How To Become A Plastic Surgeon?
A plastic surgeon is a surgery specialist that works with cosmetic aspects of the human body. Explore how to become a plastic surgeons and what do they do.
A plastic surgeon is a surgery specialist that works with cosmetic aspects of the human body, as well as body reconstruction.
In this page, learn what do plastic surgeons do, how to become a plastic surgeon by completing the required educational qualifications and how much do plastic surgeons make.
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What Do Plastic Surgeons Do?
Plastic surgeons perform cosmetic surgeries that alter the form or appearance of part of a patient’s body. Plastic surgeons also perform reconstructive surgeries for patients who have injuries from a car crash or other accident or for those with congenital disabilities.
Within this branch of medicine, there are several sub-specialties. An aspiring plastic surgeon can specialize in specific body parts.
- The first type of plastic surgeon specializes in Head, Face, and Eyes related surgeries only. This type of plastic surgeon performs a facelift, brow lift, eyelid lift, ear pinning, ear reshaping, hair replacement surgery, nasal surgery, nose reshaping (example: fixing the deviated septum), lip augmentation and craniosynostosis.
- The next sub-specialty within Plastic surgery focuses just on Mouth and Teeth only. Refer to Oral and maxillofacial surgery for more details.
- A plastic surgeon for breasts performs breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, breast reduction in men, and breast lift.
- A plastic surgeon for the abdomen performs surgeries on the stomach or abdomen areas, such as liposuction and abdominoplasty.
- The hand and limb plastic surgeons specialize in hand and upper limb reconstruction surgeries.
- A plastic surgeon for skin specializes in surgeries related to the skin only. The skin surgeries include a chemical peel, dermabrasion, injectable collagen fillers, botox, glycolic peels, laser peels, vein removals, scar revision, and tattoo removal.
How to become a Plastic Surgeon?
To become a plastic surgeon, one should:
- Graduate high school with a high GPA.
- Complete a so-called “pre-med” Bachelor’s degree with courses in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Math, including laboratory practice.
- Volunteer in different settings, preferably related to the medical field.
- Pass the Medical college admission test (MCAT).
- Obtain a medical degree at a licensed medical school (requires 4 years of training, including internship) or osteopathic school.
- Pass the 3 stages of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE).
- Choose a pathway for residency:
- An integrated pathway that lasts for 6 years and includes:
- 1-2 years of general surgery.
- 4-5 years of specialized training in plastic surgery.
- An independent pathway includes:
- 3 years of residency in general surgery, neurosurgery, ENT surgery, ophthalmology surgery, or another related field.
- Board certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Osteopathic Association, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery.
- 3 years of specialized residency training in plastic surgery.
- Breast reconstruction.
- Craniofacial surgery.
- Microvascular surgery.
- Hand surgery.
- Burn surgery.
Average Salary for Plastic Surgeons
The average salary range for a plastic surgeonin the United States is between $250,000 and $300,000 per year, depending upon the specialty he/she is in.
Additional Resources
Cite this page
Bio Explorer. (2026, January 7). How To Become A Plastic Surgeon?. https://www.bioexplorer.net/how-to-become-plastic-surgeon.html/
Key References
- “Plastic Surgery Training Worldwide: Part 1. The United States and Europe”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “Types of Plastic Surgery | Stanford Health Care”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “United States Medical Licensing Examination ®”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, COMLEX-USA: a new paradigm in testing and evaluation | The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “American Board of Cosmetic Surgery: ABCS”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “ABPlasticsurgery.org”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “General Cosmetic Surgery Fellowship Training – American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “Fellowship Programs | Johns Hopkins Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
- “Plastic Surgeon salary – Average salary”. Accessed December 25, 2019. Link.
