Plastic Surgeon

Plastic Surgeon: a surgeon who deals with the repair, reconstruction, replacement, and correction of congenital defects affecting the:

• skin
• musculoskeletal system
• head and facial structures
• hand
• exremities
• breasts and trunk

or cosmetic enhancement of these areas.

Quick Facts

Competitiveness: Very high

Length of training: 5 to 7 years

Number of residency programs: 88

Number of residents in training: 641

Number in U.S. currently Board Certified in specialty: 5,227

First year median compensation: $200,000

Mean number of hours per week in patient care activities: varies depending on practice

Residency Information

There are two options in completing your residency for plastic surgery. In the Independent model residents complete their prerequisite training outside of the plastic surgery residency program. In this model you will need to complete 36 months in a general surgery residency before completing the 2 or 3 year residency in this specialty.

In the Integrated model you will complete all of your surgical training at one institution under the direction of the plastics program director and this pathway will be 5 years in duration.

It should be noted there are a number of combinations of training options which a physician can utilize to practice in this specialty.

One additional year of training is required to subspecialize in the following:

• Plastic Surgery within the Head and Neck- reconstructive treatment of disorders of the soft and hard tissues of the face and cranial areas.
• Surgery of the Hand- expertise in the investigation, preservation, and restoration by medical, surgical and rehabilitative means, of all structures of the hand and wrist.

Why Choose

Plastic surgeons choose this specialty because of the creative aspects involved in surgery. Surgeons enjoy the aspect of planning their procedures; the fine, delicate work, or simply changing a patient's life for the better.

Typical Schedule

You will have working days of 10 to 12 hours and anywhere from 5 to 8 hours of each day will be spent in surgery, the other part of your day will be spent in the office. You can have a diverse patient population or it will be limited by the type of procedures you elect to perform.

Your call schedule will vary depending on your practice and geographic location, some may only have call for your patients or you may have emergency room coverage, where you have duties both day and night.

If You're Interested

This is not a specialty for those looking to lead the good life or aren't caring towards their patients. This specialty requires a lot of dedication, has one of the longest training periods, and in most urban areas they are saturated with too many surgeons.

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