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Dermpire said:
Here are a few of my questions
1. Is a solely cosmetic practice feasible or reasonable?
2. Is it possible to just open up shop or do you need to find an established group?
3. How many (% estimate) Plastic Surgeons run their own businesses vs work in hospitals?
4. Do you feel like most of the cosmetic procedures you do are necessary and or well received?
5. Or do you struggle with lots of patients who want procedures that they probably don't need?
6. If you ran your own business, do you ever have to worry about call or crazy hours?
7. When you do procedures in private practice, do you have an MD anesthesiologist come in, CRNA, or go to a local hospital and use their facilities? (I've actually wondered this about all private practice surgical specialties).
8. Do you need to be artsy to do plastics? Is a good eye something you can pick up over time or do most great plastic surgeons have an innate skill?
Click to expand...

Lolz.

1. Possible, although most PRS don't do 100% cosmetic. You're also at the whim of the economy (less likely to pay for new boobs when you can't pay your mortgage), and a lot of cosmetic guys were really hurting during the recession.
2. I'll defer on this as an MS4, but most of the graduating residents I know are joining established practices.
3. Most PRS are in private practice. There was a good chart a few years ago from the ASPS meeting that broke down practice by cosmetic vs. recon and private vs. academic, but I can't seem to find it.
4/5. By definition, nobody really NEEDS a cosmetic procedure, but that doesn't mean it can't have a positive impact on someone's life. That said, most of the cosmo patients I've seen have been annoying/difficult/high maintenance.
6. If you own your own business, you are primary call for all of your patients. PRS is not a "lifestyle" field, especially not during residency or while trying to build a successful cosmetic practice. Cosmo is cut throat, particularly if you want to live in any reasonably sized city.
7. Depends. I've seen it both ways.
8. One of my attendings told me, "[plastic surgeons] are more like carpenters than artists."
 
Slack3r said:
Lolz.

1. Possible, although most PRS don't do 100% cosmetic. You're also at the whim of the economy (less likely to pay for new boobs when you can't pay your mortgage), and a lot of cosmetic guys were really hurting during the recession.
2. I'll defer on this as an MS4, but most of the graduating residents I know are joining established practices.
3. Most PRS are in private practice. There was a good chart a few years ago from the ASPS meeting that broke down practice by cosmetic vs. recon and private vs. academic, but I can't seem to find it.
4/5. By definition, nobody really NEEDS a cosmetic procedure, but that doesn't mean it can't have a positive impact on someone's life. That said, most of the cosmo patients I've seen have been annoying/difficult/high maintenance.
6. If you own your own business, you are primary call for all of your patients. PRS is not a "lifestyle" field, especially not during residency or while trying to build a successful cosmetic practice. Cosmo is cut throat, particularly if you want to live in any reasonably sized city.
7. Depends. I've seen it both ways.
8. One of my attendings told me, "[plastic surgeons] are more like carpenters than artists."
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answers! I definitely didn't think for a second that PRS was a lifestyle specialty, and I have no doubt about the brutality of the residency. So for the call, do you basically give all of your patients your phone number so if anything goes wrong they can call you?
 
Dermpire said:
Some background: I'm starting medical school this Fall and will probably try to do some shadowing to get an inside look into plastic surgery. Currently, I'm not leaning towards anything surgical, but we all know that could change in an instant with some more exposure during rotations.

For some reason I find the idea (key word is idea) of cosmetic plastic surgery really fascinating and rewarding. Some people get highs from all sorts of things like saving children in Africa, beating cancer, fixing broken bones (I would feel good about all these things), but for me I think I would feel most fulfilled being able to help people feel comfortable in their body. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have amazing genes and perfect bodies. I like the idea of being able to make minor adjustments that can make a world of difference.

However, I feel like the actual world of Plastic Surgery is a far different reality than I'm envisioning, and I'd like to get the inside scoop from those in the field.

Here are a few of my questions
1. Is a solely cosmetic practice feasible or reasonable?
2. Is it possible to just open up shop or do you need to find an established group?
3. How many (% estimate) Plastic Surgeons run their own businesses vs work in hospitals?
4. Do you feel like most of the cosmetic procedures you do are necessary and or well received?
5. Or do you struggle with lots of patients who want procedures that they probably don't need?
6. If you ran your own business, do you ever have to worry about call or crazy hours?
7. When you do procedures in private practice, do you have an MD anesthesiologist come in, CRNA, or go to a local hospital and use their facilities? (I've actually wondered this about all private practice surgical specialties).
8. Do you need to be artsy to do plastics? Is a good eye something you can pick up over time or do most great plastic surgeons have an innate skill?

Please be blunt and direct, but please don't grill me for my ignorance on the subject. If some of these questions are covered very well in other threads, please link me to them, so I can read up on them.

Thanks so much for your time!
Click to expand...

1. Possible but as mentioned above most plastic surgeons don't do 100% cosmetics although some do manage it.
2. Most people in all specialties join a group but it is always possible to go solo.
3. I work in a very different specialty so I won't guess numbers but will just point out that just because you work in a hospital doesn't mean your aren't in private practice. Most surgeons private practice or not have hospital privileges somewhere.
4-5. won't comment give I'm not in this specialty.
6. This varies and I know people in my specialty (known for having light hour) who have taken over a practice and literally work every day. Not common but it happens. I will let the plastics people give specifics, but do expect to take some call at the hospital you have privileges at. I will say I rarely call plastics and when I do it's usually a hand trauma problems and they usually follow up in the office the next morning after I do some temporizing stitches + antibiotics.
7. At least the local groups where I work do have CRNAs come in for procedures. I only know because they pay EM and surgery residents to be in house overnight to watch their patients.
8. no clue.
 
DrYoda said:
1. Possible but as mentioned above most plastic surgeons don't do 100% cosmetics although some do manage it.
2. Most people in all specialties join a group but it is always possible to go solo.
3. I work in a very different specialty so I won't guess numbers but will just point out that just because you work in a hospital doesn't mean your aren't in private practice. Most surgeons private practice or not have hospital privileges somewhere.
4-5. won't comment give I'm not in this specialty.
6. This varies and I know people in my specialty (known for having light hour) who have taken over a practice and literally work every day. Not common but it happens. I will let the plastics people give specifics, but do expect to take some call at the hospital you have privileges at. I will say I rarely call plastics and when I do it's usually a hand trauma problems and they usually follow up in the office the next morning after I do some temporizing stitches + antibiotics.
7. At least the local groups where I work do have CRNAs come in for procedures. I only know because they pay EM and surgery residents to be in house overnight to watch their patients.
8. no clue.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much! When you do PP surgery with a hospital, how does that typically work? Do you receive all reimbursements for surgery and the hospital gets the facility fee?
 
SouthernSurgeon said:
Why? OP is premed.
Click to expand...

Accepted to medical school. It's a grey area for where the thread goes, but for topics that would benefit medical students more, it goes to Allo/Osteo. For topics that would benefit pre-meds more, it goes to Pre-Allo/Pre-Osteo.

These questions are some that many 1st or 2nd year med students may have. Thus, Allo.
 
SouthernSurgeon said:
Meh. Further dilution of the usefulness of this site with crap threads that don't belong in ths sub-forum
Click to expand...
I disagree (at least about the move to this forum).

Many medical students will have the same questions, and while the OP hasn't officially started medical school, I believe it fair to be here in Allo vs the PRS subforum.
 
Dermpire said:
Thanks so much! When you do PP surgery with a hospital, how does that typically work? Do you receive all reimbursements for surgery and the hospital gets the facility fee?
Click to expand...
Essentially. Surgeries are either going to get done at a full blown hospital or an outpatient surgery center both of which will charge a facility fee.
 
Winged Scapula said:
I disagree (at least about the move to this forum).

Many medical students will have the same questions, and while the OP hasn't officially started medical school, I believe it fair to be here in Allo vs the PRS subforum.
Click to expand...

Yeah except if he doesn't score well on step 1, who cares? Everything will be moot as he won't match. He's also not a naive med student, he's still a naive premed
I'm accepted to residency, should I start threads in your surgical forums about your practices, stating I'm a resident?
 
I have a related question about surgery and surgical subspecialties - which type of surgeons more commonly practice in a private practice setting (pre partner to partner track), and which ones are more commonly in an academic center (assistant professor to professor track) ?
 
To the OP, i've been seeing you open/participate in a lot of threads like this as an incoming medical student about derm or plastics, etc. I'm just here to advise you, that you may be setting yourself up for a lot of stress and dissatisfaction in the near future. I'm completely for doing great in school, boards, and setting yourself up for success. As one who is doing all of that currently, I'd recommend you take some time to enjoy yourself before school starts. Try to take it one step at a time a little more. Asking about business tactics in opening a solely cosmetic plastics practice is definitely getting ahead of yourself. I know you want to do well. You definitely can do it without this kind of approach, which frankly, will stress you out soon.

Regardless, I hope you find the answers to the questions you asked.
 
midwestm2 said:
I have a related question about surgery and surgical subspecialties - which type of surgeons more commonly practice in a private practice setting (pre partner to partner track), and which ones are more commonly in an academic center (assistant professor to professor track) ?
Click to expand...

Well, it depends on research interests, desire to teach, academic interests, etc. but generally, the more highly sub specialized surgeons tend towards academic centers. In plastics for example, craniofacial guys tend to be in academics as reimbursements and volume makes it difficult to sustain a private practice. Same with the microvascular surgeons.
 
Tri723 said:
To the OP, i've been seeing you open/participate in a lot of threads like this as an incoming medical student about derm or plastics, etc. I'm just here to advise you, that you may be setting yourself up for a lot of stress and dissatisfaction in the near future. I'm completely for doing great in school, boards, and setting yourself up for success. As one who is doing all of that currently, I'd recommend you take some time to enjoy yourself before school starts. Try to take it one step at a time a little more. Asking about business tactics in opening a solely cosmetic plastics practice is definitely getting ahead of yourself. I know you want to do well. You definitely can do it without this kind of approach, which frankly, will stress you out soon.

Regardless, I hope you find the answers to the questions you asked.
Click to expand...

I would also echo this. Don't get ahead of yourself and enjoy your time off. It is okay to look ahead and be concerned about your future, but nobody knows how things will turn out for you and a lot of what you go into depends on your ability to perform on tests/boards. So, if you start out medical school and find yourself really struggling, or do poorly on step, then you really shoot yourself in the foot in terms of pursuing these REALLY ULTRA COMPETITIVE specialties. Also, I'm not questioning your motives, butttttttt, to reference derm & cosmetic plastics right off the back as a pre-med just kinda screams $$$ or in it for the wrong reasons. Sure, I may be making assumptions and I am not saying that those are your motives, but when school starts, I would refrain from being extra gung ho about wanting to do these things. Kind of keep it to yourself, if you will.

I had a doc tell me that he always chuckled when medical students would emphatically say they've known they wanted to be "x,y,z", since they were kids. If you're open minded, you'll go into clinicals with an open mind and will have a much better experience and truly find something that interests you. With that said, best of luck moving forward.
 
Tri723 said:
To the OP, i've been seeing you open/participate in a lot of threads like this as an incoming medical student about derm or plastics, etc. I'm just here to advise you, that you may be setting yourself up for a lot of stress and dissatisfaction in the near future. I'm completely for doing great in school, boards, and setting yourself up for success. As one who is doing all of that currently, I'd recommend you take some time to enjoy yourself before school starts. Try to take it one step at a time a little more. Asking about business tactics in opening a solely cosmetic plastics practice is definitely getting ahead of yourself. I know you want to do well. You definitely can do it without this kind of approach, which frankly, will stress you out soon.

Regardless, I hope you find the answers to the questions you asked.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I just enjoy learning about medicine. Maybe I bomb step 1 and can't do any of the things I'm interested in, maybe I fall in love with pediatrics, everything is uncertain at this point, but I do enjoy learning new things which is why I post threads trying to learn about different specialties. If this is bothering people, I sincerely apologize as it's not my intention.

I really do appreciate the concern though and I really don't want to burn myself out before starting. My hope is that any of my questions are also helpful for other people now and in the future that may be wondering some of the same things but can't find the information.
 
Dermpire said:
Honestly, I just enjoy learning about medicine. Maybe I bomb step 1 and can't do any of the things I'm interested in, maybe I fall in love with pediatrics, everything is uncertain at this point, but I do enjoy learning new things which is why I post threads trying to learn about different specialties. If this is bothering people, I sincerely apologize as it's not my intention.

I really do appreciate the concern though and I really don't want to burn myself out before starting. My hope is that any of my questions are also helpful for other people now and in the future that may be wondering some of the same things but can't find the information.
Click to expand...
I think the concern from the nice people, like @Tri723, is that you might become overly neurotic so early on before even starting med school, in a process that already makes students neurotic. Your questions are more resident type questions, except for #1 and #8, because they're much closer and it is relevant to their decision making, but it doesn't really help you at all. There are so many steps you have to go thru before you can even consider Plastics.
 
charmiedermie said:
I think the concern from the nice people, like @Tri723, is that you might become overly neurotic so early on before even starting med school, in a process that already makes students neurotic. Your questions are more resident type questions, except for #1 and #8, because they're much closer and it is relevant to their decision making, but it doesn't really help you at all. There are so many steps you have to go thru before you can even consider Plastics.
Click to expand...

I definitely get what you're saying. My issue right now, and the reason I'm looking at many of the competitive specialties, is figuring what field of research to get involved in during medical school. For any competitive specialty it's definitely good to get research in that field. I'd hate to do research in Rad Onc MS1-3 and then realize during a plastics rotation that I found my passion and be devoid of research in that area (just a random example). I'll probably do a bit of shadowing among several specialties the first few months just go get a better idea of what each field is like.

And yeah, I can definitely see how I can come across as neurotic, mostly because I probably am a little bit 😉 Thinking about future practice settings before even going to med school orientation may be a little too forward.
 
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