Calling ALL PLASTIC SURGERY RESIDENTS & ATTENDINGS

[N-transition]

Are there any Plastic Surgery residents or attendings out there who do not do cosmetic procedures? I am interested in Burns and hand surgery but I am not into cosmetic procedures and would like to know if I can be sucessful in the field and not do cosmetics. If so, how do you avoid doing so if you're at an academic center or in a prviate practice group. Any advice/insight is appreciated

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Retinamark]

There are a lot of ophthalmologists who sub-specialise in purely oculoplastics & you can do this without doing any cosmetic work.

 

[droliver]

There is a LOT of work for people interested in reconstructive surgery. The reason being that the reimbursements have dropped so much that it's become unattrictive for people to perform them. Keep in mind that "unattractive" is a relative term & you can take a salaried position Day 1 out of fellowship for several hundred thousand dollars a year from any number of places that advertise in the major PRS journals. If you do choose to do reconstructive surgery exclusively in todays climate you'll prob. earn 50%+ less then your peers who perform aesthetics with a lot of night call & sick/morbid patients in the hospital frequently.

 

[N-transition]

Droliver,

When you say reconstructive work are you referring to burns and hand surgeries due to trauma. Could you elaborate a bit more on the lifestyle of a reconstructive (plastic) suregon. For example you metioned sick/morbid, are you realting to trauma related reconstruction/care

 

[droliver]

I mean everything in plastic surgery except aesthetics.
Reconstructive surgery (which I would include hands in) has a lot less controllable hours with lots of add-on cases as your inpatient consults roll in. It just makes your life unpredictable as compared to when your schedule is set sometime weeks in advance with little unpredictability. Hand surgery includes availability for traumatic hand injuries which happen 24/7 and can be very long & complex cases which just "pop" up.

Not everyone who does a lot of reconstructive surgery works crazy hours, however to maintain your income you've been squeezed more & more with procedures that it can be a very frustrating & unsatisfactory practice to do.