor Has Completed

Doctors spend years studying and learning about human health and wellness. While all doctors study for years, finding the best doctor for a specific procedure requires some personal research. Each doctor is different and most doctors have different areas of specialization. Finding the best doctor for any specific procedure, whether it is a complicated procedure like a heart surgery or a minor procedure like a laser resurfacing, the number of procedures the doctor completes is a good indication of the doctor's abilities.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask the doctor. Knowing the number the doctor claims to perform is the best starting point for checking the doctor. The specific type of procedure will determine the number of times a doctor is likely to perform the procedure. For example, a rare heart condition might only come up once in a year, resulting in fewer procedures. A procedure to improve physical appearance like removing skin discoloration is more likely to have more procedures completed.

• 2

  Check the state medical board. Many state medical boards will provide free information. The exact information available will differ by state and the laws of the state, but most will give information about the doctor's degrees, specialization and types of procedures performed by the doctor. Some states will give information about the number of procedures performed while others will not. Sometimes, the information available will depend on the specific procedure.

• 3

  Ask at the hospital where the doctor works. Doctors that work in an area of specialization such as open heart surgery work in a hospital rather than a clinic. The hospital can give information about the number of procedures the doctor has performed since working in the hospital and, in most cases, the hospital is willing to give the information to patients that need the procedure.