what's so good about plastic surg?

[Guest westernview]

what's so good about plastic surg- why is it so competitive? sure, it looks cool on TV... but i don't see how it's a lifestyle specialty... i came across some plastic surg residents who said they were extremely busy, often on call, had little control over their work hours, and rarely had time to see family/friends. plastic surgeons themselves seem extremely busy all the time, as well. since surgeries take long hours and require an obsessive-compulsive personality... how is this a lifestyle specialty- why is plastic surg attractive to so many people, making it competitive??? i don't get it. please explain, anyone!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

One of the reasons that Plastics is so competitive is based in simple economics: supply and demand. It's an interesting specialty with neat procedures, and so it's understandable that people are drawn to the field, but relative to specialties such as General Surgery there are relatively few positions available for all those who seek them. Thus, since a large number of applicants apply for these few procedures, the application process becomes quite competitive.

 

With respect to lifestyle, it's difficult to gauge how lifestyle-friendly surgical specialities are based on residency patterns. All surgical residencies begin with at least one year of rotations through many different services, (many which are surgical) and the lifestyle during this time can be tough. That is, the shifts and call can be quite intense. Rounds have to begin early in the morning, e.g., 6am, since most ORs schedule their non-acute procedures to begin at 8am. That makes for some early-set alarm clocks. Likewise, after the OR procedures are complete, more time has to be spent on the wards to manage the in-house patients.

 

In terms of plastic surgeons being busy, from my experience with many types of surgical practices, this busy-ness is not confined to the practice of plastic surgeons. Orthopods (in Calgary at least) often have 2-year wait lists for knee exams. It is not uncommon for a colorectal surgeon to have a 6-month waitlist for a patient to be treated in the OR. This seems to be commonplace with all types of surgery. (I can't speak for medical specialties but I would assume it might be similar given the relative shortage of medics cross-country.)

 

In terms of obsessive-compulsive personalities, this too is a feature that may not be exclusive to plastic surgeons, and which some surgeons feel is an attribute. For example, I was first assist to a vascular surgeon this past week who stated that he had such a personality and he was proud of that fact given the work that he does and the meticulousness that he feels is required to do a decent job.

 

With respect to Plastics in general, I've asked a few residents why they enjoy and chose their specialty. Interestingly, all of them have mentioned a few factors, but there has been one universal factor stated: that they just didn't wish to work with the bowel.

 

What might help you gain a better grasp of the field is to shadow a plastic surgeon. Alternatively there are a few good books out there which help to flesh out details of careers in various surgical specialties.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest peachy]

Kirsteen, you didn't mention anything about money ... is that not one of the big reasons why plastics is so competitive? That plastic surgeons can do elective surgery at enormous prices?

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there,

 

Nope, I didn't mention anything about money. Interestingly, this was not one of the factors freely mentioned by any of the residents I queried re: their career choice. However, wealth is that one factor that is ubiquitous among most "lifestyle" or competitive specialties, e.g., Derm, Plastics, Optho, etc., but rarely offered as a reason for selecting such specialties.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

Kirsteen, you didn't mention anything about money ... is that not one of the big reasons why plastics is so competitive?

 

At the risk of sounding unpopular, (but at the same time, it's the honest truth) I will go on the record and say that the money issue is a major driving force- who wouldn't want to collect huge bucks for performing relatively simple procedures that don't take all day (ie: most cosmetic surgeries). Of course, there is the obvious drawback of having to satisfy an population that is more or less obsessed with the final result (I'm talking about the elective cosmetic surgery, pay-out-of-pocket crowd here) but I guess there's a drawback to everything...

 

Best of luck!

Timmy

[Guest marbledust]

Yeah look at all the money the Nip/Tuck guys make :lol