The selection process for Super Doctors is a rigorous multi-step process designed to identify healthcare providers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Super Doctors is a selective yet diverse listing of outstanding doctors, representing consumer-oriented medical specialties. (Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons from select markets are also named to the list).
Survey of Doctors
- First, we create a pool of candidates. Each year Super Doctors invites doctors to nominate colleagues they know to be exceptional in their specified field. They are asked to consider the following question: "If you needed medical care in one of the following specialties, which doctor would you choose?" Numerous safeguards are in place to prevent ballot manipulation and doctors may not self-nominate.
Candidate Search
- Our research staff also contributes to the pool of candidates by searching medical databases, online sources, and publications for providers who have attained certain credentials, honors or professional achievements - what we term 'Star Search Credentials.' This process also includes doctors in less visible or highly specialized medical treatment areas.
Research
We evaluate candidates on 10 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.
- Years of experience
- Hospital appointments
- Fellowships
- Professional activities
- Leadership positions
- Academic achievements/positions
- Board certifications
- Publications, lectures & presentations
- Honors and awards
- Other outstanding achievement
Blue Ribbon Panel Review
- Nominees are then grouped into specialties. Doctors, in each area, who have the highest scores from the nomination and evaluation steps are invited to serve on a "blue ribbon panel." Each panelist is asked to review and evaluate a list of nominees from his/her area of focus.
The Final Selection
- The last step is to total the points received from nominations, research, and blue ribbon panel review. Only the highest-scoring doctors are included on the Super Doctors list. The Super Doctors list is approximately 5% of the doctors within the respective state or region.
Before Publishing
- Each candidate is contacted to verify the doctor's professional information. Honorees are asked to verify they have not been subject to disciplinary or criminal proceedings. The research staff also independently reviews the discipline record of each candidate before publication and verifies that the doctor is active and in good standing.
The Super Doctors Rising Stars selection process
The selection process for Rising Stars and for Super Doctors are the same except:
- To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, candidates must be active and fully-licensed to practice for approximately 10 years or less.
- A nominee's accomplishments do not include years of experience.
While approximately 5 percent of the doctors within the respective state or region are named to Super Doctors, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.
Post-Selection
Even if selected, a candidate's name will not be published on the Super Doctors list unless all information is confirmed prior to publication. Licensed and active providers with a "Doctor of Medicine" degree (MD) or a "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine" degree (DO) are eligible to register. Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons in select markets are also eligible.
Super Doctors reserves the right to remove candidates and selectees if we determine that they do not meet eligibility, research, or review criteria. These reasons include, but are not limited to the following: retirement, change in practice/specialty, provider availability, disciplinary issues, negative patient or physician feedback. Being removed from the listing does not necessarily infer anything negative about the doctor or their practice.
What is Super Doctors?
Super Doctors identifies top doctors as selected by their peers and the independent research of MSP Communications. Please note: Doctors cannot pay to be included on Super Doctors® listings nor are they paid to provide input.
Super Doctors is published online and also in print as a special advertising section in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines.
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