Career Path

How Long Does It Take To Become a Plastic Surgeon?

Published on January 17, 2023

A medical degree and at least six years of resident training are necessary for a career in plastic surgery.

Cosmetic operations like liposuction and nose jobs are frequently connected with plastic surgery. Although these are a crucial component of what plastic surgeons do, they are not their primary area of interest.

These specialists commonly undertake restorative procedures and treat congenital birth abnormalities like cleft palates.

Medical insurance frequently pays for such circumstances, but elective cosmetic procedures must be paid for out of cash.

Although they earn a good living, plastic surgeons need to have strong academic credentials as well as extensive study and training.

Here is what you should know if you have the question, How long does it take to become a Plastic Surgeon?

What is a Plastic Surgeon School Like?

A plastic surgeon is a medical specialist who is licensed and trained to treat patients’ skin and structural issues through plastic and cosmetic surgery.

He is a physician who has the ability to completely alter the outlook of a patient who has any form of scarring on his body or face as a result of an accident, a burn, or an inherited condition like cleft lips.

The duties of a plastic surgeon also include shaping and molding various bodily parts, such as the nose, ears, and face, for aesthetic and functional purposes.

Congenital issues like deformed hands or feet can also be corrected by a plastic surgeon.

Cosmetic surgery can be used to remodel healthy body parts for aesthetic reasons, whereas reconstructive surgery is used to fix body parts that have been injured by accidents, fires, sickness, or abnormality.

In order to treat their patients, plastic surgeons employ a variety of methods and surgical procedures, including mastectomy, contracture surgery for burn victims, sexual reassignment surgery, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty, augmentation mammaplasty, chemical peel, collagen injections, etc.

People, especially those involved in the show industry, have become more sensitive about their personalities and physical looks as a result of changes in thinking and higher living standards.

Since different surgical procedures can help patients achieve their ideal level of good looking, demand for qualified plastic surgeons has significantly expanded in recent years, making this one of the most lucrative career opportunities in medicine.

In order to practice these methods accurately, one must be a successful plastic surgeon.

Aspiring candidates who have the necessary academic credentials, the ability to work long hours, and a genuine desire to help their patients can succeed as plastic surgeons by gaining the necessary expertise.

Is Attending a Plastic Surgeon School Worth It?

It is indeed worthwhile. One of the most lucrative fields of medicine is plastic surgery. The best-paid doctors in 2022, according to a pay analysis by Medscape, a publication for healthcare professionals, were plastic surgeons, who took home an average annual income of $576,000 in that year.

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What Schooling Do You Need to Become a Plastic Surgeon?

The steps listed below must be followed by prospective candidates in order to become plastic surgeons.

Step 1

For admission to various medical institutions affiliated with it, students who have taken or will take the +2 exam with physics, chemistry, and biology as their primary subjects must take one of the medical entrance exams offered by various State and Independent bodies, such as PMT, administered by the Punjab Government, and AIPMT (Pre Medical Test), administered by the CBSE.

Some of the top medical institutions, like AIIMS, PGI, GMCH, AFMC Pune, etc., administer the separate exam. These tests are typically given in May or June.

Step 2

One must enroll in M.S. after completing the four and a half-year MBBS degree program and the one year and six months of required training ( Plastic Surgery).

All India Post Graduate Medical/Dental Entrance Exam and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Entrance Exam are two Post Graduate Medical Entrance Tests that prospective MBBS doctors must take.

However, some institutions also offer admission based on the MBBS course grades and the applicants’ prior employment.

Step 3

The aspiring plastic surgeons can find employment in reputable Government and Private Hospitals like AIIMS after completing their required specialization courses, such as M.S. in plastic surgery, and obtaining the mandatory registration from the Medical Council of India.

Nephrologists with strong business skills can potentially create their own clinic and provide patients services.

After completing 2-3 years of M.S. (Plastic Surgery) coursework, those who want to pursue further specialization or research work can also choose to pursue an M.Ch. (Plastic Surgery).

How Long Does It Take To Become a Licensed Plastic Surgeon in 2024?

Typically, it takes 14 years of study and training to become a plastic surgeon. You will spend the first four years of your journey finishing a pre-med bachelor’s program.

You will need to take particular prerequisite courses during your undergraduate degree program in order to enroll in medical school. Biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, psychology, and statistics are the most popular required subjects.

Following completion of your undergraduate degree, you can enroll in medical school, which likewise lasts four years. Traditional classroom learning is the main component of the first two years of medical school.

You will need to complete a number of clinical rotations throughout your final two years of medical school.

You’ll earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree after completing the program. You will then be able to enroll in a six-year surgical residency program.

Three years of general surgery and three years of plastic surgery make up the majority of this residency. You can get board certified once your residency is over.

How Much Does It Cost to Become a Licensed Plastic Surgeon in 2024?

Half of all full-time undergraduate students at both public and private universities pay annual tuition and fees of $11,814 or less, according to College Board’s released figures from 2018.

After finishing general surgical training, or during your second or third year, choose a speciality. It is not possible to lose weight in a single day. Additionally, you must take the MCATs before applying to medical schools.

Candidates must have a high GPA due to the competitiveness of the medical school application process. Programs for surgical residency pay residents about $50,000 annually, with small raises in income each year.

According to data from 2016–2017, the average public in-state tuition was $53,327 per year, while the average for out-of-state students was $92,808.

Additionally, the expense of the counseling sessions needed to prepare for a gender transition (and mandated by many doctors and insurance providers) can range from $50 to $200 per session.

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Salary and Job Outlook for Plastic Surgeon after Study

Plastic surgeons must complete rigorous training in both medicine and surgery.

Typically, obtaining a four-year college degree and passing pre-medical courses in biology, chemistry, and physics are prerequisites for becoming a plastic surgeon.

After that, you’ll enroll in medical school for a further four years to obtain a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree.

You must also complete at least five additional years of residency training with a sole focus on general and plastic surgery.

Obtaining board certification in plastic surgery from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery is an additional requirement for practicing in all states (AOBS).

A plastic surgeon in the public sector might anticipate earning between Rs. 60,000 and Rs. 75,000, depending on his qualifications and experience.

Additionally, they are eligible for a number of benefits and allowances, including free housing, health insurance, paid time off for vacation and sick days, paid holidays, and post-retirement pensions, all with flexible work hours.

In the corporate sector, plastic surgeons might make anything from Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 100,000 per month. Private practitioners, however, are only permitted to make that much money in one specific circumstance.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment possibilities for surgeons would increase by 3% between 2020 and 2030. (www.bls.gov).

This would result in a gain of 24,800 jobs overall. According to the BLS, surgeons, including plastic surgeons, made an average salary of $251,650 in 2020.

Salary.com estimates that the average yearly pay for cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons was $428,227 as of January 2022.

Conclusion

A plastic surgeon performs surgery on a patient’s face or body to reconstruct the damaged area. You can do two different types of surgery as a plastic surgeon.

A reconstructive surgeon corrects after an injury or to improve bodily function, whereas a cosmetic surgeon’s duties include improving appearance.

Most likely, you’ll carry out your duties in sterile surgical units while working at a hospital or clinic.

When you visit patients and follow up on post-operative procedures, you may have to travel rather far between your office and hospitals if your office is located in a remote area.

Surgery can take hours depending on the treatment, so you’ll frequently need to stand for long periods of time.

Goodluck as you thread in this path!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of training to be a surgeon in the US?

A medical student should budget anywhere from $157,080 for in-state public school to $254,768 for out-of-state private school over four years. These are large amounts, especially if you are going straight from college to medical school.

What is the lowest plastic surgeon salary?

Surgeons who specialize in plastic reconstruction can expect to make an average base salary of $416,760, with salaries ranging from $348,415 to $517,139.

What is a plastic surgeon’s highest annual salary?

In the United States, the average salary for plastic surgeons is $172,467 per year, or $82.92 per hour. The bottom 10% of plastic surgeons in that range, or $87,000 to be exact, make $339,000 annually, while the top 10% make $339,000.

Are you compensated while in residency?

Institutions set resident pay, which are correlated with training year rather than specialty. Therefore, in a particular training facility, all residents in their third and sixth years of training normally receive the same compensation.