“Beauty lasts five minutes. Maybe longer if you have a good plastic surgeon.” - Tia Carrere
Plastic Surgeons are medically trained surgeons who are responsible for correcting physical deformities by performing reconstructive surgeries. For example, a plastic surgeon will be responsible for reconstructing a burnt body part by using skin and tissues from other parts of the body. Many Plastic Surgeons are also involved in performing Cosmetic Surgeries that are meant to enhance the appearance of a person. Even though most Plastic Surgeons perform both cosmetic as well as reconstructive surgeries, some choose to focus on a single type of surgery only.
This is a fast growing career as more and more people are becoming conscious about their looks and are willing to undergo cosmetic and plastic surgeries to enhance their appearance. Like any other fast growing career, this profession also suffers from massive competition and is difficult to get into. However, the financial and professional rewards are very good for people who do manage to become Plastic Surgeons.
What do Plastic Surgeons do?
Plastic Surgeons are trained professionals who are certified and authorized to perform complicated reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries on their patients.
Plastic Surgeons operate on patients and correct deformities. The type of surgery that a Plastic Surgeon performs can range from performing a relatively simple wrinkle – removal procedure or a complicated reconstructive surgery of a damaged body part.
A Plastic Surgeon thoroughly analyzes the patient’s history and diagnoses the defect or deformity accurately. They find out in detail about whether the patient suffers from any allergies, diseases etc.
They consult with the patient and discuss the possible remedies or surgical procedures and their consequences before a decision is made regarding the surgery. This becomes extremely important in the case of Cosmetic Surgeries where the patient does not suffer from a deformity but only wants to enhance his/her appearance.
Plastic Surgeons often prescribe pre and post operative treatments that might include medication, visiting certain specialist doctors, taking extra precautions etc. These are extremely important and aid in the patient’s quick recovery.
Many Plastic Surgeons are involved in conducting research and looking for new and improved surgical procedures, techniques and tools. They constantly look for ways through which the quality and accuracy of Plastic Surgeries can be improved all over the world.
Plastic Surgeons are also often involved in maintaining records of their patients including details of their treatments, observations, past diseases etc.
How to become a Plastic Surgeon?
Becoming a Plastic Surgeon involves a lot of studying to enter a medical college.
You would concentrate on subjects like Science and English. After the 10th, you would need to choose the Science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as your main subjects.
Once you complete your schooling, you would need to join a Medical college in its MBBS course. For most colleges, you will be required to undergo and qualify in an entrance exam to get admission in its MBBS course.
After you complete your MBBS degree, you would need to take admission into a postgraduate course with a specialization in Plastic Surgery at a registered medical college in India. You will be a Plastic Surgeon only after you complete this course.
It can be a help to take up a few internships under professional Plastic Surgeons during your college life, apart from the compulsory ones that are required by the course. These internships will give you a practical insight into the profession and will help you prepare yourself for the career ahead of you.
As an aspiring Plastic Surgeon, it can be a major help to read medical journals, attend seminars and network with professions in the same field. This will help you stay in touch with the new developments in this fast growing field.
Institutions:
There are many reputed institutes in India that offer courses in Plastic Surgery, mostly at the postgraduate level in the form of degrees or professional diplomas. The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research – Chandigarh and the ArmedForcesMedicalCollege – Pune are two such institutes.
What are the skills required to become a Plastic Surgeon?
Plastic Surgeons are required to be extremely knowledgeable about their field and have sufficient experience and training required to perform surgeries. They need to be hardworking and sincere as the profession requires constant studying and learning. Additionally, Plastic Surgeons are required to have the ability to be calm under pressure and take quick decisions. They also need to have the ability to pay attention to the minutest of details and think critically as well as analytically. Most importantly, Plastic Surgeons need to have genuine compassion and empathy towards their patients so that they can help cure their suffering with honesty and dedication.
Is this the right career for me?
Plastic Surgeons spend most of their lives in private clinics or hospitals attending to patients and curing their problems. They generally work for long hours and constantly deal with injuries, blood and pain. On the other hand, it is an extremely well paying career that offers great growth opportunities and brings with it a lot of respect.
If you’re a person who’s not comfortable with the vast amount of studying that this career involves, or if you’re an individual who’s looking for a glamorous career then this is not the right career for you. However, if you’re a person who’s interested in curing people of their suffering and looking for a job that offers great financial rewards along with social respect, this might be a good career option for you.
