With the rapidly growing popularity and variety of cosmetic procedures now readily available, more and more consumers are considering plastic surgery. It is not surprising therefore that more and more doctors are entering the field of plastic surgery. In fact, there are probably more doctors who claim to be plastic surgeons as compared to those doctors who really underwent extensive training to become fully trained and board certified plastic surgeons.
Plastic surgery involves many choices. The first and most important is selecting a surgeon you can trust. Choosing a fully trained Plastic Surgeon ensures that you have selected a physician who has completed at least four years of general surgery residency training with a minimum of three years fellowship training in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
Too many cosmetic surgeries are done by doctors without adequate formal training in plastic surgery. It takes six to eight years of formal training to mold a physician after medical school into to a certified Plastic Surgeon. With the complexity of the plastic surgery specialty, it is not enough for a physician to undergo months or even a year of preceptorship training in any establishment, in order for them to comprehend all the principles and applications in the field of plastic cosmetic surgery.