From what I have researched, doctors who pay more get more out of Realself. It doesn't mean they are the best or highly skilled, it just means they paid RS more money to have more features, bells and whistles. This is a direct conflict of interest for the consumer trusting ratings and exposure of potential surgeon or practitioner.

Looking at the Board of Directors Expedia/TripAdvisor nothing wrong with that it's not a Dr and so doesn't need medical qualifications they or it just needs to provide the shareholders with a reasonable return on their investment.

The guy who started this is the same guy who worked on Expedia (Tom Seery). He's not a doctor. His whole business model is definitely geared towards helping consumers for a very serious activity (surgery).

According to its website, RealSelf is based in Seattle and considered to be one of the fastest growing companies in the country.
What appears to be a "Community Run" site to share personal stories, is in fact, an incredibly effective marketing tool. Below is a job opening (10/13/2016):

Director of Content
The Director of Content will lead and develop our team of writer/editors, setting strategy and leading overall content initiatives for consumer and B2B audiences. The role requires strong strategic acumen, along with the ability to tell compelling stories through multiple channels to a variety of audiences. Superior editing and writing skills are a must.

Responsibilities

Lead a team of writer/editors charged with producing smart content tied to engagement goals for consumer and trade audiences
Provide strategic direction for all content channels, including blogs and video
Create and maintain strategy for current and future social media efforts
Be an important stakeholder in the editorial voice for both consumer and B2B audiences
Oversee educational resources provided to a variety of audiences"