Cosmetic Surgeon - The Road To Becoming Certified

What exactly does it take to become a cosmetic surgeon? When looking for a surgeon to perform your procedure, you’ll likely ask for proof of credentials and board certification to ensure that you are seeing a skilled professional. Those two documents alone account for fifteen or more years of late nights studying, grueling tests, and intense levels of stress. Becoming a qualified cosmetic surgeon is no easy task, and while deciding which surgeon is right for you will be based on a variety of factors, most had to undergo similar pathways to get where they are today.

A cosmetic surgeon generally begins their training and education at a very young age. Usually, many future doctors start applying themselves as early as high school in order to make the grades that can secure them a spot at a reputable university. It is important, even when still a teenager, for future plastic surgeons to focus on biology, math, and science to give themselves a solid learning base. After high school, the next step is to attain a four-year undergraduate degree, preferably from a good university. Most will choose a subject closely related to health sciences, such as biology, but any number of degrees will be sufficient as long as a core group of classes in the sciences is successfully passed.

Following their undergraduate degree, a budding cosmetic surgeon will likely plow forward with few breaks between studies. The next step is to apply for medical schools. Selection is extremely competitive especially at the most prestigious of universities. What this means is top grades, experience, and talent are all required to make the cut. In order to be accepted into a good medical school, a standardized test (most often the MCAT) needs to be passed. If successful and admitted, a potential cosmetic surgeon will then spend another four years in training and lectures. The first two in class based education and another two working side by side with trained doctors.

Completion of medical school is still not enough to qualify a person to become a cosmetic surgeon. After a medical degree is received, three to four more years of specialist training is needed to begin a career as a cosmetic surgeon, where often times they will focus on specific areas of interest. Once they have had substantial training, further tests are required to be passed. These tests vary by location. Here in the United States, a cosmetic surgeon should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in order to legally practice.

When choosing a cosmetic surgeon to perform your cosmetic procedure, remember that you are likely in capable hands if they are ABPS certified. It takes many long years and personal sacrifice to attain a successful career in the field. The best surgeons will even continue their education and skill training throughout their lifetime to remain up-to-date on the latest trends, technology, and discoveries. If they aren’t certified or can’t produce proof of qualifications, keep looking because the risks definitely are not worth it.