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Why Become A Plastic Surgeon

Discussion in 'Plastic Surgery' started by Egyptian Doctor, Mar 10, 2014.

  1. Egyptian Doctor

    Egyptian Doctor Moderator Verified Doctor

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    Plastic surgery is poorly understood by laypeople, medical students, physicians, and other surgeons. The most visible component of our specialty is aesthetic or cosmetic surgery, but plastic surgery is a broad specialty in which we operate on nearly every part of the body, on patients of all ages. We aren't confined to any organ system. While we specialize in soft tissue, hand and craniofacial surgeons very adept at manipulating and reconstructing bone as well. We treat patients with diseases ranging from congenital anomalies, to cancer, trauma, and degenerative/inflammatory disorders.

    Plastic surgery training encompasses:

    - Fundamentals of plastic surgery (wound care, flaps, implants/biomaterials, lasers)
    - Pediatric/Craniofacial surgery
    - Microsurgery
    - Hand surgery, upper and lower extremity reconstruction, peripheral nerve surgery
    - Breast surgery (aesthetic and reconstructive)
    - Cosmetic/Aesthetic surgery
    - Emerging areas (hand and face transplant immunology)

    Plastic surgery is technically demanding, inherently creative, and rapidly changing. Plastic surgery is a relatively young specialty, having its modern origin during and after WW2. But it continues to reinvent itself. While reconstruction is at the heart of what we do, plastic surgeons are at the forefront of transplantation and tissue regeneration research. Additionally, we often work in teams, not only with other plastic surgeons, but frequently alongside orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and surgical oncologists to perform complex reconstructions of the head and neck, spine, extremities, chest and abdomen.

    Much of medicine and surgery has become formulaic. Very few specialties of medicine and surgery offer the chance to be truly creative. We do it every day. At your disposal to close a wound could be a VAC device, primary closure, a graft, several local or regional flaps, or a free flap. And that's just a wound.

    The training is a minimum 6 years (or more, depending on the pathway chosen; more on this later). The training is rigorous. Once you finish training, expect long hours and hard work. We do not work shifts. We take call. We reattach fingers, arms, ears and various other parts in the middle of the night. If you seek a specialty with a high income, predictable sleep pattern, and easy hours, then plastic surgery is not for you.

    If you're in your first or second year of medical school, try to get some exposure to plastic surgery. Spending some time with individual surgeons is valuable, but realize that each surgeon typically operates within a niche. In order to get a more complete perspective, ask if you can sit in on one of the resident teaching conferences (where an array of cases is usually presented and discussed), or try to spend a couple afternoons in the OR with different surgeons at your institution.

    If you're in your third of fourth year of medical school, spend a month on a plastic surgery clerkship. It changed my life.

    [Broken External Image]:http://www.niptuckcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/niptuck-surgeon.jpg

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  2. Marie Brooks

    Marie Brooks Active member

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    It has been quite a useful and informative post, especially for those who are new to this field. Thanks for posting.
     

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