Plastic surgery is an exciting and rewarding field, one that many surgeons are glad they entered. But becoming a plastic surgeon isn't easy nor is it a short process. If you are interested in becoming a plastic surgeon, you must investigate the field thoroughly and start your efforts as early as high school.
When in high school you need to working hard in school, taking advanced classes, earning good grades (all A's and B's), and getting involved in extra-curricular activities and community service. All of these factors along with a good SAT or ACT test score will help you qualify for acceptance into a good college or university.
While in college it is best if you select a major such as biology or a specific pre-med major where all of the basic science classes necessary for medical school are included. College is a fun time, but if you're serious about a profession in cosmetic surgery you need to be diligent in your studies and earn competitive grades, especially in your science classes.
Medical schools weigh your science GPA very heavily along with your Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. The MCAT is a broad test meant to assess your knowledge in many subjects with a substantial emphasis on the sciences. It is important to prepare well for the test. It is also important to start researching medical schools early on in your college career and learn all the requirements needed for acceptance to each institution.
At the end of your junior year, you will need to start applying to medical schools and it is wise to apply to more than one. In fact, it is not uncommon to apply to at least ten institutions. Applying to more schools gives you a better probability of being accepted to at least one institution. It does cost more to apply to more schools, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
During your senior year you should start to hear from schools and will be invited to tour the institutions and interview with the admissions committee. These interviews are a good time to ask questions about the school's cosmetic surgery program or connections. You will also need to decide which kind of philosophy best suits you, schools that will make you a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) or a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) Both types of doctors enjoy the same rights and privileges.
Hopefully you will be accepted to at least one medical school and at this point you will probably feel very relieved because you are definitely on track for achieving your dreams. But the trek is definitely not over. You will need to complete your third year rotations and will need to pick a specialty.
Rotations give you a good opportunity to see if you really like plastic surgery or if there is another area of medicine that interests you more. Other ways to give you a taste of plastic surgery include serving an externship with a plastic surgeon and investigating the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Following medical school you will need to complete your residency which may be 3 years of general surgery followed by 3 more years of plastic surgery. There are also integrated models that combine the two into 6-7 year programs and give you all the surgical training necessary.
Every program is different, and you will have to go through the residency matching process to select and be selected for a plastic surgery program. The matching process essentially works like this: the student makes a list of their top residency choices and the schools/hospitals make a list of their top students and matches are made.
You will have to make job arrangements during your last year of residency and complete all the requirements of the board of certification before you begin working. If you can make it through this long and challenging process, you will at last be able to enjoy the rewarding career of plastic surgery.
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