All across the globe, plastic surgery is a procedure in which a patient decides to undergo for numerous reasons such as injury, accident, aesthetical reasons and many more.

You should have in mind that plastic surgery is the perfect choice if you want to increase and maintain your appearance after defect, accident, illness or injury.

The individuals that complete these medical procedures are plastic surgeons, who are medical doctors that will reconstruct and improve the physical appearance of the patient.

We recommend you to check about the best plastic surgery experience guide so that you can learn more about procedures before you make up your mind. There are two types of plastic surgery: reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery has the goal of improving the appearance of the person, while reconstructive surgery will improve and maintain the regular presence of an individual as well as appropriate functions.

What is a Plastic Surgeon?

Even though people believe lots of things, being a plastic surgeon is much more than regular facelifts and tummy tucks.

It is common for them to specialize in specific cosmetic procedure with the idea to increase the overall appearance of the patient, but you should also understand that they have extensive knowledge when it comes to reconstructive techniques that will improve your mobility and function.

They have to pass training and education in both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, while specialization could be based on specific areas on the body as well as other techniques such as tattoo removal, chemical peels, and botox injections.

Therefore, they have to know everything about surgical anatomy, physiology, pathology, and other medical science that are fundamental knowledge for any surgeon as well as ethical behavior, technical expertise, surgical judgment, manual dexterity, and interpersonal skills.

It is vital for the surgeon to maintain a stable relationship with patients especially if you want to reach a high level of successfulness.

That is the main reason why most patients have to conduct communication before the procedure so that surgeon could discuss everything such as expectations, goals, and reasons for plastic surgery.

Educational Requirements

The first thing that you should know is that all plastic surgeons must have education as other physicians, which means that it starts as four-year undergraduate science degree.

Coursework has to be designed to meet medical school prerequisites as well as other sciences such as humanities, math, and chemistry. During the first two years of medical school, they have to build a foundation with physiology, ethics, pharmacology, and advanced science.

On the other hand, the third and fourth year will require from your competitive and demanding curriculum. They have to work hard and long so that they can obtain the degree and secure certification that will allow them to become plastic surgeons.

• Bachelor’s Degree – The first step in becoming a plastic surgeon is passing medical school so that you can obtain a bachelor’s degree. These include inorganic and organic chemistry, biology, physics, and the student has to give the Medical College Admission Test and send appropriate letters of recommendations from people inside the community and mentors. You should work in a hospital setting and demonstrate leadership skills and qualities and of course participate in extracurricular activities that will give you an added advantage over other students.
• Medical School Graduation – The first two years inside the medical school will provide you a thorough understanding of courses in pathology, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and microbiology. After that, you will enter into clinical rotations, where you will gain immersive experience in working with patients. You will be able to earn a Medical Doctor degree or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine which is another choice based on your preferences.
• License – If you want to become a plastic surgeon in the USA, you will have to gain a medical permit first. Therefore, you have to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (check their official website: https://www.usmle.org), or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam. Tests feature three parts that will provide your examiners an idea on your advance and basic science knowledge and concepts.
• Plastic Surgery Residency – For becoming a cosmetic surgeon, you will have to pass two different pieces of training after getting a license. You can enter three years of general surgery that will provide you knowledge on various types of operation, and after that, you can start three years in plastic surgery. Or you can enter six years residency that will provide you with both pieces of training as well. As soon as you finish residency, you will be able to acquire board certification by ABPS (The American Board Of Plastic Surgery).
• Finish a Fellowship – Within plastic surgery, you can choose a wide array of subspecialties. Therefore, if you decide to become a specialist to a certain point that will provide you with extensive knowledge you will have to pass a one-year fellowship program. You will also need valuable training in a specialty that you chose, and you can work side by side with practicing surgeon to gain first-person understanding.