Read 1
Alex Read
Mrs. Hendrix
Comp 2 – T/Th 9:30
15 November 2016
Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Career and Responsibilities
The field of medicine is a field that is always evolving as new methods, needs, and requirements come into play. This is one field is that is guaranteed to always be around and has little to no chance of people not having a need for. One of the more crucial departments of medicine would be the emergency response personnel; the people who are first responders to traumas and accidents. These people save lives every day; but who does the rest of care for patients after emergency response stabilizes a patient? Reconstructive plastic surgeons are some of the most crucial healthcare providers in some patients’ opinions.
A plastic surgeon preforms surgeries to “repair, reconstruct, and replace the physical deformities related to form or function, skin, musculoskeletal systems, limbs, hands, breast, trunk, or aesthetic improvements of these regions” (Suraya 270). With the term plastic coming from the Greek word Plastike that translates to the art of remodeling flesh, a reconstructive plastic surgeon will perform procedures or surgeries that are related closer to reconstructing (or fixing) than making something “ugly” more aesthetically pleasing (Suraya 270). For example, if a victim was in an automobile accident and broke their nose and has an incision across their face they would visit a reconstructive, as where a woman who was unhappy with her nose appearance and wrinkly skin would see a cosmetic plastic surgeon.
To be qualified as a plastic surgeon, one must go through a very demanding and strenuous process of schools and exams. These include obtaining an undergraduate degree that shows an advanced understanding of biology and chemistry, then applying and getting accepted into medical school. Before a student can be accepted into medical school, they must take and pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) exam. Once accepted, a student will spend another four years obtaining their graduate degree, which is their Medical Doctorate (MD) degree. After the MD has been obtained, the student must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) exam before they can practice medicine (Medical Schools & Doctor Careers).
Getting into medical school can be a very vigorous process, as the school is highly competitive and only allows a small number of students per year. The student needs to show an exceptional academic background, volunteer and work experiences, and a charismatic interest in medicine. Once the student is accepted, their life for the next four years are changed and a unique experience is beginning. The student will spend 80 to 100 hours per week at the hospital; studying, researching, in class, observing… whatever they can do to stay ahead. The first two years of medical school are spent in classrooms where the final two years are spent mainly making rounds and getting up close and personal with doctors...
