Plastic Surgery

Sophie Baldwin, 12/10/23

Plastic surgery refers to the surgical repair, restoration, or alteration of the body. The two main branches of plastic surgery are reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery and. Reconstructive surgery includes burn treatment, hand surgery, and microsurgery. Cosmetic surgery includes aesthetic procedures, such as breast augmentation, liposuction, or rhinoplasty. With increased interest in aesthetic procedures, the cosmetic field of plastic surgery has grown in the past few decades. However, plastic surgery is not only about aesthetic procedures; much of it focuses on the restoration of skin or facial structures, such as burn victim patients. Plastic surgery is a very diverse and innovative field, making it a great specialty for students who are open to challenges and change in their careers.

Fast Facts

• Salary: $445,000

• DO friendly? No

• IMG friendly? No

• Competitiveness: Very high

• Match rate (2023): 57%

• Average step-one: 251

• Surgical? Yes

Becoming a Plastic Surgeon

• 4 years of undergraduate

• 4 years of medical school

• 6 years of plastic surgery residency

• 1 year of fellowship (optional)

Work-life Balance

As with any surgical field, plastic surgeons often work long hours. However, compared to other surgical specialties such as neurosurgery, plastic surgeons typically have a more manageable work-life balance. A high level of plastic surgeons (90%) are satisfied with their career choice, with about a third experiencing burnout. In addition, plastic surgeons are some of the best-compensated doctors, with salaries upwards of 500k per year. 

Fellowships

• Burn Surgery (1 year)

• Complex Gender and Microsurgery (1 year)

• Craniofacial Surgery (1 year)

• Hand and Upper Extremity (1 year)

• Neuroplastic and Reconstructive (1 year)

• Reconstructive Microsurgery (1 year)

Job Satisfaction and Outlook

• 90% are satisfied with their career (NIH PubMed)

• 32% report burnout (NIH PubMed)

• 7% projected job growth (2018-2028) (Zippia)

Sources

https://www.prospectivedoctor.com/how-competitive-is-a-plastic-surgery-residency/

https://residency.wustl.edu/choosing-a-specialty/specialty-descriptions/plastic-surgery/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9169997/#:~:text=These%20findings%20are%20slightly%20higher,satisfied%20with%20their%20career%20choice.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6181492/

https://www.zippia.com/plastic-surgeon-jobs/trends/